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Global environmental change (including climate change, biodiversity loss, changes in hydrological and biogeochemical cycles, and intensive exploitation of natural resources) is having significant impacts on the world's oceans. This book advances knowledge of the structure and functioning of marine ecosystems, and their past, present, and future responses to physical and anthropogenic forcing.It illustrates how climate and humans impact marine ecosystems, providing a comprehensive review of the physical and ecological processes that structure marine ecosystems as well as the observation, experimentation, and modelling approaches required for their study. Recognizing the interactive roles played by humans in using marine resources and in responding to global changes in marine systems, the book includes chapters on the human dimensions of marine ecosystem changes and on effective management approaches in this era of rapid change.A final section reviews the state of the art in predicting the responses of marine ecosystems to future global change scenarios with the intention of informing both future research agendas and marine management policy.

Marine Ecosystems and Global Change provides a detailed synthesis of the work conducted under the auspices of the Global Ocean Ecosystems Dynamics (GLOBEC) programme. This research spans two decades, and represents the largest, multi-disciplinary, international effort focused on understanding the impacts of external forcing on the structure and dynamics of global marine ecosystems. ... Read more

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This book follows the groundbreaking Kyoto Protocol from the time of its drafting in 1997 to analyze its viability as an environmental treaty. Dana R. Fisher uses a valuable combination of substantive interview data and country case studies to understand the complexity of the domestic and international debates taking place around the Protocol. With its unique blend of quantitative and qualitative data, this study presents compelling evidence that domestic interests are crucial in the formation of international environmental policymaking. ... Read more

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The first comprehensive history of world organizations and the global political economy for more than a generation, this timely book integrates a wealth of recent research in international relations, business history, and development studies to show how international organizations were created, what roles they have played in the evolution of the world economy since 1850, why successive world orders have broken down, and how they can be reconstructed. It provides the essential historical background to current debates about reform of the United Nations system and of regional economic systems throughout the industrial world, especially in its detailed discussion of two important episodes--in the generation before the First World War and in that which followed the Second--when unprecedented innovation within individual economies went hand in hand with effective world organizations central to the governance of a growing international industrial economy. ... Read more

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This is a collection of 75 selections, organized in 21 chapters, 3 chronological periods.The selections are accompanied by introductions to each period, chapter overviews, and selection introductions. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Saved Money!
I will always check Amazon from now on when I need textbooks for college.What a huge savings...even when I needed express shipping! ... Read more

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This groundbreaking study sheds new light on the struggle to define the course of globalization. Synthesizing extensive research on transnational activism, Social Movements for Global Democracy shows how transnational networks of social movement activists -- democratic globalizers -- have worked to promote human rights and ecological sustainability over the predominant neoliberal system of economic integration.

Using case studies of recent and ongoing campaigns for global justice, Jackie Smith provides valuable insight into whether and how these activists are succeeding. She argues that democratic globalizers could be more effective if they presented a united front organized around a global vision that places human rights and ecological stability foremost and if they were to directly engage governments and the United Nations.

Illuminating the deep-seated struggles between two visions of globalization, Smith reveals a network of activists who have long been working to democratize the global political system.

Customer Reviews (1)

Important Book for Activists Thinking Globally as Well as Locally and Nationally
This book will be of interest primarily for purposeful activists looking for intellectual tools to enhance their effectiveness as well as academics who study social movements.

The book's principal value is threefold.It provides a loose intellectual framework to help activists assess and analyze ongoing social change efforts and identify more promising leverage points and strategies for future efforts.It dispels some mental traps that limit the effectiveness of some advocacy efforts, such as an assumption of a necessary incompatibility between focusing on local or national, versus international levels.Quite the contrary, the author maintains, and she illustrates this point nicely with examples.Third, it is well sourced and pulls together in one place many useful writings on these issues which activists and academics might otherwise have difficulty finding out about.

While the topic might sound dreamy to some, the author is hard-headed in having a clear and coherent concept of power.She does not argue against globalization, but rather sees two broad versions of it competing with one another for policy influence.One, the currently dominant vision of economic globalization, has long been philosophically relatively coherent.It has access to vast economic resources and with those, dominant political influence at the moment.The other is led by those she calls democratic globalizers.It is focused primarily on environmental and human rights issues broadly construed.It is diffuse, has been conceptually and programmatically lacking in coherence, and poor in financial resources.Smith's book is an informed, perceptive effort to help the latter group more effectively get its concerns addressed.

