World Without End

Is this the end of the world? Perhaps not.

In this eye-opening, hopeful and hugely entertaining bestseller, a climate expert takes a leading graphic novelist on a journey to understand the profound changes that our planet is undergoing. The scientist, Jean-Marc Jancovici, walks us through just about everything: from the innermost workings of our minds to toothbrushes, office jobs, and oil; ancient history and modern geopolitics; economics and ecology; the unfolding climate crisis and its consequences for us all. As he describes the world we live in - a world whose future is deeply uncertain - the artist, Christophe Blain, listens and draws.

Coming face to face with global warming, the unlikely duo - along with Mother Nature, Pop Eye and Jiminy Cricket, among others - create a picture of what the solution to our predicament actually looks like. Yes, we have a fossil-fuel problem, but simply switching to renewable energy won’t fix it. We can and must rethink everything: our energy supply, our economies and our whole world. They leave us with an inspiring vision of the future in which food, education, housing, transport and communities - in other words, all of us - work together and, with a few technological fixes, succeed in creating a world without end.

Review

A word of mouth sensation… book whose alternative title might be: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Climate Change But Were Too Afraid to Ask … Jancovici [provides] the facts and clever concepts, and Blain the angst, the jokes and the occasional superhero … This is vital reading: every maison should have one -- Rachel Cooke ― Observer

World Without End is a testament to the power of the graphic novel and a singular work of environmental activism. Through its whip-smart designs, accessible research, and fearless commentary, this book invites readers of all backgrounds to join the climate change conversation-and demands that they feel anything but ambivalence. Masterful and unforgettable -- Marjane Satrapi, author of Persepolis

Can a graphic novel save the planet? Perhaps. World Without End is sharp, funny, and heart-stoppingly honest -- Elizabeth Kolbert, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Sixth Extinction

When it comes to the climate crisis, most of us know what we think, but we also understand that we don't know enough. In World Without End, Jancovici pulls no punches about how dire things have become, but Blain also keeps humor ever present, and it is welcome. This book, which covers so much material, is extremely readable and enjoyable, and a testament to the talent of the author and artist behind it. They know that a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, and that while we all want to know more about the current state of things, we need a place to start. For many people, this will be it -- Kate Beaton, New York Times bestselling author of Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands

READ. THIS. BOOK. World Without End is the single most important book on energy of our time -- Eliza Griswold, Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist

An illuminating and original approach to understanding climate change ― FT - What to Read in 2024

A frenetic and funny take on global warming … World Without End is no ordinary climate science book … When it comes to understanding the crisis we face, boy, is this a powerful book of cartoons -- New Scientist

One of the most brilliant summaries of climate issues that has ever been written... rigorous, realistic and lucid ― Huffington Post (France)

This perfect duo explain ecological issues without an ounce of dogmatism... It is a far cry from the ideologues who, by dint of telling us that everything is screwed up, encourage more inaction or contrition than action. Jancovici does not pretend that we can fix everything. He believes that there are solutions to alleviate the problem, but we must begin by understanding it ― Les Echos

About the Author

Christophe Blain is an award-winning artist best known for the series Gus and Quai d’Orsay, for which he won the Best Album Award at Angoulême in 2013.

Jean-Marc Jancovici is an engineering consultant, energy and climate expert, professor, conference speaker, writer, and independent columnist. He is co-founder of the Carbone 4 consultancy firm, and the president of the think-tank The Shift Project.