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laurenzokro's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
4.0
Super accessible, detailed coverage of climate change that would appeal to both those unfamiliar with the field and those who work in it. It’s especially interesting to read this nearly 20 years on, and compare the urgency Kolbert expressed then with the wide-ranging impacts we’re seeing globally in the present. I really appreciate Kolbert’s writing style in this, which seeks to highlight the voices of various climate experts rather than put forth a particular narrative. Because of that, everything weaved together well, while leaving you with the opportunity to reflect rather than present the takeaways on a silver platter. For example, it was nice how the chapters typically ended on a moment that Kolbert shared with one of the speakers, or a scene from a particular excursion she went on - it made the book feel more authentic and even experiential. My only critique really is that I would’ve liked some greater diversity in the speakers, which in particular saw a surprising lack of women - but perhaps that’s more a reflection on diversity in climate science of the early 2000s. The addition of the three essays in the 2014 version was rather effective and flowed a lot better than I expected. All in all a solid nonfiction read!
emlocke's review against another edition
3.0
Climate Change Literature Pot Luck Dinner Party Guest List:
Elizabeth Kolbert will bring the meat
Bill Bryson will bring the gravy
Al Gore will provide a table center piece
Bill McKibben will provide dishes and flatware
Jacques Cousteau will send wine
Alan Weisman will bring dessert
And, according to Kolbert, the U.S. government will be responsible for the clean-up.
Elizabeth Kolbert will bring the meat
Bill Bryson will bring the gravy
Al Gore will provide a table center piece
Bill McKibben will provide dishes and flatware
Jacques Cousteau will send wine
Alan Weisman will bring dessert
And, according to Kolbert, the U.S. government will be responsible for the clean-up.
theseventhl's review against another edition
4.0
Brilliant, smart, startling book. For those who have doubts about the true effects of climate change on our planet and humanity as well as those who need a reminder that the Earth is going to shit at a rapid pace. Needed more charts and graphs! More visuals!
uhambe_nami's review against another edition
4.0
This is not a speculative gloom-and-doom story, but a great textbook on climate change research and the current state of affairs, with clear case studies of places around the world where climate change is already affecting the lives of people. The chapter on Dutch water management and the floating houses in Maasbommel is excellently done; the 'Ruimte voor de Rivier' (Room for the River) projects of which she speaks are now well underway and set to be completed in 2015. In the few years since Ms. Kolbert wrote her book, the global CO2 levels have gone up from 380 to 400 parts per million, an indication of the urgency of the climate change problem.
paloaltoast's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
prairierosereads's review against another edition
3.0
Solid book. However, it was published in 2005, so much of the data is out of date, so you may want to consider that before reading. I decided to pick this up after reading The Sixth Extinction because I loved her writing. Kolbert throws so many statistics and so much data at the reader, but it's styled in a way that makes it digestable.