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Customer Reviews (3)

Dinosaurs at the poles
The global warming part of the title, given the current focus, is not really a true description. If anyone has seen the Arctic Dinosaur program on PBSthe book is almost like a companion to that, covering the Colville findings in Alaska. But it also covers the Antarctic discoveries as well, some of which is part of the Spirits of the Ice Forest segment of the BBC Walking With DInosaurs program.My four-year-old is prehistoric-obssessed and loves this book! I learned a lot too. (Given that most of what i knew about dinosaurs was from the '80s when I was in elementary school that may not be saying much, but still).
If you've got a budding paleontologist on your hands this is a great addition to your library!
If you really want a GREAT reference book that covers not just dinosaurs but a great selection of plant and animal life starting with the pre-cambrian period and continuing through the rise of humans I would highly recommend Prehistoric Life: The Definitive Visual History of Life on Earth by DK Publishing.

This was a very informative, well researched and one great book the more serious dino lover will enjoy!
When we think "dinosaur" few, if any of us, would even remotely place them in the polar regions.Between Norway and the North pole on the island of Spitsbergen, it was discovered that dinosaurs "not only survived within the polar circles, but were indeed adapted to live in these cold and seasonally hard environments."Traces in the form of fossils showed that the area supported the Allosaurus and the Iguanodon, dinosaurs that the young dino fan is very familiar with.During the Mesozoic Era, which included three different periods, the climate shifted and changed during which times "patterns of life [were] altered."

There are challenges living in such a harsh climate.Snakes and lizards were incapable of living in the polar regions, but how did dinosaurs manage?You will learn how they managed to keep warm, how they were able to see in the sunless winter months and you'll learn why the Toodon may have had such a large brain.Scientists aren't the only ones who have discovered fossils.Joan Wiffen was the "first to discover dinosaur fossils in New Zealand."In this book you will be able to take a `round the world trip discovering fossils, and learning about the dinosaurs who inhabited the regions of Alaska, Siberia, Canada, Antarctica, Australia, New Zealand, and Patagonia.

This was a very informative, well researched and one great book the more serious dino lover will enjoy.Polar paleontology is a topic that I haven't seen addressed in books for this age group.The illustrations are particularly complimentary because they show the dinosaurs in a habitat that we don't normally see in books.For example, a Hypsilophodontid can be seen in a wintry landscape with snowflakes swirling in the atmosphere.The captions give additional tidbits of information.In the back of the book is a very comprehensive index, a brief discussion about the "International Polar Year," and several additional recommended websites to explore. This is an excellent, exciting book you may wish to add to your homeschool, library or personal shelves!

Will appeal to students ages 8-12
"Global Warming and the Dinosaurs" is a fascinating child-oriented study of polar dinosaur fossils and other evidence uncovered during the recent International Polar Year studies conducted between March 1, 2007 and March 1, 2009. Questions such as how did the dinosaurs survive the polar winter cycle, with its lack of light and warmth are among those to be studied. Evidence of dinosaur fossils have been found in the Southern Hemisphere in Antarctica, Australia, New Zealand, and Patagonia. other dinosaur fossil evidence has been found in the North Polar region in North America, Europe, and Asia. Somehow these specimens of dinosaur life were able to survive the long winter cold and find food and see in the dark. At the time dinosaurs lived in the polar regions, the climate was likely warmer than today. Another difference in the Mesozoic Era when the dinosaurs lived was the land masses of the earth were grouped into two huge super-continents, Laurasia in the north and Gondwana in the south. Gradually these broke or drifted apart into the continents of North America, Europe and Asia and South America, Africa, Antarctica, and Australia, New Zealand and the Indian subcontinent. "Global Warming and the Dinosaurs" does a thorough job of examining some of the fossil findings and reconstructing specimens of the Polar dinosaurs, complete with color illustrations. Scientific findings from this polar dinosaur study is important today because we are facing a time of global warming that is progressing much faster than ever previously known. "Global Warming and the Dinosaurs" presents a great variety of information in an interesting and entertaining format. It will appeal to students ages 8-12. A list of locations where fossils of polar dinosaurs can be seen is given at the end of the book, along with further information about the International Polar Year.
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Planet Earth is heating up, and so is the debate over why our climate is changing and what it means for the future of our energy sources, of our cities, of our children. Now "Time" explores the science of global warming in an illuminating, beautifully illustrated book that ranges from polar ice caps to equatorial rainforests. Here are the scientists who are working to measure and counter the warming trend; here are the world's most endangered habitats and creatures; here are various scenarios for the future. Separating truth from fantasy, "Time" brings a cool eye to today's hottest issue. ... Read more

