The Hidden Life of Ice - Dispatches from a Disappearing World

by Alberto Flores d'Arcais, Alberto Flores d'Arcais, Elizabeth Kolbert (Foreword)

One of the least known and least inhabited parts of the world, Greenland is a singular place on Earth from which to look for the future of our planet and question its history. Glaciologist Marco Tedesco, a world-leading expert on ice and on climate change, takes us along as he and his fellow researchers conduct all-important measurements to understand the dramatic changes afoot on the immense polar ice cap. Following the arc of a typical day as a working scientist, Tedesco tells us about improbable “polar camels,” cryoconite holes (the only place where life grows in the icy expanse), and gigantic meteorite debris. We also learn of the epic deeds of the great Arctic explorers (both men and, perhaps surprisingly, women) and about legends of the rare local populations. A Day at the Top of the World offers a vantage point on the future from a place in which temperatures are rising at double the average rate of the rest of the planet.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Nature, Audiobook, Climate Change, Environment, Memoir

160 pages, Hardcover

First published September 26, 2019

Reviews

[Tanabrus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Il racconto bene o male di una spedizione nell'Artico da parte di un ricercatore italiano da tempo spostatosi in America.

Ci sono momenti suggestivi e momenti molto interessanti, altri inquietanti quando si parla dei cambiamenti in corso e delle prospettive future per il continente (e il pianeta).

Però mi è sembrato un po' troppo episodico come narrazione. Interessante e rapido ma non mi ha preso come speravo.

[Nathan Albright · Rating 4 out of 5]

How you feel about this book will depend in large part on how you feel about the author's conceit that the ice of the world is disappearing. From the author's extrapolation of recent trends (since the banning of chloro-floro carbons that threatened a global cooling panic in the 1970's), the author assumes that a certain amount of ice in the poles is melting at a certain rate and that this will cause a certain amount of rise in sea levels. Thus the author views the glacial worlds of Greenland and Antarctica as a disappearing world that he wishes to communicate about to the reader through words and photographs. Those who have a high degree of skepticism about the value of contemporary climate modeling will likely find this book wanting, but in the author's defense, the author is far more nuanced in his understanding of such matters than is generally the case, even to the point of providing undercutting to the most overblown fears and concerns as well as the blame that is often apportioned for supposed anthropogenic climate change. Rather than seeking to promote unpopular and very unlikely political change, the author appears to take his beliefs about climate change seriously enough to communicate a world that he sees as threatened and likely to perish in the mid-term future.

This book is a short one at less than 150 pages and it is divided into eleven short chapters. The book begins with a foreword by Elizabeth Kolbert as well as a prologue that discusses the experiences of the author growing up and deciding to go to Greenland. This is followed by discussions on the origins of ice (1) as well as myths of Greenland from Inuit tales (2). After that the author talks about the surprising color of Greenland (3) as well as forgotten heroes of polar study (4). The author talks about the rise of polar surveillance by governments (5) as well as matters of the icy abyss (6) as well as holes in the ice (7). After that comes a look at the study of the polar camel (8), a welcome oddity, and a look at polar photography (9). The book then closes with a discussion o the northwest passage (10), the author's view of freedom with regards to the polar world (11), as well as an epilogue, index, and information about the author.

Ice is more interesting than we often think. As someone who has visited glaciers myself, I have pondered on the strange nature of the colors of glacial meltwater, and on the way that ice flows in ways that are not always recognized by others. The author brings a lot more experience and a lot more insight into these elements by virtue of even more familiarity with such things, pointing out even the issue of albedo in glacial melting as being more important than mere temperature gains as well as the way that snow dunes can provide protection from bitter arctic winds. If few people will find themselves spending large amounts of time on glaciers, the author also has some critical things to say about the environmental effects of elite tourism in the poles. There is a strong undercurrent of resentment in this particular book, and it appears as if the author's attention to the look and description of glacier beauty is meant to provide the reader with a vicarious view of such things while discouraging more people to visit this supposedly vanishing world themselves. Whether or not this aim is a success is hard to say, at this point.