I'd offer two caveats.First, if you are someone who sees nothing especially problematic or troublesome about the consequences of economic globalization then nothing in this book will cause you to rethink your views on that. Author Jackie Smith, a professor at Notre Dame University, is a committed participant activist whose insights are, owing to that, incisive, well grounded in experience and direct observation, and of course partial to a point of view.Second, the prose is written in an academic voice and so may feel dry, and, related, also abstract, for some.The latter is because it *is* abstract, deliberately written as an effort to provide needed conceptual clarity to an area that has not gotten much of that kind of attention to date.I believe thoughtful activists can definitely benefit and recommend this book to their attention. ... Read more

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Awareness that many aspects of public health are influenced by climate is growing dramatically. Results presented at the Wengen conference make clear that the science and art of integrating climate knowledge into the control of climate sensitive diseases on a year to year time frame, as well as careful assessments of the potential impacts of climate change on health outcomes over longer time frames, is advancing rapidly. This book provides a snapshot of these emerging themes.

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Mark Twain s comment everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it no longer applies: human activities have altered the global climate, and governments are implementing policies to avoid more extreme perturbations. Global Climate Change examines the factors responsible for global climate change and the geophysical, biological, economic, legal, and cultural consequences of such changes. The book highlights the complexity of decision-making under uncertainty, contrasting the methods that various disciplines employ to evaluate past and future conditions. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Solid First Textbook on Climate Change
Crass propaganda?Wow, the conspiracy must run deep!Why would the National Academy of Science, an extremely conservative government institution, be worried about climate change?Why would American scientists appointed to the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change...and vetted by the George W. Bush State Department...be worried about catastrophic climate change?It's time for politicians, the media, and mindless bloggers to be honest about the reality and risks of climate change.

Bloom's "Global Climate Change" does just that.It lays out the scientific evidence to date that climate is changing.It is an enjoyable read through-out, not depressing, and often humorous.Bloom clearly captures scientific thinking to date, including discussion of climate models, and the impacts they predict.A few sections need improvement in the next edition, most noticeably the discussion of incoming and outgoing radiation.The coverage of solutions to address climate change is on target.The book is loaded with graphics that help make major points.If you're looking for a comprehensive, text-book type book that covers the wide range of disciplines needed to understand and address climate change, this is a great starting point.

crass propaganda
This is crass propaganda on behalf of the global warming alarmists agenda. t has nothing to do with real science. ... Read more

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You don't have to be a senator or a CEO to make a difference; the changes that can heal the planet begin with you. In this ground-breaking look at the state of the world, distinguished scientist and futurist Ervin Laszlo outlines concrete steps every individual can take right now to change things for the better. You will learn:

• The "Ten Commandments of Responsible Living."
• How to update your belief system to survive in the 21st century.
• How to pressure government, corporations and the media to live up to their responsibilities.
• The two scenarios: Breakdown or Breakthrough. • How to start your own revolution in consciousness.

With contributions from Mikhail Gorbachev, Paulo Coelho, and Masami Saionji, this is a practical handbook for the citizen who doesn't want to wait for government and big business to fix the problems of the world. Part political action handbook, part spiritual guide, this is a book for everyone who cares about the future of our planet. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Fanciful Dreamer, gloomy, cultish
I had to purchase this book for a class in Environmental Studies.The title led me to think there would be some sort of an example that might guide well meaning activism.Instead Ervin Laszlo seems to have written out a dream concept for a world that doesn't exist.The only change that I can see comming from this book may be a change in one's own personal conscieness.It may bring back some previously experienced great hallucinations to motivated readers.I plan to use this book as an example of a "bad source" for a researched essay.The arguments are not well supported.It spews the author's personal, bitter feelings, especially about US politics. AND IT BRINGS ME DOWN.Gloomy, cultish.

A Must Read for Awakanees
This book is a must read for each and every human being whose consciousness is gradually awakening to the problems that humanity shares on our beautiful planet. The more it is being read and the pieces of advice adhered to, the more planetary consciousness will spread and take a lasting effect in the minds and hearts of our fellow inhabitants on planet earth. May the book's vision not turn out to be wishful thinking. The only thing I do not understand is the reason why Ervin Laszlo does not mention other visionary authors such as Thom Hartman (The Prophet's Way, The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight), Neale Donald Walsch (Conversations with God), Ken Wilber (Four Quadrant Model), Don Beck (Spiral Dynamics), Stanislav Grof (Psychology of the Future) and others.

You Can Change The World, Ervin Laszlo
A must for all who seek to help save our world's resources and sanity by embracing who we are and the way we all help even with simple intention and conscious awareness.

