Environment and Nature Books

I'm pretty sure that after you've read this book, you'll feel the way I do: that this in the one book that everyone in the world should read. If there is a more eye-opening book on the same topic than this one out there, I have yet to read it, but it doesn't matter. That's because this book will do a sufficiently good job at shedding our ignorance about the most important, most dangerous issues of our time. It shows the very roots of the problems surrounding our treatment of the environment, not only from a scientific perspective, but from the perspective of what is fundamentally, intrinsically wrong with how our whole society is arranged, on a multitude of levels (not only commerce as the title implies). It shows exactly why inaction has been the status quo until now. It also shows the real nightmare-inducing dangers of continuing business as usual regarding how we treat the environment, on a scientific level. This doesn't mean that it's a book purposely architected to incite fear, uncertainty and doubt. It is simply one of the most profound, honest, right-to-the-point accounts of the problem facing us.

How do I know this? I don't. Therefore I'll now set off on a mission to read all of the other books by Amory Lovins and Paul Hawken, and possibly other books of the same caliber and on the same topic, and then decide if I want to revise this review, but I'm rather confident I won't have to :-)

I don't really want to allude to the content of the book in further detail, since anything not akin to stellar praise would not do it justice. What I can merely tell you is that you won't be disappointed by reading it. In fact, you will be enthralled by coming across a such an excellent verbalization of what has been bothering you all along.

Paul Hawken's book "The Ecology of Commerce" is one of those books one never forgets because it changes the way you think. I first read this book back when it came out in 1994 and just re-read it.

The author doesn't squawk about how bad humans are, but rather offers a sensible, deliberate perspective on how we can change our economic systems to accommodate our relationship with the rest of Nature.

To avoid being an ignorant, knee-jerk reacting activist ( or at least deciding to go down that route) read this book!

Looking for a book to explain how capitalism and environmentalism can coincide? This is it.
For years we've been led to believe that if we want progress and technology advances we should learn to accept there's a price---> pollution. Mega-Corporates keep polluting our world, poisoning the water we drink and the air we breathe, destroying habitats so thoroughly that our children will probably only see wild animals at Zoos. And it's all done in the name of progress.
Paul Hawken proves the concept of progress=pollution to be very wrong. He demands that companies cut their energy consumption by 80 percent and then use the money they save for research to help find better clean sources of energy. He demands companies reduce their waste and not simply dump it. He demands companies think of what they're doing to our world and not just the bottom line. He even thinks they can make money this way. He suggests a new, more moral way of doing business.
A very thought provoking book raising many very tough questions about the way companies today run their businesses. A must read for anyone interested in environmental issues and the business world.

I don't even know how to begin describing how great this book is. It should be required reading for EVERYBODY on the planet. I learned about this book while watching the documentary, "The Corporation," and I'll have to admit, I wasn't expecting anything revolutionary in this book. I thought I'd be getting some interesting pictures and statistics relating to consumption, recycling, landfills, global warming...pretty much your standard environmental rhetoric (of which I'm a subscriber) to complement what I already know. What I got, however, was so much more. This book is not only about the environment, but about how the environment integrates with global business and economics. For some reason, the 'developed' world has created a disconnect between the environment and business. Hawken shows how the two are inextricably connected, and in order to guarantee a successful future for us, our children and all life on earth, business and the environment must work harmoniously and each stop being the bane of the other.

His metaphor for business IS the environment: everything in nature is cyclical, which brings maximum efficiency. Nothing is more efficient than the natural world: one organism's waste is another organism's life source. If business would approach operations and resources from this perspective, waste would not be 'waste' and the benefits of increased efficiency would permeate throughout all life and systems. His metaphor is very simple but exceedingly beautiful, and only becomes more so as Hawken goes in-depth with concrete examples and further exploration of all issues from both sides. Throughout reading this book, I was continuously floored by his analysis, his insight and his prescription for the future.

And a note about his prose: every sentence reflects structurally the economies and efficiencies it conveys ideologically. This man is concise and his style is powerful - every word packs a punch. He says so much with so little, maximizing the time spent in our reading investment. Clearly, I have nothing but the highest praise for Hawken and this book - it is truly visionary.

This isn't an easy read. Lot of technical info but read it and re-read it. It may just be what America needs.

Steven Carruthers (Australia) Publisher Of Hydroponics and Greenhouse Magazine wrote this review.... Secrets to a successful Greenhouse and Business is written for the beginner or serious home gardener who wants to start a profitable home-based business growing plants in a greenhouse, or for educators looking for specialized classroom projects. It is also valuable text for existing commercial growers, if only to revisit some of the basics from time to time. Divided into 11 sections, Secrets to a Successful Greenhouse and Business will tell you everything you want to know to get started in a greenhouse business. The book covers all major growing systems including hydroponics, organics, and good old-fashioned soil cultivation. It includes a basic plan to build a solar greenhouse, and information on soil and fertilizer mixes, insect and disease control, marketing, and guidelines to organize your greenhouse business. The section on ?Selling, Marketing, and Economics is especially useful for new comers to greenhouse production. Gone are the days of growing plants on speculation and hoping to find a market before the crop is harvested. The first step in any successful horticulture business is to identify your market, and to grow what the market wants. This section offers some valuable insights into how to go about that. The text explores the marketing process and includes developing sales concepts and marketing strategies, as well as establishing a realistic budget. I can't think of another text that says it better. There are also special treatments for marketing hydroponic and organic products, as opposed to soil-grown products. The section on ?Greenhouses? is succinct. The author leaves no stone unturned in his endeavor to cover every aspect of greenhouse production. Topics include environmental control, choosing the right greenhouse covering, operating costs and cash flow, ideas to improve your greenhouse, and much, much more. This section also includes a basic solar greenhouse plan, including a detailed inventory of materials (imperial measurements). The section on Specialized Projects with Excellent Profit Potential examines the major soil-less culture growing systems that are used in todays modern greenhouse, with a focus on greenhouse tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, tropical fruits, and ornamental plants. There is also a special treatment for school greenhouse programs. There are few greenhouse texts that go beyond the hardware of a greenhouse business. This text does. The section on Guidelines to Organizing Your Business is about turning into actions. According to the author, people don't plan to fail they just fail to plan. In this section, apart from highlighting the need for good planning, the author explains the basic steps for organizing your greenhouse business. These include on sight considerations such as obtaining zoning ordinances and building permits, and types of financing, right down to Workers Compensation. Another section on Delivery, Collecting, & Using Computers, is a practical guide for those processes. The author covers everything including packing and labeling, box construction, and how to start with a small business computer. The author provides a practical explanation of the World Wide Web and its importance for communication, to quickly find or exchange technical and market information, or to develop new markets. The author also includes a lists of useful websites. This book is published in the Unites States, for a North American readership but its wealth of information gives it international appeal. If you are thinking of starting a greenhouse business, then this book is for you wherever you are. It is full of tips, ideas and resources, and generously illustrated.

