Complete Idiot's Guide to Global Warming [Paperback]

Michael Tennesen (Author)

Book Description

Series: The Complete Idiot's Guide | Publication Date: April 6, 2004

The time is right for this comprehensive guide separating the facts from the fiction about global warming-and how it affects ecological, sociological, and economic environments worldwide.

€ Features explanations of the meteorological variables of climate change, such as El Nino and the ozone layer
€ Covers Earth's past warming and cooling cycles, and how human activity has affected this natural pattern
€ Includes up to date discussions of the Bonn and Kyoto treaties

Editorial Reviews

Review

It's a valuable primer on a topic that all of us need to better understand. -- National Wildlife Federation

About the Author

Michael Tennesen, a science and nature writer, has written more than 400 stories in such journals as Smithsonian, Air & Space, Discover,National Wildlife, Audubon, and USA Today. His award-winning piece "Expedition to the Clouds" highlights the damage done to the Peruvian rainforest as poachers, deforestation, and climate change drive certain species to near extinction.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Alpha (April 6, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592570712
• ISBN-13: 978-1592570713
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,247,417 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Good Starting Point, August 23, 2005

By 

Glenn Hansen "Still on the fence when it come... (Geelong, Vic, Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Complete Idiot's Guide to Global Warming (Paperback)

This book is a good introductory text for those who want to know more about the complex topic of climate change and "global warming". The book is easy to read and educational for those starting out in their examination of the field, though further reading on this topic will show that some of the core premises of the book are more contentious than the author seems to think.

A list of further readings is provided, though there are no sources listed for the arguments made by the aurthor, which can make it difficult for those who want to do their own fact-checking or to canvass alternative opinions. However, a whole (short) chapter is devoted to arguments against the impact of man and is consequences on the environment.

Unfortunately, like many modern texts on climate and the environment, the author seems wedded to the concept of biocentrality and "steady-state" systems, with no examination of the merits or pitfalls of such a position.

Still, overall, this book provides a good introduction to the general concepts and arguments around man's impact on global climate.

5 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Review from Someone who has NOT read the book, December 2, 2008

By 

Roedy Green (Victoria, BC, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Global Warming, 2E (Paperback)

I feel silly writing a review of a book I have not read, but I read the other reviews which were completely bogus, which tried to give the impression that there is still controversy about global warming among the world's scientists, and that global warming is some left-wing conspiracy this book promotes.

Here is a simple experiment to see who is telling the truth. Go to your local library and ask to see some peer-reviewed technical magazines on global warming. The language will probably be way over your head, but you can categorise the abstracts as either:

1. presuming global warming as a fact

2. debunking global warming

3. you can't tell.

I predict you won't find a single scientific article debunking it.

"Many people have the impression that there is significant scientific disagreement about global climate change. It's time to lay that misapprehension to rest. There is a scientific consensus on the fact that Earth's climate is heating up and human activities are part of the reason. We need to stop repeating nonsense about the uncertainty of global warming and start talking seriously about the right approach to address it."
~ Naomi Oreskes, 2004-12-26, science historian
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A26065-2004Dec25.html