Truly lives up the promise its ambitious title
You Can Change The World: The Global Citizen's Handbook For Living On Planet Earth by Ervin Laszlo is a positive guide written for the readership of ordinary people, clearly explaining just how they can make a difference on global issues. From working ways to apply pressure to government, big business, and media; to advocating a grassroots revolution; to the insightful wisdom of Japanese spiritual master Masami Saionji; to the crucial importance of thinking responsibly, and so much more, You Can Change The World truly lives up the promise its ambitious title and is a highly recommended, life-affirming work. ... Read more

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From an environmental point of view, mountains are particularly sensitive and important for monitoring the state of health of our planet. Only through distribution of meteoclimatic and atmospheric composition monitoring points in mountain regions, coupled with modelling simulations, will we be able to thoroughly analyze complex pollutant transport mechanisms and better understand imminent global changes. The Himalayan-Karakoram range. For its elevation and geographic location, represents one of the ideal places for studying long-range pollutant transport systems on a regional scale and for monitoring changes index by mechanisms that act on global scale through monsoon circulation.
The Ev-K2-CNR committee with this book reached its objective of creating a unique opportunity for dialogue between major environmental scientists and experts, highlighting the close relationship between diverse themes with a common underlying thread: in-depth comprehension of the environmental phenomena which are determining the health of our planet. ... Read more

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Throughout the world, from the United States to Tanzania, Chechnya, and Sri Lanka, everyday people are working together and taking actions to improve their lives, end inequality, and change global society. Action groups and movements see dialogue and learning as important ways to extend democracy and, with its inclusiveness, remake society. Long-term change often takes place in civil society and its institutions. By putting strategy with theory, local groups and movements are able to begin making changes in institutions that allow people to begin living in new ways. Inclusive, multicultural projects make dedicated efforts to end hierarchy and global injustice and reinvent culture, ideas, and social relations. Written for laypeople and students interested in change, these multidisciplinary essays take readers on a journey of discovery as they show how various groups have brought theory and action together to make urban, rural, and transnational change. These case studies and explanatory articles reveal how feminist, antiracist, ecological, and peace movements reinforce each other. This collection is an analytical organizing tool that demonstrates how people can initiate well-placed and enduring change. The writings also identify the inadequacies of academic change theories and highlight the contributions of intellectual activists across the world. ... Read more

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Discusses the increasing importance of accurate climate forcasting and its effect on many facets of human life, particularly as the demand for food and fiber continues to rise, fueled by population growth and incomes primarily in developing countries. DLC: Climate changes--Social aspects. ... Read more

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This book marks a watershed in the social sciences. The qualitative, critical perspective of sociology and allied disciplines challenges the technocentric `managerialism' which dominates environmental policy, its discourse and its impact. The authors explore the relationship between social theory and sustainability in an attempt to transend technical rhetoric and embrace a broader understanding of `nature'. ... Read more

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Global warming is the story of the twenty-first century. It is the most serious issue facing the future of humankind, and American energy and environmental policy is driving the whole world down the path of global catastrophe. Hell and High Water is nothing less than a wake-up call to the country. It is a searing critique of American environmental and energy policy and a passionate call to action by a writer with a unique command of the science and politics of climate change.

We have ten years, at most, to start making sharp cuts to our greenhouse gas emissions or we will face catastrophic consequences. The good news is that there is something we can do—but only if the leadership of the U.S. government acts immediately and asserts its influence on the rest of the world—in particular such emerging powers as China and India—to join an international effort to stop global warming.

Joseph Romm, an expert in the science, business, and politics of climate change, lays out a plan of action that involves:

• reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent by midcentury
• adopting a California-style energy-efficiency effort nationwide
• embracing high-mileage, advanced "hybrid" cars that can run on both electricity and biofuels

Unfortunately, the required government policies and spending are strongly opposed by conservatives, who have blocked serious action on climate change and continue to publicly deny the dire warnings of scientists. Never before has there been such a sharp divergence between what top scientists know and what policymakers, the general public, and the media believe. And, sadly, never has so much been at stake.

Romm, who ran the largest program in the world that was concentrated on climate solutions, offers an authoritative dissection of this disastrous policy. Hell and High Water goes beyond ideological rhetoric to offer pragmatic solutions to avert the threat of global warming—solutions that must be taken seriously by every American.