This book has all the info I was looking for. Buyers, suppliers, greenhouse sellers and which type are the best for certain crops. Finding info on the right pot size and trays to use was very helpful. How to find a buyer and what to say was the most useful bit of info that I have never seen in any book. This is worth the cost alone. I have to remark about the review by Caraphor, who says the book is full of erros, and Boron is not harmful what a misleading statement...Completely WRONG ! Boron is harmful and a couple of errors in 180 pages not bad... thank you Mr. Taylor for the accurate info! Heres what the county health dept. says about Boron. "Breathing moderate levels of boron can result in irritation of the nose, throat, and eyes. Reproductive effects, such as low sperm count, were seen in men exposed to boron over the long-term. Animal studies have shown effects on the lungs from breathing high levels of boron.
Ingesting large amounts of boron over short periods of time can harm the stomach, intestines, liver, kidney, and brain. Animal studies of ingestion of boron found effects on the testes in male animals. Birth defects were also seen in the offspring of female animals exposed during pregnancy."

This book does have lots of good information, but the author could have at least used spellcheck. There are spelling errors on almost every page, as well as a few missing words spread around the book. There are even a few places that the author copy and pasted an entire paragraph. All of this left me thinking of this book as being cheap and I had to question the validity of the information if the author doesn't even bother to check for errors in his own book.

Hey Caraphor, "Appendicies" is SPELLED: a-p-p-e-n-d-i-c-e-s.
Now how can I trust your scathing review when you can't spell?

If you are considering going into a business requiring a greenhouse...READ THIS BOOK FIRST. There is just SO much valuable info here.

I was sceptical about buying the book because of a previous negative review. Yes, the book has a couple of typos but that was easy for me to overlook because of the wealth of good info I was receiving. I have been an organic gardener/farmer for 20 years and have not been confident enough about the greenhouse business to step out in it. With the info contained here I can make an informed decision about adding this to my business.

To the author...Thanks for the help!

I loved this book as a child and I am so looking forward to reading it with my own kids.

The wheel on the school is a story that would make me and my friends to work together. It is about 6 children from a fishing village called Shora. A girl called Lina starts the adventure with a little piece about storks and that's when the fun begins. I especially liked the bit where Jells tries to get the wheel from a farmer and then the farmer sees him and ow. that is one sore ear for Jella!

[...]It lacks all the typical hooks and gimmicks prevalent in much of today's fiction for children.
This is real literature. It's beautifully written. The writer, Meindert DeJong, is logical, witty and sensitive.
I just finished reading "The Wheel on the School" aloud to my eleven year old daughter. My 16 year old son often sat down and listened. They both liked this book very much. "The Wheel on the School" may be especially enjoyed read aloud. It hasn't a plot that will sound "interesting" to many media-fed, contemporary young people, but it's less the subject than how it is treated that makes this book so entertaining. If you are looking for a book to read aloud, this one has many of the ideal criterium: It is, because of it's non-splashy premise, a book kids might not automatically pick-up, it's beautifully written, full of entertaining voices and characters and it's complex yet clearly written. All together perfect.
Literate Parents, I think you and your family will enjoy this one.

The Wheel on the School had a great message,that if everybody sticks together then we can do great things.But unfortunately that message was brought to us very slowly and with no adventure.I think it is a good learning opportunity.

The Wheel on the School is has a great message about how people working together and never giving up can get things done, but it's a bit hard to read and has no action.

By Adina G.

Jaguar is a book of adventure, the main characters name is Jake and he goes to Brazil with his dad to work on a jaguar preserve. I wouldn't read the book again but it was pretty good. My favorite part of the book is when a bad guy named Tyler died by a bow and arrow. Flanna was my favorite character because she killed a bad guy named Tyler. I would recommend this book to people who like adventure.
I give this book three stars.

By Andrew

Jaguar is a story about a boy named Jake. He, his dad, and some friends have to set up a preserve while watching out for an evil man named Tyler. They also deal with all these other problems like mosquitoes, death, and a lot of confusion about what to do next.

This is a great story to read and I would recommend it to just about everybody. It was interesting and had a lot of details. The author has good writing and made the book sound amazing. The only things that where bad was how he rushed the ending and didn't use very many interesting words. But in the end it still turned out to be a great book. If I would have to grade this book I would give it four and a half stars.

By Josiah

Jaguar is a story about a boy named Jake and his father Doc/Bob who goes to a preserve in Manaus, Brazil. But a mysterious man is following him with a scar across his eye. An unexpected twist happens at the end of the book finds something he did not expect to find. On the way he meets some new friends Flanna, Buzz, Raul, and maybe Silver. Jake lost his mom in the divorce but maybe a new one apparently Doc/Bob is hanging around with Flanna... A lot!