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Middle class Americans are under assault. Never have the hard working men and women of America been taken advantage of with the level of arrogance and obvious deceit we are witnessing today. Never has one issue been exaggerated more or forced upon the public with such a vicious and escalating fervor. Never have we seen these levels of hyperbole, lies and predictions of doom. Who can we trust? What is the truth? The American people yearn for someone other than biased scientists or complicit media pundits to give them the clear facts about this complex issue. In his new book, Global Warming...Really? Gregory E. Parker explores the answers to this issue by blending common sense with a basic scientific look at global warming. He delivers a balanced, powerful and comprehensive look at the global warming alarmist movement and the lies which surround it. In, Global Warming...Really? Parker will reveal why these activists hurt their own cause by not practicing what they preach; the true motivation behind carbon taxation and why the money generated serves a more nefarious purpose than merely saving the planet; why the new Green economy will destroy jobs not create them and is more of a friend to organized labor than it is to the free market economy that built America. His unique perspective will expose how Global Warming Alarmists use lies and false promises to minimize the impact this issue will have on minority communities. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A Comedy of Errors, Really!
A serious book with well documented sources that made me laugh.Not at the content, but at the comedy of errors.It seems like weather is a constant in this world - constantly changing that is.Predictions come and go, and well, come and go.This helps to document the cyclic trend in the great debate between the ice age and the global warming - or the great meltdown.Well done Mr. Parker - You have given me a visual of 'Chicken Little' running around with the GWAs 'warning' the world of impending doom.I guess in a few years they will switch back to the Ice Age apocalypse.Enjoyed the book, Really!

A blend of humor, science and common sense
Thomas Jefferson said "Information is the currency of democracy," and Greg
Parker's first venture into the publishing arena gives the reader a
substantial amount of currency for the greatest debate of our generation.
Parker's wit and charisma are evident as he breaks down this complex issue.
Written in simple language for the laymen it serves as a guide for
those seeking quick retort when facing irrational "Global Warming
Alarmists."

Former Vice President and self anointed prophet of the Global Warming
Alarmist movement, Al Gore famously stated in testimony before Congress "The
debate is over!"But after reading "Global Warming.... Really?" I believe
that Mr. Parker either didn't get that particular memo or he received it but
sarcastically proclaimed "Really!?!" In a refreshing style he tackles the
science and dispels many of the myths perpetuated by Al Gore and the
troglodytes who follow without question the dictates of those who wish to
reshape the American economy and disrupt the perceived evils of capitalism.
These Global Warming Alarmists hide behind junk science and fear tactics as
they attempt to radically change the world in one of the largest transfers
of wealth the world will have ever been witness to.Parker exposes the
faces of those working behind the scenes and the bold face lies they spin in
this highly informative book.

Parker details the timeline and traces this issue back to expose the many
faces and incarnations of a topic that resurrects and reinvents itself
generation after generation.Who can forget the looming "Ice Age" predicted
in the 70's? According to so-called experts then we would soon be able to
walk across the Atlantic from NYC to the shores of the United Kingdom.
Headlines brought to us courtesy of such journalistic geniuses as US News
and World Report with stories like "Even U.S. Farms May Be Hit By Cooling
Trend," or Time Magazine's story on the "Expanding Arctic." There seems to
be little difference between the hysteria then and the hyperbole now.In
Parker's analysis we learn that the only hope for slaying the beast of
irrational fear when it comes to what amounts to nothing more than the
weather is to arm ourselves with the truth, to seek out information and to
never believe the debate is over.

