The Hot Topic: What We Can Do About Global Warming [Paperback]

Gabrielle Walker (Author), David King (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 7, 2008

Last year, awareness about global warming reached a tipping point. Now one of the most dynamic writers and one of the most respected scientists in the field of climate change offer the first concise guide to both the problems and the solutions. Guiding us past a blizzard of information and misinformation, Gabrielle Walker and Sir David King explain the science of warming, the most cutting-edge technological solutions from small to large, and the national and international politics that will affect our efforts.

While there have been many other books about the problem of global warming, none has addressed what we can and should do about it so clearly and persuasively, with no spin, no agenda, and no exaggeration. Neither Walker nor King is an activist or politician, and theirs is not a generic green call to arms. Instead they propose specific ideas to fix a very specific problem. Most important, they offer hope: This is a serious issue, perhaps the most serious that humanity has ever faced. But we can still do something about it. And they’ll show us how.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this excellent primer on arguably the most serious problem facing the world today, Walker (An Ocean of Air) and King, the U.K.'s chief science adviser, present in concise layman's language everything you wanted to know about global warming but were too depressed to ask. They explain how fossil fuels produce carbon dioxide, show how global warming is affecting individual species and changing entire ecosystems, predict how much more climate change we can afford before things become truly catastrophic, and consider economic and political solutions to the problem. They contend that we must rein in greenhouse gases in the next two decades if we want to leave a habitable planet for our grandchildren, and in order to do this, individuals must cut down on carbon emissions and at the same time pressure their governments to do the same by adopting low-carbon technologies such as geothermal, wind, solar and nuclear power. Entertaining as well as deadly serious, this lucid book, which includes an appendix that dispels many myths and misconceptions, explains in the clearest possible way why we should care about global warming and what we can do about it. (Apr.)
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Review

ADVANCE PRAISE FOR THE HOT TOPIC

“This is a fantastic book. It’s just what the world needs right now.”—Tim Flannery, author of The Weather Makers

“A masterful book, wonderfully well-written. It should become the authoritative statement on climate change and what to do about it for years to come.” —James Lovelock, author of The Revenge of Gaia

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 276 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt, Inc.; First edition. edition (April 7, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0156033186
• ISBN-13: 978-0156033183
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #847,552 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars excellent primer for global warming.., May 27, 2008

By 

Kerry O. Burns - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Hot Topic: What We Can Do About Global Warming (Paperback)

to really understand the problem, and to really understand how one can make a difference and to really understand the forces at work that will prevent any solution this is an excellent primer. It reads in laymen terms so you don't get all boondoggled by the science. It lays out the facts clearly and concisely and examines all the alternate sources of energy and their drawbacks. The Kyoto protocol is examined and the USA's reasons for not ratifying it. A very detailed and interesting read. Maybe I'm just too cynical, maybe I don't have enough faith in mankind, maybe I'm just depressed about this whole global warming and the world we're leaving to our children but I think it might be better to get beyond the argument of global warming, is it? or is it not? are we responsible? or aren't we? maybe..we should move the questions to a higher plain, like what can we do to make sure mankind survives?

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars good overview of research to date, July 13, 2008

By 

A. Ranade (Evanston, IL, United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Hot Topic: What We Can Do About Global Warming (Paperback)

Other that An Inconvenient Truth, not too much exists in the pop culture that describes global warming and its possible consequences in a way that is accessible for the general public to understand. More books need to "cross over" to increase public awareness and understanding about this pressing issue. This publication acts as bridge between the scientific community and concerned citizens who may just be interested in the topic. It is an easy read and is laid out in a straightforward manner. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for basic facts about climate change and what humans can do to change the course. However, it may not be captivating for those that are not interested in the topic to begin with.

4.0 out of 5 stars A bit sketchy on the science., November 21, 2009

By 

J. Dykstra (Roswell, NM) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Hot Topic: What We Can Do About Global Warming (Paperback)

This is one of those books you kind of have to stick with before it gets good. The book starts out with an overview of why global warming is an issue. While everything these scientists say about global warming is right on and referenced in the notes, some of the things they talk about are done in a but of a sketchy fashion. This is unfortunate because it could cause some who are predisposed to climate skepticism to criticize the conclusions. However, the second half of the book delves into the whole issue of what to do about global warming and this section is much better. Usually when scientists talk about what to do about global warming, they end up offering one or two throw-away ideas. In this case, the authors even-handedly cover all the angles, at least as much as they can be in a short book like this. They cover all of the different potential avenues that can be pursued politically and they give a brief rundown on the situation of many of the countries that emit a lot of greenhouse gases. They don't necessarily advocate any one solution over the other. So in this sense, the book is a good overview that isn't too slanted towards any one idea. Many skeptics love to oversimplify issues or make unfounded assertions about other countries and the economic impacts of attempts to fix global warming. This book puts a more balanced spin on the whole thing.

I recommend this book with a few reservations. If you don't know much about global warming and you want to learn more, you are probably better off starting with another book. If you want a book that provokes some thought about the political side as it relates to the scientific side of global warming, you might enjoy this book.