[Repix Pix · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesante y curioso.

[James Easterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm very interested in this subject, however this book has it's weaknesses. It could be in the fact that it has an author, a co-author, a translator, and an editor, or a combination of these. First of all the book is OK. It gets to the main interests about midway through. The problem is it has a number of embarrassing errors, as well as not seeming to be very well written or perhaps not coming to print in a way that encapsulates the authors feelings as well as it should. Errors: If you are comparing Celsius to Fahrenheit the two only meet at one place which is -40°. Page 16 shows -104°F (-40°C), 104°F only equals 40° on the plus side, not the minus side. Someone is converting the two for Minus using the Plus temperatures to do so. This also happens for other temperatures on pages 28, and 92. Also on page 41 it says that Eric the Red lived at the end of the first century and later on the page says he killed someone in 982 CE. He lived at the end of the first millennium not century. The photos are great and the discussion on tardigrades fascinating as always. Keep up the science and keep us, the public informed. It's just that the book could use a little help.

[Wendelle]

a wonderful, short account of the daily life of a leading glaciologist in expeditions to Greenland and Antarctica, as he follows the disappearing, melting ice, featuring experiences such as: camping in tents under the midnight sun to the sound of ice cracking below their feet; having lunch and gallons of coffee spread over ice packs; discussing the polar bear who was unnecessarily shot and killed for following the camp; discussing the fate of a hundred thousand Adele penguins who became displaced after an iceberg ran aground, and whether they had died or fled; using spectrometers in their backpacks; witnessing a large lake funnel, drain, and disappear in a record of 40 mins through a hole called moulin of cracked ice; discussing the malleability of tardigrades and the way these extreme forms of life absorb extraneous bits of genetics that could have been sourced from plant and fungi.

[Connor Whitley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bit self indulgent but inspiring nonetheless

[Emily Underworld · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank-you to the publisher and author for providing me an ARC copy of Ice by Marco Tedesco to review via Netgalley.

This book is brilliant. Marco Tedesco and Alberto Flores d'Arcais convey the fragility of the ice, as well as its sheer power. It's beautiful and terrifying.

Marco Tedesco doesn't just relay scientific facts. He approaches serious topics, including the suffering of Inuit people, with empathy. He tells us about their culture, religious practices and musical traditions.

I appreciated Marco's insights into life as a scientist on the ice. What it's like, what they eat, their daily routines, and what they wear. Apparently, cotton clothing is an absolute no. Once it gets wet, trapped air in the fabric fills up with water and won't protect you.

Ice also provides us with a dire warning. We must change. We must elect politicians who will commit to helping the planet recover.

I encourage everyone to read Ice: Tales From a Disappearing Continent. It's quite a short book, and the layman (i.e. people who aren't scientists or geographers) can understand it.

Full review and some facts I learned here: https://emilyunderworld.co.uk/ice-mar...

[Sindi Breshani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative! Written by a scientist whose writing fully immerses you in the Arctic.

[Lyazzat · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was excited to get my hands on this book but disappointed of narrative of such topic. The book is dull with not much substantial topic of exploring the subject.

[Mario · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very nicely written book about nothing of any significance.

The synopsis suggested that the book takes us along on a scientific expedition to Greenland with world leading experts on ice and climate change, “blending science and a personal journey”. The chapters covered such diverse topics as, how best to get dressed for a day on the ice, the quickest way of unfreezing ice in order to cook, the conditions historical polar explorers had to endure and Gleenlandic mythology. Oh yes I almost forgot, in the final few pages amongst some beautiful prose musing about how the ice underfoot may have been formed before humans had ever visited Greenland, there were two pages about the dramatic melting of the ice cap and the impact on sea levels.

