Breathe

APPLE BOOKS REVIEW

The proud son of a South London bus driver, politician Sadiq Khan was always a supporter of green issues. Yet it wasn’t until he was diagnosed with adult-onset asthma due to the capital’s polluted air that he became truly galvanised to clean up the city. As London Mayor, Khan was in a unique position to do something about it—only to find himself facing seemingly insurmountable obstacles at every turn. A combination of memoir, manifesto and policy playbook, his book explains how the climate change crusader overcame cynicism, apathy and cost concerns to turn London into a pioneering green city. Khan combines political diaries with personal stories—including the nine-year-old girl’s death that drives him and his minor heart attack at the Cop26 summit. He persuasively argues how hands-on eco policies can win elections, not lose them, and align with a belief in social justice. With a former lawyer’s eye for detail, it occasionally feels like a college thesis but Khan is undeniably passionate and his tireless enthusiasm is inspirational. His love of London leaps from every page and Breathe becomes a rousing call to action.