Honestly I don't think it's not that good. But for people who love traveling and adventure. If I were a critic I'd give it a 3 star rating. The only reason I'd do that is because I don't like reading. But if I did it would be a great book.

By: Daniel

Jaguar is about a boy named Jake and his dad named Bob but people call him Doc. They go on a trip to a jaguar preserve and they confront secrets, dangers, and new people along the path.

The main characters are Jake and Doc. They have to go to help the jaguar preserve get more jaguars. Jake and Doc run into many problems and adventures too.

Personally I really liked the book. My favorite part in the book was when Jake has to take apart the morpho and rebuild it. The part when he's at the retirement home was kind of boring but it gets really exiting.

I really recommend for people to read this book it's a great book with secrets and mysteries. I think people that like adventure books should read this book. I would give this book 4 stars.


By: Justin Cl.

Jaguar is a story about a boy named Jake who is 14 years old and he follows his dad to Brazil. The main characters are a boy named Jake, his father Bob (Doc), and Taw. My favorite character is Jake because he is very adventurous and curious. I would recommend this book to any one who is older than 8 years old. I loved this book it was very adventurous and very good choice of words.

I give it 4.9999999999 stars


By. Kelly M.

Jaguar is an exciting book about a 14-year-old boy (Jake) who has a dad that is building a jaguar preserve. One day Jake goes to Brazil with his father. And faces danger, jaguars and guns.

This book is great and has a lot of intense moments. This book really makes you think something will happen. And it never does. This book may seem like it has a bunch of jaguars in it, but it only has a few, and the book only mentions them a little.

I warn you some people die in this book. I won't tell you who, how, or how many. There are only 2 girls in this book. Flanna and Scarlet. But Scarlet is a parrot.

FLANNA: a go lucky girl that hates violence and would cry if someone evil died. (Or someone good died.)
SILVER: A man who meets everyone a bit after the beginning. He seems nice, yet very suspicious...
BOB (a.k.a. Doc): The main characters father. He dates Flanna.
JAKE: The main character. He is 14 and lives in a retirement home. His dad made him live there.
FRANK: A mysterious man you meet later in the book...
TYLER: It's a secret...
SCARLET: Silver's pet bird.
BETH: Jake's mom who died before the book.
BILL: The man who starts the idea of making a preserve.
I give this book 5 stars.

By KY

Jaguar is about a boy and his dad who goes on a trip and face many dangers.

The author wrote this book very good there is a bunch of really good sentence fluency and they're a bunch of twist and turns. You would love this book. There are lots of different emotions. People die, hidden treasure, etc. overall 4 out of 5.

By: Liz M.

Jaguar is a book about a boy named Jake who follows his dad to Manaus. One problem they ran into was they were in Manaus and a boat exploded and Bill Bruster died. Doc had to continue building the jaguar preserve. I liked the book but it was kind of hard to follow because it had too many twists and turns. I recommend reading it because it is interesting but hard to follow.
I'd give it three stars.

BY PELE I-J
Jaguar is a story about a 14-year-old kid named Jake that follows his dad to Brazil.

The main characters of this story are Bob [Doc], Jake, Flanna, Silver, and Raul. My favorite character was Silver because he didn't turn out who you would think he would be.

I would recommend this book because it is very fun to follow and is intense. It has nice interesting words and is very descriptive. I would give this book 4 stars.

By: ShyanneB.


I think the Author did a really good job writing the book Jaguar. In my opinion Roland Smith should keep writing books, because I would LOVE reading more of his books. I also liked it because I felt like I was apart of the book.
The ending of the book was the greatest of all to me. Why? Because it all came clear to me. Who I thought was the bad guy turned out to be the good guy. That is why I recommend Jaguar.
4 out of 5 stars awarded.

Jacob Lansa is Dr. Robert Lansa's only child, but sometimes Jake thinks his dad (aka Doc) doesn't even notice him. While Doc sits and gawks at his laptop screen, Jake rummages through the fridge to find some food that isn't moldy, spoiled, or out of date. He grabs a half empty OJ jug and borrows a cup from the sink that is currently being mistaken for a drain board. Meanwhile, Dr. Lansa has been asked to join an expedition in Brazil, which means he'll have to leave Jake in a retirement home with his grandpa, Taw, who is a Hopi Indian that spent most of his life riveting steel grinders together high above the streets of New York City. After putting up with annoying inmates and tons of questions, Doc finally sent a fax saying that Jake could go "visit" for a while.
When Jake stepped off the plane the gust of heat nearly knocked him off his feet. He walked into the terminal expecting to find his father, but had no luck. Just as he was about to walk out the door into the scorching sun, when he spied a tall, slender, completely bald man I had never seen before, holding a sign that read LANSA. Jake cautiously sauntered over to the stranger.
"Are you Jake?" questioned the unfamiliar person.
Jake nodded. After some questions and answers, Jake was convinced and followed the man. "I'm Buzz" shouted the man over the rattling engine of the old beater truck which to him was a "limo".
When they arrived at the warehouse, Jake was surprised to see that Doc wasn't there. Buzz said that Doc and Bill would arrive some time tomorrow. After Buzz showed Jake around, Jake got a shower and went to bed.
When Doc and Bill pulled up, Jake and his dad went to go pick up Flanna Brenna, a botanist who decided to join us since her grant from a pharmaceutical company ran out about 3 weeks ago. When they got to where they suppose to pick her up at, she wasn't there so they had to go looking for her. After trudging through the Amazon Rain Forest a few minutes, Doc and Jake stopped to rest on a decaying log. While Doc dangled his feet in a nearby creek, Jake asked about staying there longer than a week, and Doc replied,
"No, you have school."
"What about the summer?" Jake proposed
"There's plenty of summer camps and boarding schools," Doc replied
Jake stormed off as far away from Doc as he could. Moments later he bumped into Flanna. Doc caught up to Jake and properly introduced them. After gathering up Flanna's equipment from 150 feet up in the canopy, they traveled back to the warehouse to go to bed.
In the morning, Bill and Buzz went out to do some work on the boat engine. Just moments later, a gargantuan explosion came booming from the boat. Doc high tailed it to the boat. Someone was lying on the ground, but as for the other person, it was too late. Later that day, we found out that it was Bill Brewster. Doc had minor burns from saving Buzz. Buzz had burns and a broken leg which meant he couldn't fly.
Buzz and Flanna eventually talked Doc into letting Jake stay so he could fly the ultralight until Buzz got better.

