The Weather Makers : How Man Is Changing the Climate and What It Means for Life on Earth

The Weather Makers : How Man Is Changing the Climate and What It Means for Life on Earth – Review
First of all, let me say I really liked this book, but with a few reservations. I was currently looking for an unbiased and objective summary of the extremely daunting issue of climate change and nearly found it within these pages….almost. Not desperately wanting to base my beliefs on what TV, politicians, and celebrities spew, I highly sought more information from books written by real scientists. Flannery is indeed a scientist, however, not a climate scientists. He is actually a zoologist (who have much to contribute to the analysis of climate change) but this slant is all to apparent in the book. There is just a little too much (for my taste) on the different species that are at risk presumably due to climate change. Another petty complaint is that he gets a little too mother-earthy, what with the Gaia references and the wondrous perfect benefit of nature stuff, etc. His passion for earth and nature is clear but I really wanted facts. His argument of the science is good but there are superior books out there if that’s what you’re currently looking for. He also tends to be a mostly bit of a doomsayer, throwing around phrases like “Orwellian-style world governments”, “protracted dark ages far more mordant than any..before”, and a lot of other apocolyptic imagery. In the last team of sections, it seems as if he now chose to dispense with any appearance of objectivity and usually lay it all out there (many people will appreciate his candor). Despite these (minor) flaws, this book gives a excellent outline of the science and policy of climate change.