The Thinking Person's Guide to Climate Change: Second Edition

It bored me to tears and also it's depressing. Lots of crying occurred this semester.

Too bad some people won’t believe in what’s actually happening.

I read the first version but I assume the second edition is mainly an updated new edition. This is an excellent and balanced view of climate change. Let's not forget that the basic science to explain the current changes in our climate was done over a 100 years ago. The basic science is not at all controversial. Then there is plenty of data gathered by instruments that work perfectly fine. This Guide provides a great introduction to all the important topics of climate change, including the possible actions we could take to minimize our emissions. It introduces various controversies and then details the outcome of the debates - yes, the outcomes always verify the scientists claims - sorry! There is no doubting the science anymore. This guide is comprehensive and provides an excellent overview of the topic.

Had some pages of the book stuck together. I was able to separate them without too much damage to the other pages.

I was shocked at the perspective and approach of this book. There is a lot of persuasion and very little balance. My shock came from the publisher - The American Meteorological Society. If they can't be trusted, who can be trusted on this subject? They seem to mischaracterize the work of Roy Spencer and John Christy on satellite temperature monitoring. They are even worse when it comes to the pre-dominant view of "The Coming Ice Age" in the late 60s and early 70s. I was a scientist in training for 5 years back then and was very familiar with the predominant view among atmospheric scientists at the time. I actually met Reid Bryson from Wisconsin, an important figure in that belief. Evidence that calls into question the role of CO2 in warming and the nuances of the impacts, some of which are quite positive are either completely ignored or glossed over. Shameful science. Great propaganda.

Good book that presents a comprehensive discussion of the subject

I was hoping for representation of various views.

I happen to be a global warming skeptic and this book promotes the alarmists viewpoints.

This book is only slightly changed from the first edition (which is actually the fourth edition, counting three prior appearances under the title "Rough Guide to Climate Change"). Both series titles fit well, this most recent edition -like its predecessors- can be highly recommended, and (though small) the revisions add further to the breadth and strength of the work. (See my review of the prior edition on the Amazon USA site here: https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Persons-Guide-Climate-Change/dp/1935704737/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=thinking+persons+guide+to+climate+change&qid=1582676231&sr=8-2). This new edition has two principal changes, both adding slightly to the length but for worthwhile reasons: (a) A detailed chapter by chapter biography is included: very helpful especially for readers eager to dig into more detail. (b) The first part of the political debate section, "A heated topic," has been extended, brought up to about 2017, and enriched with new material. Given the power and controversy surrounding the general topic, this chapter is basically unavoidable, and updates to it have been rightfully given priority. Indeed, the need for new editions generally and especially for ongoing updates to this chapter in particular, is underscored by what it leaves out. "Donald Trump" is in the index, but "Greta Thunberg," "carbon budget" and "green new deal" are not. The lack of a table on by-country cumulative carbon emissions, e.g. in the "Who's Responsible" chapter, remains regrettable. More could also be said about carbon footprints and carbon budgets, and -properly applied to this book- would no doubt suggest a trimming back of exemplary yet quantitatively too-little-too-late do-it-yourself tips, and a concomitant increased treatment of the most urgent, powerful and achievable global scale legislative reform proposals. I look forward, in other words, to still further improvements in what I hope will be further editions yet to come. Meanwhile, this current book can be enthusiastically and reliably recommended to any serious-minded beginner, and as an undoubtedly useful reference, even for advanced students, trained practitioners and long-interested citizens. In such a broad and fast-changing -yet very long-lasting- field, even experts can benefit from guidance and solid compact background on many sub-aspects. "Educate yourself" would be another highly worthy new addition to the final chapter on "What Can You Do?, and top of the list in that category, would be: Acquire this book, read it, use it, and suggest it to others!

This is a comprehensive, balanced and up-to-date examination of the science behind the most important issue of our age by a leading meteorologist. I would highly recommend it for anyone seeking to gain a full picture of the relevant facts and history in order to form their own independent opinion on the subject.

This comprehensive scientific background complemented with many current headlines. Must have for every household.

I'm currently teaching an introduction to weather and climate course for the U3AC (university of the third age, Cambridge) program in Cambridge. This is a pretty through book on the important subject of global warming and I have recommended it to my students. It's a bit like a seed catalogue, but everything is adequately covered.