Having finished the book I have no idea what the expedition’s aims were or what experiments they carried out. I know the team collected data and that it was “fascinating”, but not what it was or what they had discovered.

I was tempted to give the book one star but the descriptive writing was so good that felt unfair, but really the content was so disappointing!

[Jacq · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a little book, this packs a lot of punch. Less than 200 pages, and I learned so many little tidbits I never knew (like about Tardigrades and the "Polar Camel"). Besides the science and climate facts, Marco Tedesco also shared personal reflections that, in a sense, made the book for me. I think of times I have been in nature, when I've been in awe of nature, and how it's made me feel - how it has made me reflect on the past and the future. I may not ever get to spend time on the Greenland ice shelf, but I still relate to the feelings Tedesco shared from his time there. I was disappointed to read a number of reviews that felt this book was insignificant, and your opinion of it would be based on your opinion on climate change - how on earth are people still denying climate change? I found it to be a quick and meaningful read.
3.75/5⭐️s

[E L K Y · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every time someone loves something profoundly you can feel that from every fibre of their being and that's exactly how this book reads.

Ice: Tales From A Disappearing World read mostly like a novel, that is so beautifully poetic you forget it's about a filed of science mostly people usually don't read about. But I would recommend this book to anyone, it's written so beautifully and has more emotion than most of the novels I read in the last few months and likes any good novel, it is also deeply painful as you learn more about the ice, how it works and how human affect that it's disappearing.

[Paolo Di nicola · Rating 2 out of 5]

L'argomento sarebbe di per sé molto interessante, però è scritto veramente tanto di merda, in particolare il discorso narrativo è veramente tanto debole (a fronte invece delle parti scientifiche che sono interessanti pur se scritte senza brio) e sembra essere uscito dal peggior romanzesco. Senza contare le riflessioni "filosofiche" / esistenziali che sono troppo coperte dall'ego smisurato dello scrittore.

[Cierra Childs · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's not my typical book, though I found it very pleasant and informative. Highly recommend for those who are interested in climate adaptation, research, and glaciers (specifically in Greenland). This is written from the perspective of a researcher and contains tons of interesting and sometimes harsh realities of glaciers. I enjoyed the parts about the biological organisms in glaciers...aka the infamous tardigrade.

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book, but i didn't LOVE it. I didn't even really like it, and i can't explain why. I learned a lot and that's usually enough for me, but this time it wasn't. I agree with the science and appreciate the author's insights, but the book is a solid 3 for me.

[Emily Fletcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting quasi-biographical look at the science of glaciers and climate change, perhaps somewhat disadvantaged by translation and editing.
I'm just mad he described tardigrades as so cute and fun, when they look like something out of a Doctor Who episode.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings on this one.

When the author describes the desolation of the ice, the environment, and the harsh living on the ice, it is vivid, haunting and beautiful. However when he drags in personal stories of his children’s tales, he loses me. Stars are for the stories of the scientific research and gorgeous depictions of the ever-moving mass of ice.

[Breana · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Hidden Life of Ice is a short and fascinating—and cautionary—look at, well, ice. Specifically Greenland’s ice sheets and how the changes to it can be applied to the situation happening to the other, coldest parts of Earth, like the Artic. The book was more of the author’s personal experience of his time spent studying the ice. It was interspersed with historical facts, some mythology from Greenland, and the science behind the ice and the changes happening to it—caused by global warming and other natural climate changes and factors.

There are so many different parts of The Hidden Life of Ice that interested me. As a whole, I liked it. What I greatly enjoyed was the parts of the book when Tedesco dug his heels into the topic and really got into the science about ice. His enthusiasm about this subject was easy to read. It was present on the page, especially in the way he talked about his and others work in the field. There were also photos in the book, and it was pretty cool getting a look at some of the locations described by Tedesco.

