An argument for the urgent danger of global warming in a book that is sure to be as influential as Rachel Carson's Silent Spring.
Known for her insightful and thought-provoking journalism, New Yorker writer Elizabeth Kolbert now tackles the controversial subject of global warming. Americans have been warned since the late nineteen-seventies that the buildup of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere threatens to melt the polar ice sheets and irreversibly change our climate. With little done since then to alter this dangerous course, now is the moment to salvage our future. By the end of the century, the world will likely be hotter than it's been in the last two million years, and the sweeping consequences of this change will determine the future of life on earth for generations to come. In writing that is both clear and unbiased, Kolbert approaches this monumental problem from every angle. She travels to the Arctic, interviews researchers and environmentalists, explains the science and the studies, draws frightening parallels to lost ancient civilizations, unpacks the politics, and presents the personal tales of those who are being affected most--the people who make their homes near the poles and, in an eerie foreshadowing, are watching their worlds disappear. Growing out of a groundbreaking three-part series for the New Yorker, Field Notes from a Catastrophe brings the environment into the consciousness of the American people and asks what, if anything, can be done, and how we can save our planet.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
You will be scared reading this book!:
Field Notes from a Catastrophe: Man, Nature, and Climate Change
We fire our concerns about climate change thinking that we will not have to deal with the effectos of the global warming. Elizabeth Kolbert does not permit you to lie yourself. The picture of the climate change that is already here and the effects that it might have on us, not on our sons and nephews is so vivid that my plunge you in depression. You should read it, unless you want to act like the boiling frog.
Good overview:
I am giving this book 5 stars, not because I think it's the best book on global warming, or even the most complete, but because it is a good overview that is readable in one or two sittings. Many of the annecdotes and examples in this book can be found in other books on the same topic, but this one does a good job of bringing together some important ones. Besides the evidence on global warming and the discussion of where we stand, two things jumped out at me about this book. The first one was the fact that... more info
I was not an environmentalist. Now I am.:
This book will change the way you look at your impact on the world. Whether you consider the environment to be an important issue or not, it is well worth your time to read this short yet powerful book. The world is changing, fast, and it is becoming impossible to reasonably deny that fact. News reports are consistent: the world is warming faster than expected, and the results are found everywhere we look. More powerful hurricanes, ancient glaciers melting, ice caps shriveling, animals extinct and behaviors... more info
Excellent:
This book came to us in very good condition and earlier than we expected. Thanks!!