Parker has managed to blend humor, science and common sense into an issue in
a way that is easily digestible and entertaining.Given the fact that this
book has been peer reviewed by respected scientists such as Dr. Tim Ball as
well as meteorologist and media contributor Joe Bastardi of "Accuweather,"
fame lends credibility to the book and the claims made within.To this
reader it is obvious that this book is not just an opinion piece rather it
is a thoughtfully written book backed by real science.

Parker boldly addresses how this impacts minorities through gross
manipulation, mis-information and downright intimidation with hollow
promises of Social and Economic Justice. "Global Warming....Really?" flies
in the face of conventional media coverage and the for-profit perpetuators
of this Global Armageddon.If you are tired of the same old tripe being
spewed on the subject of Global Warming then you will enjoy this book and
like Joe Bastardi stated, "I couldn't put it down."I hope that Mr. Parker
will share his views and well researched work on more topics in the future,
REALLY!!!!!
... Read more

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Tags: environment, global warming, carbon emissions, cap-and-trade, non-renewable resource conservation, renewable energy, environmental economics & policy.

DESCRIPTION: Henderson articulates a powerful new strategy that goes to the root of environmental problems: the foundations of the economy. Specific changes to the incentive structure of markets would create a Green Economic Environment which would make it more profitable for businesses and consumers to go green and make the massive power of markets work for the environment instead of against it. Much more powerful and comprehensive than cap-and-trade, Henderson's strategy deals with global warming, resource depletion, contaminants, recycling, transportation.... More details at www.wavesofthefuture.net. ... Read more

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Cool Cuisine is a smorgasbord of scientific fact and culinary art where the reader learns new ways to look at the climate crisis. It presents the full cycle on how our agrochemical food system affects global warming and how global warming affects the food system. It inspires personal life changes with in-depth research, easy recipes, ideas for your next book group "read and eat" tasting party, and simple tips on how to cook a global-cooling cuisine. The book is organized into three sections: the first gives background to the global-warming problem, the second highlights solutions, and the third is a "culinary how-to," teaching simple techniques and tips. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

go green at your kitchen!
A practical guide and an excellent source for those who try to go green at home including information on global warming and how you can help to reduce it, starting at your kitchen.

Great book!
This is the best book about the impact our food has on our environment since John Robbins' Diet for a New America. By combining a passionate voice with rational scientific underpinnings the result is truly inspiring. People that really care about realistic ways to moderate their impact should take the time to read this book.

Ideas and Recipes for changing your Diet

Thinking about the links between food choices and environmental concerns?Stymied by all the choices? Organic vs. Free Range?Organic and Free Range? Local vs. Organic?What about Organic Agro-business? What about Food Miles? This book lays out the link between food production and global climate change, but more importantly, it provides recipes and ideas for some sustainable food choices. Whether you're interested in changing your diet or just interested in food production, this book will interest you, without making you feel guilty.Hopefully it will inspire you with its delicious and sustainable recipes.

OK, so there are a few sections that could have been better edited, or even eliminated. (I really could have done without the recounting of a silly conversation about cow reproduction on pg. 202. I guess you had to be there to think it was funny or even interesting?) There are many many boxes and sidebars -- sometimes this makes the overall book organizationally confusing, but the content in the side boxes is so interesting and they contain graphs, charts, lists that are clear and easy to understand.

All in all an interesting book and unlike any other I have seen, since it contains both the WHY you would want to change your food habits and the HOW to go about doing it.

My God, somebody gets it!
If timing is everything then this book is gets it.It is Informative with fantastic dishes.My family of four uses Ms. Stec's recipes once a week without fail.

