Book Reviews
May 18, 2023
The Earth Transformed: An Untold History – Reviewed in the Atlantic
Excerpt:
In his sweeping new book, Peter Frankopan looks at how the climate has changed human society—and how we have changed the climate.
Does climate change directly influence the weather we experience? Until recently—for the past 40 years or so—that question has followed nearly every major hurricane or flood, every record snowfall or heat wave. In some people, it provokes instant denial, often political or economic, often rooted in prideful ignorance. But the question raises a genuine analytical issue: How do we determine the effect of incremental, global atmospheric change on locally transient weather systems? And how do we assess the effect that those systems—and the climate shifts underlying them—have had on human societies in the past? These are complicated questions. Now imagine trying to answer them throughout the whole of history, from the origin of our species to the day before yesterday. That’s the task the Oxford historian Peter Frankopan undertakes in The Earth Transformed: An Untold History…
Also reviewed in the Guardian:
Top Image: Cover of The Earth Transformed: An Untold History via Bloomsbury Publishing.
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Vanishing Sands: How Sand Mining is Stripping Away Earth’s Beaches by Orrin Pilkey, et al – Duke | Nicholas School of the Environment
A new book from Duke University Press, “Vanishing Sands: Losing Beaches to Mining,” casts light on the shadowy world of sand mining through case studies that illuminate its disastrous impacts and a concluding chapter that proposes common-sense solutions.
Because of the tradition of viewing beaches as public land, people have historically thought of beach sand as a free and limitless resource, Pilkey and his co-authors explain in their preface to “Vanishing Sands…”
Back on Bonaire: Rediscovering Divers Paradise as a Father; A Book By Andrew Jalbert
With its protected nearshore reef system, gem-clear seas, and sweeping conservation efforts, Bonaire has earned the title it boasts on its license plates: Diver’s Paradise. Andrew Jalbert’s “Back on Bonaire,” is the story of stitching together two very different worlds in an enjoyable, funny and at times touching account of introducing his son to his beloved Bonaire.
The Batik Art of Mary Edna Fraser; A Book By Cecelia Dailey
Using fabric, wax, and dye, internationally renowned artist Mary Edna Fraser has transformed the techniques of batik from its ancient origins and forged new visions of our planet from the sky to the ocean floor ―creating wonder, awe, and an awareness of the environment.
Our Ocean Backyard – Collected Essays – Volume 2; By Gary Griggs
Like the first volume of essays, this second volume explores curious ocean questions. Gary’s stories, which draw upon our rich history of ocean exploration and discovery, are written for anyone with an interest in the oceans.
Coastal Scenery Evaluation and Management; A Book By Nelson Rangel-Buitrago
Coastal Scenery Evaluation and Management, describes an easy to apply methodology to determine the scenic value of a coast. As one of the most critical aspects of beach user choice, the determination of coastal area scenic quality is of primordial importance.
The Great Transformation: Climate-Can We Beat the Heat? A Comic by Reinhold Leinfelder and others
“The Great Transformation: Climate-Can We Beat the Heat? ” is regarded as the most comprehensive discussion on global climate change and many related aspects, all in comic book form. In this comic, nine top scientists, the members of WBGU as comic-book heroes, show us that we can beat the heat – and how to do it.
The Magic Dolphin; A Book By Charles O. Pilkey With Orrin H. Pilkey
A lighthearted, beautifully illustrated children’s book that tells the story of two kids who rescue a stranded dolphin, caught in a fish net. The grateful dolphin rewards the kids by taking them on an adventurous, world-encircling journey, teaching them along the way about global warming, sea level rise, beach erosion and other challenges facing the sea.
Pictures Show How Modern Life Is Altering the Natural World
Every part of modern life is touched by technology, and every part of technology requires something that once came from the ground: the silicon dioxide in your cell phone, the phosphorous to grow your food, the copper in the wires that brought this article to your eyes, and a thousand other examples. This is the imprint photographer Edward Burtynsky felt compelled to capture.
The Last Wave, Andaman Islands
Environmentalist, freelance journalist, photographer and author Pankaj Sekhsaria has spent 20 years studying and fighting for the ecology of the Andaman and Nicobar islands. His first fiction novel ‘Last Wave’ about these islands, published in 2014, is getting released in Goa along with his photo exhibition.