Summary

Chapter 1, entitled “Tribulations,” opens with a personal recollection from the author, Mark O’Connell. O’Connell is an Irish writer who lives and works in Dublin, Ireland. He saw an internet a video of a starved-looking polar bear in Alaska. O’Connell reflected that he was watching the video on his smartphone, and the production of phones has contributed to climate change, which has contributed to many negative ecological effects. O’Connell has often had a fearful, morbid fascination with the end of the world and its possible causes, such as climate change and war. He takes comfort in things like the companionship of his wife and children, but he has struggled to feel at home and comfortable in light of such apocalyptic fears. O’Connell often fears that it was immoral to have children, as they might be endangered by such apocalyptic risks...