The two authors have combined both science and food that has left me wondering why I have been in the dark for so long. We can make a difference with the right choices!

Give the book a try, you won't be disappointed.

Being involved again in our food
Reading this book made me want to get involved with food again, much like we all did as kids - touch it, play with it, experience the textures, color and energy of it. Author Laura Stec is anything but preachy. She's as earthy as the worms in her compost bin and accentuates the positive. She makes buying and eating responsibly sound fun and doable...without a lot of extra work or sacrifice. I'm for that! ... Read more

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In graphic novel format, follows the adventures of Max Axiom, a science teacher and super-cool super-scientist, as he explains the science behind global warming. ... Read more

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A fascinating and easy-to-understand exploration of hurricanes, tsunamis, tornadoes, heat waves, and more, complete with hundreds of full-color photographs and descriptive illustrations, charts, and graphs.

Category 5 hurricanes, deadly tsunamis, record-high winds; now more than ever it seems that "extreme weather" has become a reality and a concern throughout the world—and in our own backyard. While these natural events are frightening, few of us really understand what causes them—and we're left to wonder how and where disaster might strike next, what we can do to protect ourselves, and whether such things can be prevented.

Extreme Weather answers these questions and many more in a thorough, scientific, yet absolutely clear and easy-to-understand manner. Along with numerous color photos and illustrations, each weather phenomenon is accompanied by comprehensive visual aids that make learning about the subject as easy as it is fun. Organized by weather-related events including hurricanes, winter storms, lightning, tsunamis, tornadoes, floods, and heat waves, the book explores weather patterns and other factors that contribute to extreme climate conditions. It offers an unprecedented, comprehensive picture of where our weather is headed tomorrow and in the future. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

good graphics, biased presentation on climate change
Mogil's graphics and photos are very good, as are his explanations of atmospheric phenomena. My main gripe with this book is his quite obvious bias that the concern over the human impact on climate change is overdone. He acknowledges his skepticism about the human impact on climate and then seeks to present a presumably objective analysis of weather extremes. However, in several chapters, he uses quotes from his own writing or comments to support chapter themes. In the space of 4 paragraphs [p. 83 and 84] on the relative incidence of hurricanes, he uses the phrase "flies in the face of" claims of increased hurricane danger. His satisfaction in finding a counter argument is quite obvious. This is not good objective scientific writing. Rather than objectively evaluate the IPCC [Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change]report or the IPCC analysis, Mogil uses counter arguments about the relative frequency extreme weather incidents to downplay the importance of human impact on climate. On page 33, Mogil writes "...people think climate change can be determined by recent extreme events." However, much of the book is devoted to just that--an analysis of extreme events, as is evident in the title.

For a far better analysis of climate change, I recommend Richard Somerville's "The Forgiving Air."[[ASIN:1878220853 The Forgiving Air: Understanding Environmental Change, Second Edition]

Extreme Weather, Extremely Interesting!
I just finished reading a new book by H. Michael Mogil titled "Extreme Weather".Unlike many weather books which focus on a dynamic approach (highs, lows, jet streams) to explain weather this book looks at extreme weather by event type and discusses the processes and history behind them.By "extreme" I'm talking about tornadoes, ice storms, flooding, lightning, droughts and so on.The book includes stunning photographs and clear illustrations.Some of the events mentioned are as recent as this year --which for me made the book even more relevant and fun to read.
What I really found interesting about the book is the way Mogil looks at weather extremes within the context of today's global warming discussion--something in the news every day and now even more controversial due to Al Gore's announced Nobel Prize.He doesn't outright deny the existence of global warming and our impact on the environment but rather he illustrates how factors such as long-term climate changes (our coming out of a mini ice age), relatively short weather record-keeping history, the media's preoccupation with hype and sensationalism, and people's selective memory of significant events all conspireto influence our perception.This can lead some people to believe we are in an immediate "crisis".Mogil shows how the media likes to say things like "this is the heaviest snowfall in 10 years"--something which certainly sounds extreme in the short-term but in terms of long-term weather it's probably a relatively common event.He also shows how factors such as the media's incorrect use of the term "normal" (as opposed to the more correct term "average")make extremes (which are in fact a natural range of conditions) seem even more extreme and unusual.For instance, when we say the "normal" high for today is 60 degrees and the actual high reaches 80 there's a tendency for people to say "wow, something is really wrong!"Yet in fact though this book we discover that the high temperature on this day, throughout recorded history, may have ranged from 40 to 100 degrees!Thus the average figure of 60 degrees is meaningless and misleading and the figure of 80 degrees may not be as extreme as we think.