Among my favorite chapters in the book, was the one on the color of ice. I already knew about the general concept of white surfaces being more reflective, due to personal experience with walking on a ground paved with white stones—it was extremely bright in comparison to, say, grass or concrete sidewalks. I can imagine what it was like to be surrounded by ice and snow. So it was interesting to learn about the way they studied the light (“spectral fingerprint”). I also enjoyed the chapters about the microscopic organisms, the polar camels, ice abyss, and the one about the lakes as well.

Given how timely the topic of climate change is, this book was well worth the read. It offered a direct look at the changes happening to ice, and what could result from it. While also taking a look at how these environments are studied. Overall, The Hidden Life of Ice was a fantastic read.

Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by the publisher (The Experiment) via Netgalley for this review, thank you!

This review is also posted on my blog, Our Thoughts Precisely

[Will · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 / 5 ✪

https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com...

I requested Hidden Life of Ice because I was expecting a scientific explanation of Greenland and ice floe and the climate change that’s resulting in its disappearance. What I got was not nearly as interesting.

Hidden Life of Ice reads like a field notebook crossed with a memoir, at least if that field notebook was full of random fun-facts that you could use to impress with at trivia. Despite it being centered in Greenland, there’s very little—almost nothing really—about ice. Prior to Chapter 9, ice is only described in any length once. And for that only about in one or two paragraphs. There’s a decent amount of history—the discovery of Greenland, and its settlement; the Northwest Passage, and extinction; the birth of the universe. There’s a bit of astronomy, physics, global warming, and geology. There’s a decent amount about the author and his team, their lives before, their time in Greenland. Just very little about ice.

There was a little about the Thule, the Inuit, the Vikings—the history of the human habitation of Greenland, that was of passing interest. Though mostly it was about the Vikings and their colonization of the land. And about its naming. Then later about its use and importance to scientists. Nothing too in-depth and nothing too interesting, sadly.

My favorite part was the brief (and I mean brief) time that the author talked about englacial flow. This is a bit like an aquifer, an underground river, just through a glacier as opposed to permeable rock. It sounds so cool! Even the author seemed impressed and amazed when he described it—only to lose focus to some other non-ice topic a few sentences later.

If you were to read this hoping for something in depth on Greenland and ice, prepare to be disappointed. If you were after a decent memoir filled with random facts about random Greenland-related topics, I guess this is the book for you. I found it boring and dry. I thought the story meandered aimlessly when I could find a story at all. But then I was expecting more about glaciology, ice science, maybe hydrology and physics. So long as you don’t go in with expectations like mine—hopefully it’ll provide a decent read.

[Ishmael Soledad · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting read centered around (as the title says) the changes in Greenland's ice and, by association, changes across the world. It is wrapped around a single day Tedesco spends on the ice, from wake up in the morning to turn in at night.

It's written well enough, however (as with most translated books) there's a feeling the prose has suffered somewhat as it's moved from Tedesco's native tongue. I read the book in three widely spaced sittings, and can easily imagine it being devoured in one day without trouble.

Don't expect scintillating dialogue, overly deep treatment of issues, or even (green) heart-wrenching narrative. This is a book that tries to cover a great deal in an adequate way, bound together with personal observations and understanding from a man who has spent a lifetime studying and researching.

It's not enough for those wanting an in depth treatment of ice degradation and climate change; it's too much for those seeking a helicopter view of the same, or a rose coloured view of Greenland's ice. It falls some where in between, and ends up as a pleasant enough read that carries within it the spectre of disaster.

[Selkie Narwhal · Rating 1 out of 5]

ULTRA BORING; Detailed Account of Woke Author's Every Sneeze; Climate Cult Propaganda

BEST OF THE WORST:
Fighting Over Resources in the Arctic: In Chapter 10, the author writes about the countries (he names China & Russia) that want control over the rare earth minerals (used in cell phones) and the oil under the ice. He asks, "What if Russia and US were to embark on a silent, invisible war like the Cold War era?"

