A concise primer to the science and politics of climate change.
An admirably evenhanded appraisal of the challenges posed by climate change and the political solutions available.
According to Paepke (The Seinfeld Election, 2016, etc.), the most recent U.S. presidential election was sadly distinguished by bipartisan silence on the most pressing issues. When it came to climate change, however, the candidates were voluble but offered only unserious, hyperventilated rhetoric. Donald Trump blithely denies global warming and will likely ignore the Paris Treaty the Obama administration embraced. Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, cast climate change as a catastrophe that poses an imminent threat to the globe. Paepke, however, wishes to shift the debate: “Partisans on both sides of the global warming divide are wrong, dangerously and radically wrong.” With meticulous care, the author articulates the case that global warning is not only real, but largely the result of human behavior, specifically man-made greenhouse gas emissions from the burning of fossil fuels. The author contends that rising GHG concentrations in the atmosphere could potentially cause serious problems in the distant future, but these remain largely manageable for the remainder of this century. The most frightening prospect is a possible “meta-threat” or monumental disaster caused by warming that produces irreversible damage, like the melting of methane hydrate. There currently exists technological avenues to the reduction of GHG, but its wholesale elimination would result in considerable economic pain. Ultimately, Paepke offers a moderate plan that is both aggressive and market friendly, which aims at making the renewable energy no more costly than the dependence upon oil and natural gas. Paepke is rigorous and persuasive in this short work—this is more a white paper than a full-length monograph. (In fact, it’s unclear why this sequel wasn’t simply combined with its predecessor to make for one volume.) The entire work is relentlessly bipartisan and unencumbered by ideology, and it deftly discusses complex scientific issues with accessible aplomb. This should appeal to anyone who wishes to understand the messy intersection of scientific fact, political grandstanding, and public policy.
A concise primer to the science and politics of climate change.Pub Date: Jan. 8, 2017
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 74
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Feb. 13, 2017
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Dogged original research and superb narrative skills come together in this gripping account of pitiless evil.
Greed, depravity, and serial murder in 1920s Oklahoma.
During that time, enrolled members of the Osage Indian nation were among the wealthiest people per capita in the world. The rich oil fields beneath their reservation brought millions of dollars into the tribe annually, distributed to tribal members holding "headrights" that could not be bought or sold but only inherited. This vast wealth attracted the attention of unscrupulous whites who found ways to divert it to themselves by marrying Osage women or by having Osage declared legally incompetent so the whites could fleece them through the administration of their estates. For some, however, these deceptive tactics were not enough, and a plague of violent death—by shooting, poison, orchestrated automobile accident, and bombing—began to decimate the Osage in what they came to call the "Reign of Terror." Corrupt and incompetent law enforcement and judicial systems ensured that the perpetrators were never found or punished until the young J. Edgar Hoover saw cracking these cases as a means of burnishing the reputation of the newly professionalized FBI. Bestselling New Yorkerstaff writer Grann (The Devil and Sherlock Holmes: Tales of Murder, Madness, and Obsession, 2010, etc.) follows Special Agent Tom White and his assistants as they track the killers of one extended Osage family through a closed local culture of greed, bigotry, and lies in pursuit of protection for the survivors and justice for the dead. But he doesn't stop there; relying almost entirely on primary and unpublished sources, the author goes on to expose a web of conspiracy and corruption that extended far wider than even the FBI ever suspected. This page-turner surges forward with the pacing of a true-crime thriller, elevated by Grann's crisp and evocative prose and enhanced by dozens of period photographs.
Dogged original research and superb narrative skills come together in this gripping account of pitiless evil.Pub Date: April 18, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-385-53424-6
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Doubleday
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2017
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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