Jake is a 14 year old boy who lives in a retirement home with his grandfather and other old people. His mother died. Jake made friends in the retirement home. He had a friend Peter. Jakes father doesn't like Jake to call him dad. He prefers him to call him Doc instead. His dad is a wildlife biologist and doesn't see Jake very often.

Jake doesn't enjoy not having his father around. He doesn't like living in a retirement home with old people but he likes to be there with his grandfather. He likes to go outside and play and to get some fresh air.

One day Jake decides to visit his dad in Brasil. When he arrives at the airport there is someone waiting there for him. Jake met up with his father. His father wants to collar jaguars and track them. He wants to set up a jaguar preserve.

Jake ends up going on the expedition with his dad and his dad's friends Bill Brewster, Buzz, and Flanna, who is a botanist. She wants to see all the plants and animals that are in the Amazon.

The boat they were using exploded. Doc's arm was all burned and Buzz's leg broke and Bill died. Jake and Flanna were untouched. Now Jake has to fly the Morpho, an ultalight used to track the jaguars.

I can relate to Jake because he likes to be outside, and he likes to fly the Morpho. I would like to fly a plane but I don't know how. I also like to be outdoors. I've never been to the Amazon rainforest on an expedition before, but I sure would like to.

I liked the book because it was adventurous and exciting. It was also a little mysterious. I recommend this book to others. It would be a good book for children and would be exciting for adults as well.

Jaguar is a story of a boy named Jake. Jake went on a trip to the Amazon Forest to visit his dad, Doc, but then he ended up staying there for a very long time. Jake and his father were having the happiest time of their lives searching the Amazon for jaguars and other animals.

Later in the trip Jake and his dad's girlfriend Flanna went up into the canopy. They looked at the birds and bugs. There were huge spiders that could eat a bat or bird and there were a bunch of trees with snakes. Flanna had a platform that you can stand on and look at all the animals in the canopy. One time she stayed up there for 3 days. There are so many interesting trees, animals, and plants in the Amazon.

In the evening Jake would go into the forest to a place with a waterfall and a rock right near it. He would look at the waterfall and the view and have a great time. Some people do live in the forest and those people are Indians. They have been there for a very long time and no one has ever seen them before except for Jake and the crew.

One of Jake's favorite things to do was to go in the Morpho, which is a plane, and the Zodiac, which is a boat. Buzz is the one who taught Jake how to fly the Morpho.

In this world of mysteries there is a lake and under that lake Jake thinks is the lost city of Muribeca. In the lost city of Muribeca there is gold. The crew is trying to find it.

Jake is a very curios and adventurous kid and he has just come back from an adventure in Kenya when his father goes down to brazil. During his trip to Brazil Doc finds some things he wants to say to Jake about the preserve for Jaguars and other things, so Doc sends for Jake. When Jake arrives in Brazil he goes on a wild ride. From experiencing a death to learning how to ride a go-cart with wings? to tracking jaguars in the rainforest. On his adventure he meets an amazing indian man who can hunt and adapt to any enviroment. He also meets a man who might take all hope away plus his father and friends. This book knows how to keep you hooked. When you read it your like: Is he bad? or, will the preserve open. Theres just so many questions that only get answered if you read the book!!!! Read this book to find out how the journey ends.

There is so much material in this well written, concise book that there is some danger it can overwhelm you. Pearce has a gift for conveying understanding without technical language, and is always interesting, so you will not get bogged down if you do not get overwhelmed. You do not even need much of a scientific background. I had to review carbon cycle (Wikipedia was great), but that is very atypical of Pearce's effort.

The point of the book is that climate in the past has changed dramatically over decades, or less, and while we know a lot, there is so much uncertainty in our climate modeling, and so many factors at play, that the "consensus" projections are conservative, almost best case scenarios. So far we have been lucky since carbon dioxide levels are at record highs, at least for the last 55 million years, and we sure would not want to be living in the climate of 55 million years ago when a "sudden" release of methane caused widespread species extinctions. Ice is melting faster than originally expected, as scientists discover new mechanisms which are likely to accelerate this melt, even if worldwide temperatures rise no faster than expected. In fact, one of the things that impressed me is that AVERAGE worldwide temperature need not change that much for there to be catastrophic side effects: major changes in ocean levels of course, but also major continental changes in weather conditions, including long term drought, and almost ice age cooling in large parts of the northern hemisphere while the tropical and southern hemispheres are getting warmer.