Future Climate Wars: In Chapter 10, he also mentions that GEOENGINEERING could be used as a weapon to alter and create meteorological events like creating clouds or reducing clouds to preserve or melt the ice. (Look up "Cloud Seeding" done in USA since the 1950s; How China eliminated clouds during the 2008 Olympics; how dozens of countries already do weather modification...... could they be intentionally causing "Climate Change"?)


THIS BOOK IS AN EXCUSE FOR ABANDONING DAUGHTERS: The book is basically an earth-worship piece from a woke man who seems obsessively in love with himself and his life as a climate "scientist" (cultist). This book is Tedesco's poetic attempt to justify his living on the Greenland ice sheet, getting paid for doing basically nothing, while he has abandoned his partner and his two daughters grow up missing their father. He shares a long boring 2 page letter he wrote to his daughters telling them he hopes they will live free when they grow up. He also writes that, "I and most people I work with are fervent anti-militarists." But he works/ed for NASA...

EVERY MOVEMENT AND BREATH IS DETAILED: The entire book is an ULTRA DETAILED poetic look at ONE DAY living on the ice sheet... stretched out over 12 chapters. Each chapter STARTS and END with the author Tedesco telling you his every movement -- about waking up; his emotions; his clothing; his body contortions; his zipping the tent and the "whoosh" it makes; his thoughts about making coffee; his decision not to make coffee yet; his crawling out of his tent; his standing up; his tiredness; his socks; his boots; his listening to others sleeping; he tells you that ice moves and makes noise (duh... glaciers); his sitting down in a folding chair; his mind drifting; his almost falling asleep; his opening a can of beans; his making coffee, etc. The book goes on like this for the WHOLE REST OF THE BOOK - detailing every meal, movement and thought. The author tells you about his every yawn and sneeze, basically. And the book ends with yes... bedtime and brushing teeth.

EVERY THOUGHT DETAILED:
In the MIDDLE of every chapter, the author tells you about his every private thought and every conversation with his pal Patrick. Tedesco tells you about his love for folklore and mythologies. He tells you about an Inuit legend where Brother Sun rapes his Sister Moon and how she cuts off her breasts. And how everyday, Brother Sun chases Sister Moon across the sky, always pursuing her. Lovely. He tells readers about his and Pat's discussion about how penguins no longer live at Cape Denison, after a giant iceberg moved into the cape and added 37 miles of shore. Instead of just saying, "We don't know what happened to them," they, of course, speculate that maybe "It's man's fault because of Climate Change"! He tells you IN SUPER DETAIL about their boring conversations about computers, gigabytes, terabytes and petabytes; a chapter about satellites (more detail that you ever wanted to know, including the names of 9); a chapter on the first black man who abandoned his wife to explore Greenland, then abandoned the Inuit girl he knocked up; a chapter speculating who the first woman to land on Greenland was; a chapter complaining about tourists ruining the arctic; etc.

FALSE SCIENCE, ALL FEAR-PORN: In the middle of all his repeating the same old fear-porn of the Climate cult propaganda, Tedesco tells readers false science: "In Greenland, it has taken thousands of years to form: snow falls, year after year, ******never melting in the summer*******, becoming buried under yet more layers of snow." Of course some of the snow melts in the summer. It's not like it actually "never melts in the summer." Some melts and some might stay. On page 47, he says, "The Greenland sponge reached its saturation point and is leaking water into the ocean." Clearly not "science." Greenland is not like a sponge in any way. And it could not reach a "saturation point." This book is basically void of real science. In fact, he admits ALL THE DATA he spends hours everyday collecting with the spectrometer is sent back to New York and could all be just trash... if they didn't calibrate the equipment correctly; didn't warm it up for the right amount of HOURS; or if the device is too hot or too cold and doesn't reach the perfect temperature to not skew their data; if the fiber optics cables are too flexed; if they don't measure it at the right time of the day; or if the sun isn't shining at its highest... you get the idea. But they won't know if any of the data collecting (what they do everyday) is any good because they need to finish up in Greenland and go to New York months or years later to go check their data. (Page 63)

