Dire Predictions: Understanding Climate Change

by Lee R. Kump, Michael E. Mann

Explore global warming with graphics, illustrations, and charts that separate climate change fact from fiction, presenting the truth about global warming in a way that's both accurate and easy to understand. Respected climate scientists Michael E. Mann and Lee R. Kump address important questions about global warming and climate change, diving into the information documented by the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) and breaking it down into clear graphics that explain complex climate questions in simple illustrations that present the truth of the global warming problem clearly. These experts take scientific findings about climate change and global warming and use analogies, striking images, and understandable graphics to make the global warming question clear to both skeptics and scientists. Dire Predictions shows the evidence and the causes that respected scientists have documented in IPCC findings and climate change studies — this powerful, illustrated book is updated with the latest IPCC information and is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding global warming and climate change and in joining the debate over the best way to combat global warming.

Genres: Science, Climate Change, Nonfiction, Environment

224 pages, Paperback

First published May 5, 2015

Reviews

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a visual guide to the findings of the IPCC, which is the subtitle. As such, it does an excellent job. One of the authors is Michael Mann, an important climate change researcher. The authors' expertise is combined with Publisher DK's famous graphic orientation to produce an understandable explanation of what the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. That first word is a wonderful piece of impenetrable jargon!) was talking about with its 5th Assessment Report. The most extensive and hardest to understand section is the first, where climate change basic science is explained.

Of course, to some extent, this book is out of date, since it does not include the recently concluded Paris deal on Climate Change, agreed to by almost 200 nations.

Most of this is well done, with excellent graphics. I would recommend this book for a person who has just heard about climate change and wants to learn about it in order to fight against it. Otherwise, it is really too detailed and difficult for a casual reader who wants a quick introduction to the subject but isn't interested in fighting climate change. This covers an incredible number of subjects that can make up the fight against climate change, from American style industrial agriculture to hybrid cars and solar panels to the historical disparity between developed and newly developing countries in the production of and reaction to climate change. Recommended as an excellent course on the subject for the serious student. (less)

[Thomas Wikman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book does not go into depth on climate science or atmospheric physics. There are other books for that. What this book does is explain the basics of climate science, what is understood and what is not understood. It discusses projections and what they mean in terms of consequences and what climate change means for us and future generations, and what can be done about it. It presents the facts using simple language and colorful graphs, maps and pictures. The authors do not exaggerate or try scaring you; they are just telling us what the situation is. The book has five sections, each section starting out with a short summary of key ideas.

There’s so much misinformation about climate change being spread in this country. I think I see more falsehoods and nonsense on the topic than I see useful information. Having a book, like this one, that summarizes the basics in a format that is easy to understand and remember is invaluable in this situation. The more everyone understands about the topic, the less impact the disinformation will have. Therefore this is a very important book.

The book is well written and well organized. It’s the perfect basic climate change book for the average reader. Some of my favorite sub sections were; “Fingerprints distinguish human and natural impacts on climate”, “How sensitive is the climate”, “The Faux Pause”, “Past IPCC projections, how did they do?”, and “The Ethics of Climate Change”, and also having the glossary was nice. One minor complaint I have is that the book has so many background photos and colors that it is difficult to highlight text. This is a very good book that I suggest that everyone reads.

[Megan M · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was an excellent introduction to climate science, and made the data very accessible and easy to understand, including graphics and photographs to illustrate the points. It was a comprehensive overview of the IPCC report findings but written in a way that made them understandable to anyone, and included reviewing the science, criticisms, as well as potential pathways toward mitigation and adaptation going forward. It hits the hard points without being demoralizing, and focuses on steps we can take to preserve the planet for the future. I highly recommend this book as a starting point for anyone interested in learning more about current climate science. The only reason I gave it 4 stars is that I've already encountered a lot of this material elsewhere, and so it was a bit redundant for me as a reader with more existing background knowledge on the topics. That said, there was still plenty that I learned from reading this book, and it was still well worth the time I put into it.

[Joyce Childers · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was good, but I feel like a lot of what it talked about was very repetitive and something that I already knew. I still learned a lot from it, and it helped me realize just how bad climate change is and how urgent it is to make a change. This book is almost kind of scary and sad. I give it a 4/5 stars. Also, I’m not sure if it was just my copy, but the paperback book completely falls out of its spine and the papers start to detach from one another.

[Kaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good for an overview of the issue of Climate Change. This has been very insightful for introductory level college students who are just getting an introduction to earth sciences as a whole.
I appreciate the work that the authors put into making this something that people can read and understand.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative and interesting to read. The many diagrams, charts, and pictures helped to make the content understandable even for a layperson. After reading this, I feel much better versed in the issues surrounding climate change.

[Andrey Kurenkov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Admittedly skimmed rather than read, but this is still an excellent summary of what seems to me the most reliable summary of what we know about climate change available. An abosultely fantastic resource to educate yourself with.

[Jacqui · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceeded my expectations! The final section is outdated, but sections 1-3, especially, remain an excellent overview of climate change. If you’ve ever wondered what the IPCC has been up to but you don’t want to read thousands of pages, this book is for you!

[Natalee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bonus points being the nicest looking, easiest to digest/understand textbook I have ever seen in my life.

[Jeroen Veen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a text/school book which I didn't expect. That said however, it still makes for a good read because it is so clear. A must read for understanding climate change

[Kenneth Folsom · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good introduction to the topic of climate change. It can still be overwhelming for those first learning about the science of climate change. I recommend supplementary materials to accompany this.

[Christopher May · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read that brings the issues surrounding anthropogenic climate change to light without getting too bogged down in details. While the relative lack of details make it more approachable for the average reader (e.g. those without a background in climatology), it also makes it seem a little light on supportive data. The authors try to remedy some of this with QR codes that link to more in depth coverage of various subjects. Sadly, some of these links are no longer active and lead to dead ends. Additionally, I found the book a bit repetitive in some of its key ideas. As it is, I liked the book and it inspired me to further my efforts in living a greener life. However, because of the broken links and repetitive nature of the text, I didn't love it enough to give it 5 stars.

[Rich Lund]

It is obvious to anyone with some objectivity that believing in man made global warming is our equivalent of 'going to Jonestown'.