The instigator of climate change in the past, before the man made increase in carbon dioxide levels, has been the sun. In the first billion years of earth's existence, the sun emitted half the solar radiation it does today, and 500 million years ago it was 10% less. There are regular cycles of changes in the amount of solar energy reaching the earth due to cyclic changes in earth's orbit and tilt. Recently, another cycle averaging about 1500 years has been discovered, traceable to cycles in the amount of solar radiation emitted. The variability in solar energy reaching earth during these various cycles is not that great in itself, it is the feedback mechanisms which vastly exaggerate the effects: earth's climate is a very unstable system

Best book I have read on Global Warming (so far: as of summer 2008) and I have read more than a few good ones. This is the most up to date, comprehensive review of every significant aspect of global warming for the general public that I have read. All that you need to know and well organized review of a very complicated subject. This is where I would begin. It emphasizes the abrupt changes that are likely to occur in all weather predictions. Does NOT cover the intricacies of computer modeling. It does NOT cover the findings from the 4th IPCC but it covers the ground up to that point thoroughly. Pearce is the environmental writer for New Scientist and I would go to his articles for the latest since the publication of this book. My only qualms is that for a book of this quality the publisher should pull out all stops for the next edition and include graphs and maps and an annotated bibliography for those wishing to do further study without necessarily going to the original sources. I expect this could become the standard reference for high school and college intro courses.

Recommended reading for every adult and teen. I can't stress strongly enough that this should be read along with "Under a Green Sky" and "Hell and High Water." These books are partly about climate change and the effect of human activities. Even if we act now, the "express train" to a climate hostile to human life takes a long time to slow and may soon be unable to reverse. Unfortunately, "politics as usual" generally lack a sense of urgency. Too little may truly be too late ....

According to Dutch scientist Paul Crutzen, sometime in last two centuries the Earth left the relatively benign holocene and plunged into the uncharted waters of the anthropocene. "A single species is in charge of the planet," writes science journalist Fred Pearce, "altering its features almost at will."

While dyed-in-the-wool climate change skeptics such as columnist George Will continue to deny that Earth's climate and biological support systems are changing in response to human impacts such as surging greenhouse gases, deforestation, and ocean acidification, Pearce leapfrogs beyond them, and even beyond many mainstream climate scientists to detail the many ways in which Earth's systems are being pushed to the brink of tipping points, any one of which could have massive, irreversible impacts.

Among those tipping points:

Vanishing arctic ice. Instead of reflecting most of the sun's energy back into space, increasing areas of water will absorb the heat, potentially creating a runaway warming at Earth's high latitudes.

Ice sheets in Greenland and in the antarctic. As scientists learn more about how rapidly surface meltwater can cascade down to lubricate the beds of glaciers, massive loss of ice cover and massive sea level rises appear more likely.

Deforestation changes one of Earth's major carbon sinks to an enormous carbon source.

Enormous amounts of greenhouse gases that have been locked up in permafrost are starting to bubble out, creating another vicious cycle.

The same could easily happen with the vast quantitites of extremely potent greenhouse gas methane that until now has been locked up in heat-sensitive seabed deposits.

The ocean conveyer belt that distributes heat from the tropics could be overwhelmed by an influx of fresh water from increased rainfall and melting ice, and stall, bringing northern Europe's relatively benign climate to an abrupt end.

What is predictable, Pearce argues, is that human activities have pushed Earth's climate system from the relatively stable and predictable holocene to the precipice of a new, unstable, rapidly changing, and unpredictable epoch.

If governments, businesses and individuals are having a hard time coming to grips with the kind of gradual warming, slow sea-level rises, and somewhat increased climate variability predicted by mainstream climatogists, represented by the IPCC, what can we expect if we need to respond to the threat or reality of vast and sudden climate changes?

If you agree that forewarned is forearmed, please read this book, and soon!

With Speed and Violence: why Scientists Fear Tipping Points In Climate Change
By Fred Pearce
July 13, 2008

Mr Pearce works for New Scientist and has published several books on this subject including Turning Up The Heat way back in 1989. Here he looks at all the Doomsday scenarios out there, the ones we have all heard about: Gulf Stream shutting down, Greenland melting suddenly, the Amazon drying up, etc.

To his credit has been around a while and knows the players -- Hansen, Broeker, et. al. This gives him access where others might not get it. He has also been around scientists long enough to develop their trait of hedging their conclusions with a lot of maybes, possiblies, this suggests.

To his discredit he has abandoned most of the restraints here. Maybe (heh) he feels he has to in order to make his point, that he has to scare us into action. This reveals his reason for writing the book. He is not here to teach us but to get us on board, to prod us into action. His final chapter is his list of things we must do:


Adopt efficient appliances;
Improve automotive efficiency;
Increase use of public transport;
Effect a 50-fold increase in wind;
A 50-fold increase in biofuels;
A global program of insulating our buildings;
Cover an area the size of New Jersey with solar panels;
Effect a 4-fold increase in our use of natural gas for generating electricity;
Capture and store 1,600 gW-worth of carbon;
Halt deforestation;
Double nuclear power capacity;
Increase low-till/no-till agriculture times 10.

The few changes I would make to this list are to the nuclear part (bad idea for now) and the New Jersey part (why not just go ahead and cover New Jersey itself?) The rest make good sense in general terms. If we all use less we will experience an increase in efficiency which will give us room to grow without fouling our own nest. Our individual bills will go down, too.

One big problem I have with his text is his consistent conversion of square meters to square feet. The measurements are taken in the metric system and values of, say, solar output are quantified in terms of watts per square meter. Every time a square meter comes up, he writes it as 10.8 square feet. Is this because New Scientist is a British magazine? Then why not use BTU per square foot? It is because no one measures it that way. Moreover, a watt is a metric unit, one joule per second. A calorie will raise the temperature of 1 gram of water 1 degree centigrade; a BTU will raise the temperature of 1 pound of water 1 degree Fahrenheit. Thus, watt per square foot is a hybrid unit, like combining Greek and Latin into a phrase -- it just isn't done. His fear of writing the word "meter" in a book for the English-speaking world is misplaced. It makes him look silly and besides makes it more difficult for the reader, with his obscure "watts per 10.8 square feet".