Customer Reviews (26)

A description of our potential future
"Hell and High Water" describes what our future will be if we don't act or act soon enough to reverse global warming.(Perhaps this bears repeating: there is almost uniform scientific consensus on the matter, and the "almost" is a reflection of individual scientist's projection of degree or intensity, not whether warming is happening at all.)

High Water refers to the monstrous rise in sea level we can see- 10 feet per decade, or 100 feet per century- and Hell refers to the very high temperatures we'll see inland.(Note: most of the discussion is confined to the United States; Romm wants to drive the point home that prosperous nations will not be exempt from the effects of global warming, nor will they be able to buy themselves out of it.) The figurative Hell of Romm's description is that we will face this transformation even if we do act but act too late.Thanks to the sensitive "positive" feedback loops in the climate system, once we reach a certain threshhold, both the concentration of CO2 and the temperature will rise, regardless of what we do about emission levels.

Some of the scariest information was about the ice sheets and glaciers.We had previously been told by the scientific community that it would take thousands of years for those to change or melt; now, based on new evidence, it looks like that process can be accelerated to decades- or less.Not only can this lead to a rise in sea level, it can also release even more CO2, further condemning us to high atmospheric concentrations.

This is all preventable (or at least was at the publication of this book a few years ago).The author seems to alternately scratch and bang his head as he compares the regulation of greenhouse gasses to the regulation of chloroflouro carbons almost 20 years ago.There, although there was some grumbling about developed versus developing nations, at least the process began.Once in motion, the momentum built positively and the continuing depletion of the ozone layer was stopped.Now, it seems that the United States and China are locked in an epic game of chicken over being the first to agree to regulation.Remarkably, most of the rest of the world has decided not to play along.

This was a good book, but not perfect.If I could give in 3.5 stars I would.He uses the "wedge" paradigm first published in, I believe, Scientific American several years ago.Unfortunately, one of those wedges is Carbon Capture and Sequestration, which many now believe is as lucky to be seen as a unicorn.While Romm includes that asa s potential solution, he spends more than a few pages outlining its drawbacks, particularly where the carbon would be stored underground.He also notes that it will take two decades before these are built, which is odd, to say the least, when he continuously advocates for immediate action.He also includes the nuclear power wedge.I, like many, feel that's a bad idea, and he also mentions the high cost and potential inefficiencies.Finally, he doesn't include anything about agriculture, which we now know is a large contributor of greenhouse gases.

He is also not the clearest of writers.I had to re-read several of his paragraphs to understand what he was trying to get across.While I do not have a scientific background, I'm pretty sure I'm the audience he's writing for.Better explanations would get his point across more quickly; not everyone is going to re-read to understand.

He also doesn't fully close the loop on the Delayers and Denyers (why he chooses to misspell the latter word, I have no idea) and what their motivations are.Read Climate Cover-Up: The Crusade to Deny Global Warming for more on that.However, he does rightfully spank the media for burying the seriousness of the issue under the guise of "fairness" and "balance".His comparison to the bird flu scare was classic.

What is painful about all of these pre-2010 books is that a lot of them seem to believe that "the next President" would have a better chance of remedying this situation, if only in funding priorities.Thus far, he hasn't been.

Romm ends with the hope that his readers have their hair on fire when they're done.In that, he is successful.

A must read for anyone interested in the global warming debate
Hell and High Water is a must-read book for everyone interested in global warming and climate science.Joseph Romm holds a PhD in Physics from MIT, was acting assistant secretary at the Department of Energy in the Clinton Adminstration (in which he headed the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy), and founder of the Center for Energy and Climate Solutions.Many will be familiar with Romm's writing in the blog, Climate Progress, who Time Magazine has called "the Web's most influential climate-change blogger."

As the title of this 2007 book suggests, the contents are split into two main parts.In Part I, Romm tells us the state of the current science, and then takes us through the likely scenarios for the near future (2000-2025), the intermediate near future (2025-2050), and the slightly further near future (2050-2100).As time passes - and as inaction continues - we advance through increasingly frequent and severe climatic events to what Romm calls "planetary purgatory" in which intense drought is seen in some areas while other areas (e.g., coastlines) experience intense flooding.Finally, barring significant action that begins now, we face "hell and high water," irreversible global warming and sea level rise.Romm supports these scenarios with facts and the full backing of the scientific consensus.

