THUMBNAIL: A wise man known as the Ancient One carries the weight of Planet Earth on his shoulders, imagining what he would do (if he were in charge) to save the world from one particular species that is embarked on a path of self-destruction.
SYNOPSIS: Author of the Cli-Fi novel 20/20, attorney turned novelist B Shawn Clark shares his entry in the New Shape Prize competition in a hybrid work of literary non-fiction that proposes a framework for dealing with the impending doom of climate catastrophe that is poised to wipe Homo sapiens off the face of the planet once and for all, taking the rest of all living things down with them. Clark suggests a way to solve this planetary crisis through use of a 12-step program combined with the scientific method. .Based on a thesis paper he authored during a law school Human Rights seminar on the topic of humanitarian intervention,
How to Save the World
(
in 12 Easy Steps
) employs an idiosyncratic form of verfabula (literary nonfiction) that tells the story of an old man who enters a contest that called for the submission of ideas by anyone from around the world who had suggestions for a new world order, to replace the old one that was not working very well. This book tells the story of the New Shape competition and one person's heartfelt entry in the contest.