On page 19, he admits it would probably take 100s of years for all the Greenland ice to melt. Then he makes it sound like it's so hard to make ice, then throws in, "It takes much less to melt the ice. Maybe a day or less." So dramatic. A day to melt the ice? Sure in some parts and some areas. But it would take 100s of years to melt the whole Greenland ice sheet. More poetic fear-porn, "We humans are tiny, but with our greenhouse gas emissions and global warming, we’re like a virus attacking everything and everyone–and have managed to not only threaten the mighty Greenland but also to bring it to its knees." (19) He laments how the "ice loses its MEMORY when glaciers melt into the ocean." PLEASE.... Earth worshipper, stop. He tells you poetic dribbles about "Ice reminds me of myself. It reminds me of all of us" and the "roots of icebergs being in the ocean and when glaciers return to the ocean, how the roots cycle around." More Earth worshipping. These guys are ruining the world.

[John Benson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short book is told by an Italian research scientist about a research expedition he was on to Greenland. Tedesco chooses to frame his story as a day in the work of the research scientists. In between their work studying the melting of glaciers, he muses on other different topics that have to do with the Arctic and Antarctic. I found the chapters interesting whether they were about Arctic exploration or the rapid draining of a glacial lake. While the author is a scientist, the book feels more poetic than scientific, but it allows one to get an overall sense of the current conditions on the ice in Greenland.

[Richard Marney · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short (only 150 pages) narrative combining autobiographical, travel, historical, and scientific threads, all centered around the “disappearing world” of the Greenland ice shelf. I learned about “albedo” (ratio of reflected to incident irradiance.....going in the wrong direction for our futures), cryonite holes, and ice darkening, amongst other concepts present in the study of the progressive destruction of ice shelf’s and glaciers around the world.

An easy yet enjoyable and informative read!

[interno storie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Da leggere con attenzione il capitolo 10, Passaggio a nordovest, perché i possibili scenari futuri metterebbero definitivamente a rischio questo fragile ecosistema.

[Maristella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written memoirs, insightful, interesting and emotional too. Best booj read of the year so far.

[Rama Rao · Rating 5 out of 5]

The planet in transition

This is a personal reflection of the arctic explorer Marco Tedesco and his tribute to Greenland, an inspiring place that is affected by the environment. This is not so much about the impact of the climate but an exploration of the beauty of Greenland formed largely by ice. Greenland is a vista of whiteness interrupted only by scattered ponds of azure-colored melt water. 90 percent of the land is covered by ice sheet that is the largest outside Antarctica. Some of the green color is due to the large number of icebergs that are calved as the result of glacier retreat and ice cap melting. The bottom of the ice sheet was formed 130,000 years ago, before the start of the last ice age. In places like Canada, Scandinavia, New England, and the upper Midwest, the ice melted away at about 10,000 years ago. In Greenland, it remained and in addition, thousands of years of snowfalls, year after year, never melting in the summer, becoming buried under yet more layers of snow.

The moulin, the technical name for the hole in the ice through which the lake has vanished is another geological phenomenon in this part of the world. Underneath ice sheets there are numerous highly efficient drainage system that empties into the sea and raises sea levels. The water in the underground tunnels flows and change direction and size constantly. Cryoconite holes are another interesting feature of ice sheets that have microbial oases within the extreme environment of a glacier's surface ice. These holes form when sediment is blown onto the ice and is heated by solar energy, causing it to melt into the glacier's surface. This has micro animals like tardigrades, the water bears or moss piglets. Their genome contains more extraneous DNA than any other animal species known. To put it simply, instead of inheriting its' genes from its ancestors, part of the tardigrade's genetic makeup may come from plants, bacteria, and fungi!. There is also a different kind of life that depends on a process known as bacterial chemosynthesis. Unlike photosynthesis, it exploits the energy generated in chemical reactions to produce organic substances. These creatures are completely autonomous and self-sufficient, living their peaceful existence in complete isolation. The environmental factors in these landscapes of Arctic and Antarctic territories are considered as the closest to what life would be like on other planets like Mars, and icy moons like Europa, a satellite of Jupiter.