In Part II, Romm takes us through the politics and the solutions.He informs us that we already have the technology to begin dealing with the situation, and to do so before the situation worsens to the point where solutions are much more difficult to initiate.So we can solve this problem.What is missing is the political will.Confounding this is the intentional disinformation being forwarded by free market lobbying groups whose masterful use of rhetoric confuses the public and makes it incredibly difficult for policy-makers to take the needed action.Take this advice from Frank Luntz in his infamous 2002 "straight talk" strategy memo to conservatives wishing to deny and delay action on global warming:

"It can be helpful to think of environmental (and other) issues in terms of a story.A compelling story, even if factually inaccurate, can be more emotionally compelling than the dry recitation of the truth." [my emphasis added]

In other words, lying is okay if it gets your desired point across.And according to Romm this is exactly what the global warming deniers and delayers have been doing.The goal is delay, delay, delay.

But Romm also offers solutions.A lot of solutions.And most are based on technologies that already exist today and can be carried out if policy-makers are allowed to put them into practice.Solutions that include putting a price on carbon that can be traded in such a way that companies that reduce their emissions will make money.Solutions like plug-in electric cars (not hydrogen fuel cell cars, which Romm suggests is more of a shell game to delay action than a viable technology).And many more.

In his concluding chapter, "The End of Politics," Romm says that the public - you and me - need to demand change.He notes that everyone must become a "climate champion" that will take whatever action we can to put policy-makers in a position where they can honestly implement adequate policies.Romm says that he does "believe that if we fail to act in time, it will be the single biggest regret any of us has at the end of our lives."

This book is a powerful look at the problems we face with global warming, the solutions that already exist to deal with it, and the politics that keeps us from implementing them.It is a easily readable book for everyone, whether scientifically trained or not.I highly recommend this book for all to read.Readers can also keep up with Romm's continuing efforts to debunk climate change deniers [...].

False Information
This book contains false information leading to a false premise, that we (mankind) can even change the temperature. The truth is, do the math! IPCC's own numbers, of a trillion tons of CO2 removed equals only one degree change. Well? The problem is, the whole planet burns only 30 billion tons per year. OK, for those who actually believe in this nonsense, I'll do the math for you. That's about 33 years of no, nada, and zero movement on the planet to lower one degree! Ugggggg. But buy the book if you want a good laugh.

Global Warming - A Very Sobering Outlook
Joseph Romm is a physicist and founder and director of the Center for Energy and Climate Solutions. Romm presents a very sobering outlook on the consequences of failing to act on global warming. His book is divided into two parts. The first, The Science and the Future of Global Warming contains a wealth of information about how human emissions are causing global warming and the likely best-case and worse-case scenarios of action vs. inaction. The notes that go along with this chapter are invaluable. The second section, The Politics and the Solution details how politics have trumped science and why this rhetoric has allowed people to believe that technology will save us so no actions to prevent climate change are required.

Global Warming Skeptics, Beware!
Global warming skeptics, beware! Joseph J. Romm's insightful book Hell and High Water is an excellent source for any person looking to become better informed on the issue of climate change. In the book, Romm provides an in-depth look into the proven science of global warming, his proposed solutions to the problem, and the misinforming political rhetoric that has prevented further action in eliminating the problem.
The first half of Romm's book delivers a shocking glimpse into how global warming has already affected our lives, and also what to expect in the future. If we do not act now, Romm argues we may cross a "point of no return," where Earth's sensitive feedback loops will lose control beyond fixing. Romm presents these frightening consequences in three stages of the 21st century. He projects the years 2000-2025 will have higher global temperatures and increased sea surface temperatures, which will cause (and has already caused) a drastic increase of destructive hurricanes. 2025-2050, cleverly titled "planetary purgatory" describes inevitable drought, water shortages, and extensive deforestation caused by wildfires and pine beetle infestations. Romm claims that CO2 sinks will be of major concern in the future. This is especially true of tundra and permafrost, because if it melts, it has the potential of releasing large amounts of methane into the atmosphere. 2050-2100 is called "hell and high water." By this time, nearly the entire Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets will have melted, causing sea levels to rise 40-80 feet. Romm argues that this catastrophic event has the potential to displace over a billion people.
The second half of Romm's book is a detailed look into the politics surrounding climate change. He argues that politicians have an advantage over scientists when it comes to rhetoric. He frequently blames the Bush Administration and many others for delaying the action of lowering emissions. This is commonly caused by the claim that we do not have the present technology and that we need to wait.
I believe that this book presents an unprecedented amount of information that needs to be told to any uninformed citizen on the urgent issue of climate change. Romm presents a series of eight solutions that he believes can set us on the right path as a country if we act now. Many of them, including enabling every car to run on electricity for short distances and building 1 million wind turbines seem like plausible solutions. However, I am very skeptical of his push for 700 new nuclear-power plants. Overall, Romm is most concerned with the elimination of greenhouse gas emissions. He is a strong advocate against coal, which continues to be the number one producer of energy in the United States.
More than anything, Romm encourages his readers to become passionate and politically active in the push for action on climate change. I strongly recommend this book to anyone: skeptics, uninformed citizens, and even experts will learn astounding things by reading this book. After all, it is the power of informed and passionate citizens that will save us from the devastating future of hell and high water.
... Read more