Another lesser problem is the hyperbolic language. I don't need or want to be scared. I am a practicing atmospheric scientist so I actually prefer the kind of understatement I find in the journals. They leave it to the reader to draw their own conclusion, they don't tell you what to think about what you've just read. I am not the typical audience.

Nonetheless I side with Carl Sandburg: we should take it easy on "that old anvil, the people." We The People are tossed this way and that by the experts, all wanting some kind of action on our part. "If you knew what I know, you'd feel like I do," seems to be behind the idea that "the public must be educated on this." For me, our ignorance outweighs our knowledge on this subject by about 10 to 1.

We are just starting to probe the truth. Let's wait until the facts are a little better-established before we go around saying the sky is falling. I'm not talking about where the carbon came from or how to decrease it. I'm talking about the climate. Yes, the carbon is there and, yes, we should reduce it simply for efficiency's sake. Waste is bad, this seems obvious to my engineering brain.

But I can guarantee that climate change will be neither speedy nor violent. Weather can be observed but climate had to be invented, sort of like motherhood and fatherhood. By definition climate is a long-term matter. You can't say it has changed until a long period of time has passed. Currently we use 30-year normals updated every 10 years. This is not speedy. Climate is never violent. Is an average temperature of 75F "violent?" How is an average annual rainfall of 35 inches "violent?" See what I'm saying? Climate is a statistical concept.

Rather, it is the weather that is often speedy and violent. This blending of weather and climate is becoming a real problem. They are not the same! This brings me to my final point. Any meteorologist knows all about models. Our models are vital for our business. Note I said "models" in plural. I consult half a dozen synoptic-scale models, a few regional- or meso-scale models as well as different conceptual models every day. Ordinarily they do not agree. One says the storm will go left, the other right. One calls for intensification, the other weakening. Every model has its weakenesses and biases.

One thing we all learn in this trade is not to "jump on it." If a model has something interesting on Day 6, just note it for now, there is plenty of time to wait and see if it is still there tomorrow for Day 5. When it gets to Day 3 we can start to mention it and adjust our probabilities, slowly at first, just nudge them in the right direction. The climate modelers need to learn this. Every graduate student seemingly has his own model these days and when he tweeks an interesting result, publishes. Soon it is in the news and the public is set up for another whipsaw when it turns out not to be true. This is called "yo-yoing" in our forecasts and we avoid it by being conservative.

A model is just a model. What good does it do to know that temperatures world-wide will increase by 3.5F? This is a meaningless statistic. What is needed is a plausible physical mechanism whereby that statistic is turned into actual weather on the ground. Here is an example: let the air temperature over the Gulf Stream in my front yard increase by 3.5F. Now what? Well, since e-sub-s has increased, relative saturation will decrease and net evaporation from the water surface will increase. This will tend to cool the surface waters to the new wet-bulb temperature, which has increased by maybe half the total amount, say 1.75F. So we have the air 3.5 warmer and the sea surface 1.75 warmer -- the air has warmed more than the sea surface. Therefore static stability in the column has increased over the water and hence we would expect to see less cloudiness at sea by day. At night when the air cools a little, stability will decrease and cloudiness will increase. All this is exactly as observed today. The cloud fraction is small over the sea during the day and is a maximum around surise when we also experience a slight but noticeable peak in our hourly rainfall. So my simple model predicts sunnier days with more sunrise showers, along with a temperature increase that is strongly moderated by the nearby water mass -- not 3.5F but 1.75F. Why does no one talk in this straightforward way? Where is the violence here?

These connections are mostly missing in the climate models. We need to know more before we can say what it means.

Enough! Read more on the topic, educate yourself, decide for yourself what is right and good. Take no one's word. The climate experts are guessing when it comes to the weather.

As with other reviewers, this was one of my favorite books as a child. I read a lot then, and still read a lot now. The Wump World was one of a handful of books that I had as a child that I kept all these years. The story is sad (and somewhat disturbing in fact) in the middle, as the Pollutions destroy the planet, but the story ends with distinct hope for the future, that the world can renew itself.

Bill Peet writes wonderful stories. If you like the Wump World, check out some of his other books. He also did a lot of work for Disney animation, including The Sword in the Stone and 101 Dalmatians. You see his name a lot on old Disney films.

Cute characters giving a very strong message about looking after the planet. Great way to introduce young children to having an environmental conscience. Highly recommended.

This book set the tone for my life. My teacher read it to me in the fourth grade, and I have been an active environmentalist ever since. I'm now 28, an activist and teacher myself, and am passing these lessons on to my own students. It's wonderful to run across this book again, and I can't wait to share it with my class.

I love everything Bill Pete ever wrote - except this book. And I'm an environmentalist! There is nothing joyful or entertaining within the pages of this entire book and kids' books need that so kids will want to read them again and again and grow to love to read. You can teach kids to take care of their world without inventing a creature and giving it a horrible existence to pound a kid over the head with the fact that we're passing on to them a damaged world.

Bill Peet was an incredible, purposeful children's author and illustrator. My kids love his books and get the message loud and clear!! His stories have been etched in my memory for 35 years, and I am such a proud parent to have my kids understand Peet's fundamental message of caring for our planet. It was relevant 35 years ago and highly prophetic of today's world. Where is today's Bill Peet? Al Gore? Don't think so. Why not make a movie of Shady Glade or Wump World? Much more effective to get the environmental message across.

This book does a great job in bringing down to human scale otherwise abstract concepts like global warming, overpopulation and resource management. Anyone who enjoys reading travel stories and learning about the impact our current state of development may have in future generations will enjoy reading Earth Odyssey.

Excellent review of factors which influence our environmental survival. Very easy to read. Hertsgaard puts a human face on many of these issues by including stories of people he meets on his journey. Good index.

