LITERARY SUGGESTIONS
(1) The story has a complex structure:
What is happening on Mars?
What is happening at the University?
What is currently happening on Earth?
How does extant economic thought differe from previous times?
How well do the authors of the book deal with this complexity?
(2) Is the book well written?
Has the author made good use of English to describe situations graphically enough?
Is the balance right between writing an exciting adventure story and getting a serious ecological message across to the reader?
Do you empathise with the characters in the book?
THE SERIOUS ASPECTS OF THE NOVEL
(1) Do you believe we have serious ecological problems that are largely man-made?
(2) Do you believe we have an excessive economic growth problem that is at the root of our ecological problems and that global warming is a symptom of excessive consumption?
(3) As individuals do we have the responsibility and power to address economic and ecological problems and are they related or separate issues?
(4) Currently do you detect that there is a coalition between politicians, large business and leading economists?
(5) Are universities currently teaching a balanced view of economics or one that promotes excessive economic growth?
(6) Might there be a case that in tackling the symptom of climate change we are avoiding tackling the more fundamental problems that give rise to this symptom.
THE ADVENTURE STORY
(1) Is Pinto's report on what is happening to the earth over the top or about right?
(2) Should there have been two professors at the University with opposing views or is it confusing?
(3) Do two sides of human nature exist and do they present an individual with choice on such matters as economic growth and climate change?
(4) Do such people as George exist who may feel so strongly that they are correct that they may wish to eliminate a person with the opposite opinion?
(5) Are time travel stories a good way of being able to step back from current reality to get an overview about a major problem like ecological problems, climate change or excessive econoic growth?
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