Product Description
As America confronts global climate change, this documents the problem, sets forth solutions, and challenges each of us to do our part to embrace a clean and sustainable energy future, today and in the years ahead. Doing so, she convincingly argues, will help put Americans back to work, reduce our reliance on foreign oil and create a healthier planet, for ourselves and for our children. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Something everyone should read
Great book with alot of common sense and something that is very pertinant to this day and age. Gives alot of information without being one-sided. Easy to read and understand. Great way to understand the current global warming situation.

Book
The book is awesome, makes you think about the damage WE are doing to the environment but leaves you with an inkling of what WE can do to make a difference.

How to kill Godzilla
The author does a good job of laying out the threat of climate change.She portrays it convincingly as Godzilla.Then she proposes sending Bambi to kill it.

Must read for greens and esp. for the disbelievers!
I echo the other reviews.This is a must read for everyone.The clarity of the writing makes concepts easy to understand.It is extremely well-researched and nonpartisan, citing facts from governmental (Pentagon, Forest Service, etc etc) and "mainstream" sources as well as climate change studies.Answers the "objections" of those opposing climate change legislation.Please read this and then contact your legislators.I am planning to give copies to my Senators and Congressman.

Adequate account of the AGW point of view
It is small and short book.I read it in two hours.I'm not a fast reader.

Pitched as a statement selling the irrefutable anthropomorphic global warming position, anyone who is weakly familiar with the issue can find value in reading the book. A critically minded reading, though, would provide little help to someone who is familiar with the facts and logic on this issue, and less to those who don't share the same point of view.She denigrates any refutation of the AGW position as weak and solely motivated by economic loss by those who would be impacted by the changing regulatory and economic incentive programs of government.

I saw her on BookTV and was persuaded that I would find something greater than what actually is the content of the book. Anyone wanting to know the various positions other than the one in the book, and the factual and logical support for those positions, should not think about just stopping here.Beinecke seems weakly familiar with the other data and arguments and leaves one with the impression that her partisanship has limited her range of knowledge to what is stated in the book.Many others are not so limited in the scope of their knowledge and thus won't be so in awe of her writing. ... Read more

Product Description

Strategic Learning and Leading Change is a practical, inspiring read that challenges business commentators who have doubted the power of HR and presents examples of how HR leaders are leading change to truly earn their seats as business partners at the strategy table. Using real-life examples that take in the intricacies of performance management, talent management and leadership development, the book shows business leaders how to improve strategy execution and interact with the board.

Customer Reviews (20)

not impressed
I found this book to be filled with poorly thought out ideas and lack of historical accuracy. It was overly wordy and written from a naive, too-fuzzy overview kind of attitude.

For example, on page 9, the author states that corporations were formed to facilitate trade and the exchange of ideas. I'm sorry, but corporations were formed to externalize risk, moving it from the direct investors onto the government (taxpayers), in order to decrease liability and cost to investors.

Or, on page 10, where he talks about the growing middle class, although he does qualify his statement to reference the raising out of abject poverty the peoples of China and India. His statement that the middle class is well established in Europe and the U.S. is misleading. The middle class in both those areas is shrinking drastically.

His statement that the main customer base of corporations is this new middle class is also inaccurate. The main customer base of corporations is other corporations and governments.

He also does not address the difference in management between privately held and publicly held companies, which is huge when you are talking management strategies and the freedom of managers to do what is best for the customers and the company as opposed to just the stockholders.

It became difficult to proceed through the book with all these errors. The level of naivete and continued hawking of mainstream platitudes about business and globalization, along with extremely simplistic views of the modern business environment made it nearly impossible for me to get anything of value out of this book. I'm sure there is much of interest here, but it is very mainstream and superficial, in my opinion.

If you like books about business which are very mainstream, then you will probably like this. If you want more radical and forward thinking ideas, look elsewhere.

Leading the HR Change
I wanted to begin by saying I would have rated this book 4 stars except it seems overpriced and my copy, and those of others it appears, was only 184 pages. It seems as if this book should be priced in the 10-20 dollar range. Having said that, I have a more positive view than other reviewers, even while sharing some of their concerns.

