Overview
About the Author:
Michael E. Mann is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Meteorology and Geosciences at Pennsylvania State University and the Director of the Penn State Earth System Science Center
About the Author:
Lee R. Kump is a Professor in the Department of Geosciences at Pennsylvania State University and an associate of the Penn State Earth System Science Center and the Penn State Astrobiology Research Center
Synopsis
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has been issuing the essential facts and figures on climate change for nearly two decades. But the hundreds of pages of scientific evidence quoted for accuracy by the media and scientists alike, remain inscrutable to the general public who may still question the validity of climate change.
Esteemed climate scientists Michael E. Mann and Lee R. Kump, have partnered with DK Publishing to present Dire Predictions-an important book in this time of global need. Dire Predictions presents the information documented by the IPCC in an illustrated, visually-stunning, and undeniably powerful way to the lay reader. The scientific findings that provide validity to the implications of climate change are presented in clear-cut graphic elements, striking images, and understandable analogies.
KLIATT
Dire Predictions helps the reader traverse the difficult terrain of climate change facts and figures through the use of photos, charts, and maps. It doesn't downplay the science behind the articles, but it really is all about presentation and the implications of that science. The authors are both professors of geosciences and they are able to make the information palatable to even the most science-phobic reader. They do this by dividing the material into an introduction that explains the credentials and methods used to develop their conclusions, followed by five chapters: Climate Change Basics; Climate Change Projects; The Impacts of Climate Change; Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Change; and Solving Global Warming. While describing climate change as "one of the greatest, if not the greatest, challenge ever faced by human society," they believe that if we work together, we have a good chance of success. The book ends with a glossary and index. I found this book to be one of the clearest and easiest to digest explanations of climate change I have ever read. Students may feel called to action and the authors give them ideas of what they need to do as the newest guardians of the Earth. Reviewer: Nola Theiss