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Global warming - without the spin

Customer Rating:

Everything you need to know about the challenges of climate change without the spin. There is a veritable overload of information on the topic of global warming that makes it difficult to get to grips with what to do and how to deal with it on a personal level. This highly informative book sets out to inform the reader of the issues, how to prepare for the inevitable changes and then follows up with solutions in these areas: technological, political, personal and local. The subject is a serious one but as Walker writes - don't despair, although it's a hard one it's not intractable. She suggests that we look inside our circle of influence, start small and soon your circle will expand... but at no point become "greener than thou". It's a jungle of a topic but this book makes the big issues that bit clearer.

Calm, balanced, and reasonable.

Customer Rating:

With impeccable scientific credentials, the authors calmly and carefully explain the agreements and disagreements among climate scientists and the international politics that surrounds the issue. Emphasising technological adaptation, they argue that we can meet the challenge of climate change without making and drastic lifestyle changes and with only very minor financial cost: we just need to change the way we generate energy, and consume it more efficiently. They also make recommendations for personal action, ranging from buying the right light-bulbs to pressurising politicians and businessmen into adopting the right policies. Among the current crop of climate change books, this is a refreshingly reasonable and responsible read.

The ideal introduction

Customer Rating:

I've never read as much about global warming as I felt I should, put off by the obvious partisanship - pro or con - of almost everything in the press and recoiling from the green bandwagon that has become a fashion accessory. And then there was the problem of where to start... that same partisanship problem once again. Now I have the answer: this book. As a clear, intelligent and, above all, measured introduction to global warning I doubt it can be bettered. It runs through the science, looks at the politics, discusses the technology and tries to be contructive about the way forward. My only criticism is that at times I was left wanting to know more - but that is to praise the authors's restraint knowing they were writing an introductory guide. I picked up this book wanting something clear and unbiased that would help me organise my thoughts on global warming. That's exactly what I got.

Excellent introduction to a complex field

Customer Rating:

I considered myself moderately well informed on the global warming (GW), having browsed websites, new scientist and wikipedia. I learnt a lot from this book, partly about the science, but mostly from the fascinating coverage of the political issues around GW. It is also useful in knowing how to respond to the sceptic's points. Overall it is a highly readable and nicely detailed (not too much to get bogged down in) account of all the surrounding issues. It is not a scare story... and does not over indulge in lurid alarmist doomsaying.

A lucid account of climate change science and politics

Customer Rating:

Generally excellent. The only real criticism I'd make of this book is that the authors are sometimes too blunt in their opinions. They say that "human activity is to blame for the rise in temperature over recent decades", and anyone who denies this is essentially a fool or an oil shill. This is unfair: lots of perfectly bright people have been misinformed, and believe there's more uncertainty than there is - you don't need to be a fool to be duped. Overall, 'A Rough Guide to Climate Change' gives a clearer (and more thorough) overview of the science, but Hot Topic is more up-to-date and has greater detail about the potential solutions and political obstacles. (I'd also highly recommend Andrew Dessler's more technical 'The Science and Politics of Global Climate Change'.) Finally, it's worth noting what a tireless job David King has done in promoting awareness of climate change. History is likely to regard him very highly.