Strategic Learning is basically a book built around a case study. The case study, which appears in the middle of the book, is probably the strongest aspect. I give high marks to Chapter 3, Strategic Learning and Leading Change, Chapter 4, Globalizing Pharma, and Chapter 8, Reinventing Human Resources.

My main problem with the book is that it lacked sufficient detail. As a result, you really do not know how to make similar changes or, in many cases, exactly what HR did in various situations. For example, John indicates that he will discuss the role or importance of Social Network Analysis. However, no real detail is given on how to conduct a social network analysis or what role it actually played in the case.

This is a short paperback, a rather quick read, and not a heavy academic tome. Still, I would have really liked to see more details on some of the actually methods and techniques used in the change process. At the end, I was unsure what cutting edge developments had been discussed in the book.

One of the best features of this book is the Foreword by Marshall Goldsmith. Goldsmith knows how to write for a business audience. So does John and he provides an interesting case study regarding an HR organization attempting to reinvent HR.

Overall, I guess it depends on whether you like case studies or not. I have to say, it is not my preferred way of learning. I would prefer to see more detail on what was actually done and discussion of the underlying cutting edge techniques. I believe as with many case studies, the point is to encourage you to consider how you would have handled the situation and then to learn from a comparison of your approach and the author's.

Another difficult read -- focus is irratic
While the topic is interesting, this book is more a group of short stories or themes than cohesive chapters to a point.I enjoyed some of the examples but like the other reviewers, the generalizations and "state the obvious as novel" approach left me putting this down and having to force myself to pick it up again later.

Not quite what I was looking for
I tried several times to make my way though the book, but found myself having difficult building credibility with the author's assertions.Many of the examples weren't specific enough for me to find them credible. It just wasn't the type of book I found as especially useful being someone who hit the business books through and after college.

As an HR Practitioner Myself, I see Potential Here
I agree with one reviewer who seemed to think that Strategic Learning and Leading Change was more like a Graduate Thesis and not particularly set up as a well thought out book idea.There were definate places where I was puzzled about the title of a chapter where you have Challenges in Building a Global Organization, and where the only thing of depth is talking about Strategic Outsourcing and the Learning/Change/Strategy around that.If that were the only challenge, well great.

I would have liked to learn more about the broader challenges facing globalizing companies, honing in on one or two examples would be fine, yet getting a clearer picture of those challenges would have brought the book more of a focus.I felt that his subject was really APC, a Pharma Company out of Europe, that he did some extensive research and work on.The feeling I get is that he built a framework around the Pharma research that became the book.

I am puzzled at a couple of things he writes.One is 'eliminating the enemies of change.'I feel for an HR book, really even in the European Union, there are very strict employment laws to avoid harshness in dealing with employees.Stephen John is definately a very smart person, really has a good insight overall, yet, I am left to wonder if he has actually worked for a company directly or not.His bio says he has worked as a consultant and does not mention companies he has actually worked for.

I have worked with Columbia educated HR PhDs, and they are really top shelf folks.I think this is a good introduction to HR for more of a novice and maybe for an HR related class, where the book can be used in conjunction with a larger text for lets say, Org Development or a Strat Planning class in an HR grad or undergrad program.Actually, minus the negatives, if the book were larger, it could be used very well in a stand alone class if it were for an elective of that subject matter.

I would really like to learn more about How Global Organizations are Reinventing HR, the title gives me the thought to research more.Maybe an updated edition would be of help to the HR practitioner, novice and learner. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

I misunderstood what it was going to be about...
But, it's still a pretty good book. I thought that it was going to be about "going green," and 500 ways to do it. But, the book is more about changing the world through "social inventions."

"Social inventions can be clever thinking on a modern problem--say, disposable credit-card numbers to prevent theft-or innovations thousands of years old to solve equally ancient conumdrums."

Some of the ideas give you a website that goes along with it, such as "apologize worldwide on the web," where you can anonymously apologize for past wrongdoings or, leave your name if you feel really brave.

Some are ideas haven't happened yet, but could, if more people made it possible. Such as, people staying after a particular movie, to have discussions about it.

Some are funny, yet clever, such as: police in Blackpool give lollipops to people leaving clubs to keep the noise level down. Police in Staffordshire recommend that citizens paint their garden tools pink or other bright colors to keep thieves from stealing and re-selling their tools. Also, some officials in Germany suggested that dogs should have license plates, so they are able to be identified if their owners are not following the law.

