An Inconvenient Truth: The Crisis of Global Warming (Hardcover)

by Al Gore (Author) "THIS IS THE first picture most of us ever saw of the Earth from space..." (more)
Key Phrases: climate crisis, ice shelf, United States, New Orleans, Aral Sea (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
Starred Review. Grade 5–8—This young readers' version of the recent documentary film's companion adult volume cuts the page count by about a third but preserves the original's cogent message and many of its striking visuals. After explaining that his interest in the environment predates even his mother's reading of Silent Spring aloud to him as a teenager, Gore proceeds to document steeply rising carbon dioxide levels in our atmosphere, and then to link that to accelerating changes in temperature and precipitation patterns worldwide. Using easy-to-grasp graphics and revealing before-and-after photos, he shows how glaciers and ice shelves are disappearing all over the globe with alarming speed, pointing to profound climate changes and increased danger from rising sea levels in the near future. O'Connor rephrases Gore's arguments in briefer, simpler language without compromising their flow, plainly intending to disturb readers rather than frighten them. He writes measured, matter-of-fact prose, letting facts and trends speak for themselves—but, suggesting that "what happens locally has worldwide consequences," he closes with the assertion that we will all have to "change the way we live our lives." Like the film, this title may leave readers to look elsewhere for both documentation and for specific plans of action, but as an appeal to reason it's as polished and persuasive as it can be.—John Peters, New York Public Library
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
*Starred Review* In this youth-focused adaptation of Gore's 2006 adult book and Oscar-winning documentary, Gore and O'Connor (credited as "adaptor") distill the material, creating an eye-opening story that targets kids' concerns. Gone are the political passages that begin with phrases such as "During the Clinton-Gore years . . ." The language is basic--vector in the adult book becomes "life forms that can carry"--and offers clear definitions of such terms as greenhouse gases and persuasive, accessible arguments for how the climate crisis has developed and what can be done to address it. The sturdy pages are filled with color photographs and charts, and the images are riveting. Like the pictures, the personal stories bring the facts close, and in addition to the urgent science, Gore's book shows how mentors can change lives. In his moving introduction, Gore speaks about how reading Rachel Carson's Silent Spring (1962) when he was 14 years old shocked him into environmental awareness, which developed further during his studies with pioneering scientist Dr. Roger Revelle at Harvard. Gore's research continues to raise controversy, but few, if any, books for youth offer such a dynamic look at the climate issues threatening our planet. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Viking Juvenile (April 10, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670062715
• ISBN-13: 978-0670062713
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #304,886 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #47 in	Books > Teens > Science & Technology > Ecology
  #77 in	Books > Teens > Science & Technology > Earth Science

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everyone should read this book, May 1, 2007

By	James Bellanca (Atlanta, GA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is one of the best books I've ever read. It's written in a way that everyone can understand, and details how and why global warming is happening, and what we can do about it. The photo comparisons of how the earth has changed in the last 100 years are astounding, and the data presented is indisputable. This book is the wake up call that the world needs to do something about the environment. And for all the people out there who might not like Al Gore, just ignore that it's written by him and judge it based on it's merits. It presents scientific fact, irregardless of the author's political beliefs. In short, if you haven't read this book yet, put it at the top of your priority list.

12 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars No backup data or references, February 11, 2008

By	David Bagby (Sunnyvale, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I bought this book in hopes of gaining some insight into the source of all the global warming fuss. (They don't hand out Nobel prizes for nothing, I thought.) It was an easy read, presenting the major points of his argument very clearly. But I was also looking for the background data, or at least some references to the data sources. I was amazed to find no footnotes and no bibliography. Michael Crichton provided more research background in his novel 'State of Fear.'

7 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars May be scary for some children (and adults), March 15, 2008

By	Colinda "L.S.W." (Historic Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews

I gave this 5 stars because it is a gorgeous book, well written, with convincing research. However, I caution parents that the data is a bit alarming and may give sensitive children nightmares. Ice is melting in mountains and near the poles, and ocean levels will rise and whole cultures will have water shortages.

Many adults find Gore's data distasteful. They do not want to think about climate trends that may doom our descendants, maybe even ourselves or our children. They want to live in the happy world that they remember from childhood. And they hate the idea that our greatest enemy may be our selves.

I suspect that many of the folks who gave negative reviews did not really read the book carefully, perhaps not at all. It does not take long to read though - very understandable, lots of photos and other graphics.

This book is suitable for many adults - those who struggle with small print, for instance, and those with limited time who want to read something that is important but not too complex. Young people will also benefit from it as long as they do not feel helpless to change things.