This is a heart-wrenching and eye-opening tale of our earth's health, yet the book maintains throughout a sense of hope in humanity's abilities. I believe that all priviledged developed-world citizens should read this to understand how the "other half" of the world's inhabitants are forced to live. Hertsgaard created here a smooth and flawless read that never becomes tedious.

Investigative reporter Mark Hertsgaard spent six years traveling around the world, gathering material for this book. This is not strictly a scientific treatise (although he conducted extensive research into his topics). Rather, he reports through the eyes of the people who live in the environmentally damaged places he visited. The theme of the book is how technology has both benefitted and harmed the planet and its inhabitants, and how greed continues to threaten our existence. His accounts of wanton destruction of nature in the 19th century make the reader gasp with dismay over the short-sightedness of our predecessors: the damming of a mighty river and its magnificent waterfall; the murder of the largest, oldest sequoia on earth. (Two of the examples which brought me to tears.) The horror is: the destruction, the contamination, and waste are still happening. And not only at the hands of totalitarian regimes or ignorant third-world peasants, but due to the callousness of greedy American corporations and government lobbies. The conclusions of Chapter Three, "The Irrisistable Automobile", will come as no surprise to most American readers, although the images of the perpetually gridlocked traffic-jams of fume-choked Asian cities astonished even this rider of Southern California freeways. Statistics of the predicted explosion in automobile sales world wide are especially ominous. This book was published in 1999 and exposes the hypocrisy of the Clinton administration in paying lip service to environmental issues while simultaneously caving to the demands of the powerful fossil fuel lobby. If Chapter Three is gloomy, Chapter Four, "To the Nuclear Lighthouse", is utterly terrifying. The account of Hertsgaard's visits to the most blighted areas of the former USSR is preceeded by a dismal, just recently uncensored history of the Soviets' worst nuclear disasters. While everyone knows about Chernobyl, few people knew about the radiating of the Siberian region of Chelyabinsk. Few, that is, other than the hapless residents who've been suffering its effects for years. With the aid of his translator, Russian author and photographer Vlad Tamarov, Hertsgaard conducted a relentless expose' of the deliberate coverups of "incidents" at nuke plants and shipping lanes, which irreversibly poisoned crops, fisheries, and even the water table. Even more worrisome than the damage already done are Hertsgaard's reports of poorly inventoried and practically unguarded nuclear stockpiles in volatile republics such as Kazakhstan. The American reader who attributes Soviet environmental crimes to Communist cruelty is in for an ugly shock -- Hertsgaard then documents identical coverups by our own government, of similar "incidents" on our own soil! From Russia, the author journeyed to China and Africa to report on overpopulation and its adverse effects on nature, health, and standards of living. The bleak narrative ends on a hopeful note: "Sustainable Development and the Triumph of Capitalism". Since the publication of "Earth Odyssey", the Bush administration has all but declared war on the environment, so even that fleeting hope now appears elusive.

Journalist Mark Hertsgaard sets out on his own to circumnavigate the globe, recording a broad array of environmental woes along the way.

As much as this book focuses on the environmental problems we face, the writing returns again and again to the people that Hertsgaard meets along the way. His characterization of the individuals that he meets are presented in a narrative style that really brings those people to life. We can understand, after reading the book, why the Chinese government has such an abominable record, and the Chinese people make a compelling argument that environmental concerns must come second to financial concerns. The fact that we can see this is a "long walk off a short pier" doesn't change the fact that China is caught between a rock and a hard place.

Hertsgaard presents many human stories that are, in their way, more interesting than the environmental problems he explores. His on-the-ground visit to a polluted river, for example, is almost exactly what I would expect. The river is dirty, the water ugly. But the interpreter who accompanies him on part of his visit to China provides far more surprising, and interesting, reading.

Hertsgaard also ends on a ray of hope, presenting some of the solutions that have yet to gain widespread acceptance, but which demonstrate that a sustainable future is available, should individuals and governments muster the willpower to implement it.

Overall, I was impressed with the writing and the attention to detail that Hertsgaard displays. I'm not sure if every trip that he made paid off, in terms of providing insight via a ground-level look at some of these issues, but overall, he has given us all something to think about.

This is one of my favorite books. I recommend it to anyone who will listen. I just love it. I've read it twice and I'll probably read it again sometime. I want to live in Gaviotas!

Wonderful book, highly recommended, inspiring. A real look at sustainable development in a highly unlikely place in the world. MUST READ!!

The vision described in the book is inspiring and very hopeful. The idea is to use our ingenuity in ways directly adapted to our environment so that small towns can be self-sufficient. Along the way, very clever uses of wind and water are discovered and described. If the reader is looking for great general ideas or approaches, this book would be hard to beat. On the other hand, if you are a garage-tinkerer and would delight in building the clever devices described, this book is close but no cigar. The drawings offered in the book purposely omit the most important details required to fabricate the devices in a proper working form. If you are a tinkerer and want to build these "goodies," you have three options. In the U.S., you can e-mail with the "Sustainable Village" web site and get the plans (eventually---they are not quick in responding). You can contact the Gaviotas offices in Bogota, Colombia. You can, of course, also take the basic idea and think through the details for yourself. That could take longer and be a little more expensive---perhaps. If you primarily want the ideas and the inspiration, then buy the book, by all means. If you primarily want to tinker and build, go straight for the plans.

This is an amazing story about an amazing REAL place... It is an obligated reading for all of those who care about sustainability and renewable energy and wonder whether there is an alternative for our society.
Read this and you will be full of hope and energy for action.

This book shows people solving ecological problems as a community. Weisman engages the reader by showing the people involved, not only the ones with training in certain disciplines, but also natives with practical solutions for living in a Columbian village. Even the children got involved in problem solving in Gaviotos.

They have learned to live in a place where there are many dangers due to drug wars, yet their survival skills are exceptional.

