Currents of Change: El Niño's Impact on Climate and Society [Hardcover]

Michael H. Glantz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 28, 1996

Every year, extreme climatic problems occur around the globe, with droughts in some places and floods in others. Recently, we have come to recognise that some of these widely dispersed climatic extremes might have a common origin in the periodic warming of sea surface water in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. A century ago, Peruvian fishermen connected this appearance of warm water every December to changes in fish numbers and christened it 'El Niño', the Spanish term for the Christ Child. In some years, El Niño lingers, and seems to be connected with droughts in Australia, Brazil or India, reduced incidence of tropical hurricanes on the east coast of the US, and floods in Peru. Currents of Change explains in simple terms what El Niño is, how its effects might be forecast and its far reaching impacts on all of us.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'... attractively produced ... written for the non-specialist ... Glantz is a passionate advocate of the value of climate research and his book should be compulsory reading for politicians and funding agency heads everywhere. It also provides background material that will be useful to geography and environmental science students and should appeal to anyone interested in the human dimension of climate.' J. C. King, Weather

'Michael A. Glantz delivers more than a description of a major climatic phenomenon and its impact: he presents a case study of science at work and also shows how to make a book readable ... This book doesn't lay down the law, it informs. It is full of useful maps, diagrams, charts and photos (and even a crossword). A good read, even for those who don't usually care about Pacific sea level pressure changes.' Lothar Lüken, Earthwatch

'... an excellent introductory text. The basic concepts are described clearly. The breadth of the text is pleasingly broad from theory to application.' TEG News

'... should be ... commended for his effort to bridge the gulf between scientists and those who benefit from science.' Nature

'... well-produced book.' Nature

'... an absorbing book.' George Philander, Nature

'El Niño is mostly forgotten. This book aims to change that, in user-friendly style.' New Scientist

'... simple and user-friendly.' L. A. Ogallo, World Meteorological Organization Bulletin

'This book is well written, well illustrated, and manages to convey a lot of important facts without 'techno-speak'. It can be recommended to anyone requiring an introduction to the complexities (here we go again!) of climate.' Elmar R. Reiter, Meteorology and Atmospheric Physics

' ... for atmospheric scientists the book provides a meaningful perspective of the human component of the phenomena described. For the social scientist, it is an account of El Niño that will help clear up any misrepresentations derived from popular accounts. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.' John E. Oliver, International Journal of Climatology

Book Description

When El Niño arrives, there are droughts in some places, floods in others and tropical storms occur in different places. But what is El Niño, and how can it possibly affect weather patterns on a global scale? Currents of Change explains all in simple terms, and explores its far reaching effects for all of us.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (September 28, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521495806
• ISBN-13: 978-0521495806
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,959,190 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best book regarding El Nino and it's impact on society, June 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Currents of Change: El Niño's Impact on Climate and Society (Paperback)

I read Currents of Change in a short amount of time and was engrossed...something I rarely do with non-fiction books! Michael Glantz allows the reader to fully understand El Nino without the drama and hysteria we get from the media...though we should be concerned and prepared for El Nino. It's impacts are real and El Nino is a complicated weather system. With the help of Glantz's book, anyone can understand the complexities of our earth's weather pattern and how it relates to El Nino. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in EL Nino, La Nina, and weather in general for that matter. It's easy to read and understand because Glantz puts this difficult weather event in terms that are easy to comprehend.

1 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars EL NINO AS PART OF THIS GREATER EAST-WEST INTERPLAY, February 17, 1998

By 

K.P. CHEN - See all my reviews

This review is from: Currents of Change: El Niño's Impact on Climate and Society (Paperback)

I have not read this book, but I know my title should be fundamentally correct... why? 1)EL NINO parallels AIDS disease; 2)EL NINO parallels US-CHINA very bumpy and needy relationship; 3)EL NINO parallels the dawning of Digital Age; 4)EL NINO parallels the Woman/Minority Movements; 5)EL NINO parallels the rise of Asian Economic Power; 6)EL NINO parallels the greater tendency for people to stay indoors; 7)EL NINO parallels the US media's "China Conspiracy"; 8) EL NINO parallels the lost of Yang Potency across the globe; 9) EL NINO parallels the greater justication of "blunt" immorality as "disguised" morality ... etc. No wonder, EL NINO was coined the name: THE GHOST CHILD... we can "fool" each other, but we cannot fool EL NINO. (forgive me, if I am wrong)