Like the previous reviewer, I agree that at first glance, the ideas seem very involved and use larger words to make a point. This may turn others away and make it less accessible. But, if you sit down and actually read it (This is not a simple idea book) you could come across some great ideas to use in your city, neighborhood, etc. Sadly, a majority of the ones come from Europe, New Zealand, and Australia, but there are some in the United States. (Mostly in big cities) It makes sense, because Europe is way ahead of us on some issues. Hopefully, this will inspire some of us to make the world a better place, or at least, get our brains working on how to do it.

Good for a gift
It was ok. Most of the ideas are good, some are quite confusing because the book uses a lot of big words, while some were impractical and hard. It's a good gift for someone not really close to you I guess. I guess it's just something nice to read when you want to kill some time. ... Read more

Product Description
Global Climate Change and Cold Regions Ecosystems provides information on soil processes and the carbon cycle in cold ecoregions as well as the soil carbon pool and its fluxes in the soils of cold ecoregions. Filling a void in this area of soil science, this resource explains soil processes influencing C dynamics under natural and disturbed ecosystems.The soils of the cold region ecosystems serve as a net sink of atmospheric C. However, an increase in global temperature could render them a net source. In the event of global warming, the cold regions ecosystems-arctic, sub-arctic, alpine, Antarctic, boreal forests, and peatlands-will undergo radical changes. Potential environmental change could drastically increase the active soil layer and influence the large C pool found in them. Topics include: soil C pools in different cold ecoregions, the impact of natural and anthropogenic disturbances on the soil C pool, the method of assessment of C and other properties of soils of the cold regions ecosytems while focusing on the fate of C in permafrost soils. Global Climate Change and Cold Regions Ecosystems covers the current and possible future effects of the cold ecoregions soil C pool on the global carbon pool. ... Read more

Product Description

This policy-focused, global and multidisciplinary security handbook on Facing Global Environmental Change addresses new security threats of the 21st century posed by climate change, desertification, water stress, population growth and urbanization. These security dangers and concerns lead to migration, crises and conflicts. They are on the agenda of the UN, OECD, OSCE, NATO and EU. In 100 chapters, 132 authors from 49 countries analyze the global debate on environmental, human and gender, energy, food, livelihood, health and water security concepts and policy problems. In 10 parts they discuss the context and the securitization of global environmental change and of extreme natural and societal outcomes. They suggest a new research programme to move from knowledge to action, from reactive to proactive policies and to explore the opportunities of environ-mental cooperation for a new peace policy.

Product Description
The third volume of the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) provides an in-depth analysis of the costs and benefits of different approaches to mitigating and avoiding climate change. It includes a detailed assessment of costs and potentials of mitigation technologies and practices, implementation barrier, and policy options for the sectors: energy supply, transport, building, industry, agriculture, forestry and waste management. This volume will be an essential reference to all those concerned with climate change, including students and researchers, analysts and decision-makers in governments and the private sector. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Definitive Resource on Climate Change
The IPCC Climate Change reports once every five years are the absolute definitive resource for understanding global warming and climate change.Anybody wishing to understand climate change in a neutral atmosphere (the reports are amazingly free of politics) can do no better than to read all three volumes of the latest IPCC climate change report.This third volume focuses on ways to prevent or reduce harmful climate change (mitigation of climate change).

Just four caveats:
1)It helps to have a solid understanding of basic science terms and principles before reading this;

2)The text can be a little dry at times (after all, it is a scientific report);

3) The report was a little out-of-date by the time it was printed, because our understanding of climate change impacts have increased greatly since the basic research was conducted that was synthesized and placed into this report; and

4)If you are new to reading about climate change, this should probably not be your introduction to the subject (see caveats 1 and 2 above). You can buy four or five terrific climate change books for the price of this one volume alone - for example, Hell and High Water by Joseph Romm, Heat by George Monbiot, Boiling Point by Ross Gelbspan, The Weather Makers by Tim Flannery, and With Speed and Violence by Fred Pearce.

Until the next IPCC report is released in 2013, this third volume on Mitigation of Climate Change is worthy of reading if you want to get to the basic science of climate change. ... Read more

Product Description

This book examines the impacts of global change on terrestrial ecosystems. Emphasis is placed on impacts of atmospheric, climate and land use change, and the book discusses the future challenges and the scientific frameworks to address them. Finally, the book explores fundamental new research developments and the need for stronger integration of natural and human dimensions in addressing the challenge of global change.