Product Description

We all know that global warming is a problem, but the blizzard of information and misinformation on the subject makes it hard to know what to do. The Hot Topic is the first book to set out the problems and the solutions in a straightforward way - no hidden agenda, no breast-beating, no hair shirts. Science - how the climate is already changing and what the future is likely to bring Adaptation - preparing for the changes we can't stop Technological solutions - new, clean ways to live, travel and keep the lights on Political solutions - the inside track on what it will take to bring the whole world to the same negotiating table, and how to deal with the 'problem' countries - China, India, Russia and the US Personal and local solutions - what you can do and why it will make a difference

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #96136 in Books
• Published on: 2009-01-05
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

Review
'In a world full of misinformation, The Hot Topic is a beacon of clarity' Al Gore, author of An Inconvenient Truth 'A model of clarity, comprehensiveness and, above all, sanity. It truly does find a middle ground in the climate debate - and in the process, probably counts as the single most important book on the subject' New Scientist 'Do we really need yet another mass-market climate-change book? When it is this good, unequivocally yes. ... The Hot Topic has an authoritative clarity that scythes through the junk science and brushes aside the brigades of doom-mongers and overly earnest environmentalists ...The search for a climate-change equivalent of Silent Spring is over' Nature 'King and Walker bring clarity, insight and authority to the subject ... Crucially, this book is not authored by eco-warriors, but by pragmatists, who care about understanding the science, examining the problems, and looking for technological and political solutions' Simon Singh, Daily Telegraph

The Sunday Times, 13th January 2008
'With the clarity that Gore rightly commends, they do a fine job ... ['The Hot Topic'] is a material gain for the axis of good.'

Tim Flannery, author of 'The Weather Makers'
'This is a fantastic book. It's just what the world needs right now.'

Customer Reviews

Balanced and rational
The Hot Topic is an exemplary piece of science writing. It spells out the issues clearly and rationally, and presents evidence and analysis of supporting research.

I hope this book will reach a wide audience, because it educates the reader by informing but not by invoking mass hysteria (as, unfortunately, some mainstream media seems to view as essential when discussing this topic).

My only criticism would be that the subject is obviously very complex, with a number of interdependencies between climatic effects (e.g. positive feedback loops). More graphical representation of all this would be helpful for the layman. I found myself needing to go back and re-read some sections to keep all the concepts in my mind, and a few more diagrams would probably make for a useful, and more rapid, reference. However, the format of the book would probably need to be larger, and glossier, to do that successfully, and I suspect the cost would go up accordingly. This book is something that needs to be read by as many as possible, so producing it cheaply is probably wise. It would be great to see it on the national curriculum as a science text book in future.

Let's hope that Gabrielle Walker and Sir David King write a follow up handbook, for those that wish to pursue the topics further. They've certainly done a great job with this book.

No Spin, No Hype, No Hidden Agendas! The Best Book on Global Warming Yet
Dr, Gabrielle Walker, one of the UK's best science writers (actually one of the UKs best writers full stop) and Sir David King, the government's top science advisor whose behind-the-scenes knowledge of international energy politics is second-to-none, strip away the hyperbole and hysteria coming from all sides of the Global Warming debate and lay out the facts, the politics behind the facts and what our options are and will be as things continue to heat up. If you want to understand, discuss or-- better yet-- argue about climate change "The Hot Topic" is an invaluable resource. It also happens to be a cracking good read.

No hype - just the facts and a good read to boot!
The first 100 pages tell you succintly what's happening, why it's happening and what we have to achieve together to help ourselves.

Given the authors credibility you also know that you're getting the right information without worrying about anyone's "agenda" or "spin".

I've done a lot of reading around the subject and for me this book is the best of them.