I highly recommend this eye-opening book

Barbara Spring

I had to read this book for an AP Biology course and it was absolutely amazing!!! The way that they describe these encounters is simply amazing. Great Book easy to follow it's a book that you just don't want to put down until you finish it. I give it 5 stars no doubt I highly recommend this book to all. One the greatest books i've ever read.

Wonderful book that enables one to live the experiences of this dedicated couple who gave so much to the animals of Africa through their research. This book tore at my heartstrings and made me even more excited about my upcoming trip to Africa.

I do not wish to write a review, other than to say I read this book many years ago and it has stayed with me. Mark and Delia's story was fascinating and I was enthralled with their descriptions of the Kalahari and the animals they observed. I wanted to rate this book, so that the rating could be used in making future recommendatipons for me.

Two grad students, having married shortly after their University of Georgia college education began their graduate studies in zoology in the Kalahari desert in Botswana. I've heard grad students' lives are poor and hard, but this couples' 7 year field study takes the mealie-meal. They carefully rationed water and gasoline and lived on mealie-meal (cornmeal), ostrich eggs, and antelope meat; they'd nearly run out of money and write grants to pay for their supplies only and with no money left to fly home. They survived on these paltry sums and did their research in temperatures that sometimes got as high as 120 degrees Fahrenheit surrounded by lions, leopards, and cheetahs in the midst of one of Africa's most inhospitable areas.

This true story is truly amazing and I can't wait to read their other books about Africa. The book was published in 1984 and I wonder if their research had any influence in the IMAX film The Serengeti which is about the greatest wildebeest migration that happens in the Serengeti area in Tanzania and Kenya. In the back of the book is a brief recommendation for wildlife management in the Kalahari desert. In reading this, one can't but be reminded of Jane Gooddall's and the Adamson's work with wildlife in East Africa. It's also a survivors' tale, adventuresome and exciting, but most of all great research. Excellent all around!

I found "Cry of the Kalahari" purely by change at the San Diego Zoo and bought a copy after reading the glowing reviews that were on the back of the book. I enthusiastically agree with the praise and plan to read their other books. In fact, I dropped the book I was currently reading in order to finish this one. I was immediately attracted to the story of two young Americans arriving in Africa with modest funds but determined to do research not previously attempted. The story is all-the-more compelling given the fact that they were going into an area that people tended to shun as too remove and not even slightly hospitable.

Mark and Delia Owens write incredibly well and do not waste words. They describe the animals, people and places with phrases that bring them to life.

A sample picked a random:

"A near total silence crept in on me when I opened my eyes and gazed at the Land Rover ceiling. A moment's confusion; where was I? I turned to the window. A gnarled acacia tree loomed outside, its limbs held up in silhouette against the grey sky. Beyond the tree, in soft easy lines, the wooded sand dunes descended to the riverbed. Morning, our first in Deception Valley, grew in the sky far beyond the dunes."

One could cite many examples that stimulate interest and draw the reader into the experience of Mark and Delia as the alternate the telling of the work. Also the values held by the authors that they will leave as little a footprint as possible is one shared by those serious about conservation, so we share in their decision and agonize with them when they have to make a tough decision. When the lioness called Bones shows so badly wounded with porcupine quills I found myself cheering the Owens' on as they made the decision to lend some needed medical help rather than let her die. Perhaps interfering with nature but the authors are careful not to impose their presence when animals were hunting unless they were protecting an animal they had darted.

Some readers may disagree with the close proximity Mark and Delia Owens have with some of the animals, and the "cute" names they give to some of the animals, but unlike some wildlife proponents the Owens' are allowing the animals to be curious about them and do not seek to befriend wild animals. They are not trying to prove that wild animals are safe and (although there are some tense moments when Mark seems to be getting too close for safety) the authors often retreat to their Land Rover.

Beautifully written and illustrated with many black and white photographs, "Cry of the Kalahari" is a remarkable book

I love the illustrations in this book of all the endangered animals--they are gorgeous and make reading it to my son a real pleasure. I even learned about a new animal via this book, the macaroni penguin, which I had to look up the first time I read it. I think this is a great addition to a child's library.

Review by Sherry North, Author, Because You Are My Baby

This book follows the same pattern as the classic Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? but with an exciting new spin -- exotic, endangered animals. It also has a delightful surprise ending that makes it perfect for a bedtime story.

My 2-year old twins like this book because they like to see the animals, but I think they'd get more out of it if more mainstream animals were used. I think they're a little thrown by animals like "macaroni penguin" - sounds like food to them. The dreaming child part is weird looking too.

I think it's great to use endangered animals, although my kids aren't exactly as concerned about animal endangerment as I am. It's not a bad book or anything, but honestly, if I had read it in a bookstore, I wouldn't have bought it.

My son loves Eric Carle books, and this is our most recent addition to his collection. I just caught on to the fact that all of the animals are endangered, but I think it's so cool that one of them isn't anymore! The bald eagle was recently taken off the endangered species list. I think that gives us (and especially kids) hope that more of those animals can come off that list, and maybe even in their lifetime.

"Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See?" is a very simple book, with repetitive text that makes it easy for youngsters to read. Not being familiar with the other titles by author Bill Martin or illustrator Eric Carle, I can't compare it to any of the other titles by this duo. What I can say is that the animals chosen for this particular book are endangered. From the Macaroni penguin to the red wolf, these creatures will captivate young minds.

Although the repetitious lines may bore parents when reading this book to their kids, the illustrations will keep their attention. Carle has made some wonderful creations on the pages of this book and they are what really make this book worth buying.

The endangered species message may be a bit over the little minds that will be reading or listening to this tale, but there's nothing wrong with giving kids this sort of knowledge at an early age. This book, primarily due to the pictures, is an excellent early stages book for children in kindergarten through second grade.