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Books for Earth Day 2012

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Cover art for THE MAN WHO PLANTED TREES
NONFICTION
Released: April 17, 2012
THE MAN WHO PLANTED TREES: LOST GROVES, CHAMPION TREES, AND AN URGENT PLAN TO SAVE THE PLANET
by Jim Robbins
"A rousing call-to-action to plant trees to save the environment."
A serious investigation into the importance of trees as the "earth's filter." Read full book review >
Cover art for BEFORE THEY'RE GONE
NONFICTION
Released: April 3, 2012
BEFORE THEY'RE GONE: A FAMILY'S YEAR-LONG QUEST TO EXPLORE AMERICA'S MOST ENDANGERED NATIONAL PARKS
by Michael Lanza
"Intriguing premise; decent execution--certainly of interest to environmentalists and other eco-minded readers."
One family's year-long adventure exploring the national parks of the United States. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE FOREST UNSEEN
NONFICTION
Released: March 19, 2012
Kirkus Star THE FOREST UNSEEN: A YEAR'S WATCH IN NATURE
by David George Haskell
"Exceptional observations of the biological world worthy of any naturalist's library."
An extraordinary, intimate view of life in an old-growth forest. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE HOCKEY STICK AND THE CLIMATE WARS
NONFICTION
Released: March 6, 2012
Kirkus Star THE HOCKEY STICK AND THE CLIMATE WARS: DISPATCHES FROM THE FRONT LINES
by Michael E. Mann
"This blistering indictment of corporate-funded chicanery demands a wide audience."
From climate scientist Mann (Meteorology and Geosciences/Penn State Univ.; co-author: Dire Predictions: Understanding Global Warming, 2009, etc.), an important and disturbing account of the fossil-fuel industry's well-funded public-relations campaign to sow doubt about the validity of the science of climate change. Read full book review >
Cover art for PLASTIC OCEAN
NONFICTION
Released: Nov. 1, 2011
PLASTIC OCEAN: HOW A SEA CAPTAIN'S CHANCE DISCOVERY LAUNCHED A DETERMINED QUEST TO SAVE THE OCEANS
by Charles Moore, Cassandra Phillips
"Fast-paced and electrifying, Moore's story is "gonzo science" at its best."
Firsthand account of how plastics pervade our oceans in unimaginable ways, killing marine life and causing wide-ranging environmental and health effects. Read full book review >
Cover art for FINDING HIGHER GROUND
NONFICTION
Released: June 7, 2011
FINDING HIGHER GROUND: ADAPTATION IN THE AGE OF WARMING
by Amy Seidl
"Seidl's glass-half-full optimism is a welcome change from the many fatalistic prognostications of the future."
Unlike many ecologists who fear that global warning will lead to a planetary catastrophe, Seidl (Research Scholar/Middlebury Coll.; Early Spring: An Ecologist and Her Children Wake to a Warming World, 2009) sees it as a spur to positive adaptation. Read full book review >
Cover art for POWERING THE DREAM
NONFICTION
Released: April 22, 2011
POWERING THE DREAM: THE HISTORY AND PROMISE OF GREEN TECHNOLOGY
by Alexis Madrigal
"A well-told cautionary tale about the need for widespread renewable-energy production."
Eye-opening micro-histories about American energy past, with an eye to the future, from Atlantic senior editor and technology writer Madrigal. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE VERTICAL FARM
NONFICTION
Released: Oct. 12, 2010
THE VERTICAL FARM: THE WORLD GROWS UP
by Dickson Despommier
"A captivating argument that will intrigue general readers and give policymakers and investors much to ponder."
Despommier (Microbiology and Environmental Sciences/Columbia Univ.) details his optimistic vision of a sustainable future based on urban agriculture. Read full book review >
Cover art for CLEAN ENERGY NATION
NONFICTION
Released: April 1, 2009
CLEAN ENERGY NATION: FREEING AMERICA FROM THE TYRANNY OF FOSSIL FUELS
by Gerald McNerney, Martin Cheek
"Expert and invigorating."
Comprehensive guide to America's looming energy emergency, including suggested actions that the authors believe will avert a global crisis. Read full book review >