The author presents an interesting description of how sea levels rise differently in different parts of this planet when Greenland ice melts. The author wrote a similar book about Greenland in 2022 entitled “Ice: Tales from a Disappearing World,” and a related review article in Guardian Newspaper in 2020. This is a short book of 153 pages which read flawlessly.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read Kolbert's "Sixth Extinction" and this book is not that however, I found Tedesco's book interesting, poetic. And, short. The title signals an urgent message, a "dispatch". Also, I listened to it as an audiobook. The description of the ice is fascinating and informative. As one who lived 50 miles south of Winnipeg in northern North Dakota (count as three winters), I have some sense of cold. Tedesco's book is another cautionary tale about the environmental challenges facing our planet. I take it as another "dispatch" from a rapidly changing land mass. That so many are traveling to capture views of the ice cap regions is a reminder that we as a population continue to enjoy "rubber necking" at the site of tragic accidents. It's also the case that most people tend to do nothing when confronted with violence - look, watch, do nothing is a general rule for most of us. But, if we seek proof of melting ice masses, nothing says truth like a first-person account. IF that is, one knows what they are looking at. Again, I think the author's account was helpful in that way. I enjoyed the poetic passages. Perhaps a follow on project by the author will dig into the subject further. And, a good copyeditor would've addressed many of the errors noted by others.

[Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful evocation of a harsh and ephemeral place. The narrative of the book takes place over the course of one day of climate research taking place on the ice cap of Greenland, starting with the moment the author wakes up and finishing with the team heading back into the tents. Along the way we are treated to some brilliant, poetic descriptions of the sensations one might experience at such an extreme place - there are moments that truly transport the reader through sights, sounds, feelings - but the main ideas of the text are to communicate various aspects of the history and science of the landscape. These include: its geology, mythology, the changing colour of the land, lesser told tales of adventure, the study of life and the study of the universe from such a place, and what climate models suggest the future might hold. There are some truly fascinating facts and passages but the one that has so far stuck with me most strongly was the authors assertion of the importance of critical thinking - not a revelatory stance for a scientist, but very well explored here. It's a book I'll turn to again, without doubt.

[Gemini · Rating 5 out of 5]

One day we'll wish we had more ice on the planet. Oh wait we already do. It is amazing to read about the trek made to the great white north. Greenland is not a place most people think of going unless you're a scientist. I was totally taken in by their journey. The importance of their research & what they discovered is vital to what's happening w/ the planet. So no, this isn't just some environmentalist or activist story. This is about scientists & their experience w/ the frigid elements & the Indigenous people of Greenland & what is happening to the arctic circle. It's melting faster than anything else on the planet. The result of this reverberates to other parts of the world even if you don't want to believe it. Passage through that area via ship wasn't a thing eons ago since it was all ice & now you can just sail on through w/out any problems. Quite the eye-opener just like other voyages that people tried to make & unfortunately failed. I enjoyed this book & think you will too, as you can experience what they did via words on the page & your imagination. Time to learn something.

[Mia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a poetic book about global warming and the author’s love for his profession. Dr. Tedesco is examining the process by which Greenland is losing its ice sheet as forces of warmth converge and combine to accelerate the melting of the massive ice sheet that covers Greenland and sends its meltwater into the world’s oceans. Dust in the ice darkens the surface and absorbs more sunlight. Ponds form on the surface of the ice sheet and the water itself speeds the melting. The subtitle of the book, “dispatches from a disappearing world” encapsulates the narrative. There are some factual errors that distract from the book, but the author’s musings about his life and work add value.