Taken By Storm: The Troubled Science, Policy and Politics of Global Warming [Paperback]

Christopher Essex (Author), Ross McKitrick (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 2003

TAKEN BY STORM explores the science, policy and debate over global warming.

The physical phenomena in climate and weather are among the most complex in nature, and science can say very little about what they will do in the future. Yet a large international policy framework has been built precisely on the assumption that we know what is happening and how to control it. In TAKEN BY STORM, Christopher Essex and Ross McKitrick prove this assumption false, carefully explaining the science of climate change and deconstructing the widespread myth of global warming. They argue that the connection between between science and society is disintegrating, and they propose a vital first step toward repairing this relationship.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Essex and McKitrick cut through all the obfuscation and doublespeak that surrounds...scientific and economic issues of our time" -- Professor Timothy Patterson, Department of Earth Science, Carleton University.

"Essex and McKitrick offer a scientifically sound argument that is against the mainstream." -- Anastasios Tsonis, Professor, Department of Mathematical Sciences, Atmospheric Sciences Group, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

"Taken by Storm is required reading...Professors Essex and McKitrick present a powerful case." -- G. Cornelius Van Kooten, Professor of Economic and Canada Research Chair in Environmental Studies and Climate Change, Department of Economics, University of Victoria

About the Author

Dr. Christopher Essex is a Professor in the Department of Applied Mathematics at the University of Western Ontario, specializing in the underlying mathematics, physics and computation of complex dynamical processes such as climate. He is a visiting professor at the Niels Bohr Institute's Orsted Laboratory, and previously served as an NSERC visiting fellow at the Canadian Climate Centre and an Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellow.

Dr. Ross McKitrick is an Associate Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Guelph (Ontario) and a Senior Fellow of the Fraser Institute in Vancouver, B.C. He specializes in the application of economic analysis to environmental policy design and climate change.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Key Porter Books (May 2003)
• ISBN-10: 1552632121
• ISBN-13: 978-1552632123
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,095,179 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Illuminating and informative, August 22, 2003

By 

"lgsshedden" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Taken By Storm: The Troubled Science, Policy and Politics of Global Warming (Paperback)

Prior to reading Taken by Storm I considered myself well-informed about the topic of global climate change.I was surprised at how much more this book was able to explain. Essex and McKitrick do an excellent job of outlining the basic science, underlying math and pervasive lack of true understanding that underpins the issue of gloabl warming.Their tone is non-judgemental, unequivocal and principled. They ask fundamental intellectual questions, explain concepts using accessible examples and highlight how good science has been lost. It is a must read for anyone seeking insights about climate change and the broader interplay of politics and science.

20 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Global Warming 201, December 3, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Taken By Storm: The Troubled Science, Policy and Politics of Global Warming (Paperback)

This is the best-written, most entertaining, most important Science book I've read in over 40 years! The authors draw on statistical theory, chaos theory, computer modelling, masses of scientific data and a whole lot of common sense to completely devastate the whole idea of "global warming" and any attempts to observe it, predict it or influcence it. They also wade into the issue of why this "Chicken Little" idea has gained such a grip on our politicians (and our purse strings).

Only problem: I suspect this would be a tough read for anyone who doesn't have a strong science, math and statistics background. Even though I do have such a background, I found myself deciphering the "dummed down" versions into the real theory in order to understand what they were talking about. It all rang true to me, but I'm not sure someone who didn't have access to the "real" math would be convinced.

39 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Good Effort, June 18, 2004

By 

Crosslands (Maryland USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Taken By Storm: The Troubled Science, Policy and Politics of Global Warming (Paperback)

Mr. Essex and Mr. McKitrick have written a very impressive critique of the faulty science and pseudoscience behind the global warming theory. Particularly impressive is their explanation of the faulty modeling of the climate by the U.N. working committees. The book demonstrates how the collection of average temperatures is no way to model the climate whose relationships are nonlinear and are in constant disequilibrium. The authors demonstrate the uselessness of the U.N. climate models better than anyone else I have read. The authors to their great credit also expose many of the propaganda devices of the establishment and environmentalist proponents of controlling global warming. Way too many of the media, government and establishment information outlets are controlled by people who uncritically support the global warming hypothesis.

Mr. Essex and Mr. Mckitrick might criticized a bit for their presentation. The authors discuss quite difficult concepts that might well be out of range for the average reader. Even a person like myself who has taken a number of college mathematics courses had to read slowly and carefully several of their chapters. I think the authors should have used gray boxes to carefully explain the more difficult concepts, as is done in some science textbooks. For less experienced readers the book by Michaels and Balling (The Satanic Gases) might be a clearer exposition.

But the work is still stupendous.