While extreme deviations from the climatic average may be rare they don't all necessarily occur because of human influence.Factors such as improved real-time TV reporting of things like as tornadoes, brush fires, and hurricanes all bring these naturally occurring events to the forefront.The book shows how recent events such as California's brush fires, hurricanes like Katrina, and the drought in the southeast aren't necessarily more intense (in a physical sense) than past "extreme" events but rather it's their impact on people which is greater as a result of where we choose to live, how we construct our homes, and how densely we are populated.This subtle point can lead people to confuse the effects of an event with the physical intensity of an event.Mogil illustrates how easy it is to claim everything is the result of global warming when in fact many of the extreme variations can be explained by other factors --many which predate the industrial revolution.

The last chapter of the book really summed things up foe me.In fact I thought it might have made a better introduction than a conclusion.While I personally believe we humans are warming the planet I agree with Mogil that the dire predictions are probably overdone.Although our study of hyper-long climate histories through techniques such as ice core drilling and fossil stratification gives us general information about average temperature, precipitation, atmospheric gas content, and plant life, these records cannot speak for individual record events such as tornadoes, floods, droughts, and heat waves--the extreme weather--which may have occurred throughout history.For all we know the massive EF5 tornadoes we have today may pale in comparison with tornadoes that occurred 50,000 years ago.We just don't know.In short, Mogil cautions readers not to automatically attribute extremes in weather to man-made global warming and encourages them to continue seeking and evaluating new information.

After reading this book I haven't changed my mind about our need to cut down on pollution.I haven't changed my mind that we are affecting our environment in a negative way.I also haven't changed my mind about the need for our country move away from foreign oil and our seemingly endless desire to use guns to solve problems rather than our brains.I do feel however, that I am in a better position to analyze what I'm being fed by the media and to consider that my short time on this planet is just a blink of an eye in terms of geologic time and weather history.While I still plan to purchase an electric car in 2009 I no longer feel compelled to sell my house in Oklahoma under the looming threat that it will soon be under water when the polar ice caps melt! ... Read more

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The accelerating pace of global warming is provoking anxiety that the Earth is reaching an ominous threshold, a point of no return. Within a decade or two, various feedbacks may take greenhouse warming past any human ability to contain or reverse it. Carbon-dioxide levels in the atmosphere are rising rapidly, fed by increasing fossil-fuel use world-wide, melting permafrost, slash-and-burn agriculture in Indonesia and Brazil, increasing wildfires, as well as rapid industrialization using dirty coal in China and India. Global warming may well become the most urgent problem the world faces during the 21st Century . Natural variations are no longer the major contribution (or forcing) in Earth's climate. Human contributions became the major factor about 1950.

This book has been prepared as a reference for high-school students, but it also will be useful for anyone who wants a compact, plain-spoken basic guide to the science of global warming. Global Warming 101 begins with an examination of basic issues, followed by important controversies in the field. The book then describes scientific issues related to melting ice, rising seas, and effects on plants and animals, as well as human health. Global Warming 101 concludes with consideration of possible solutions. Global Warming 101 combines a survey of the science of global warming with reporting from around the world, from sinking Pacific islands and thawing Arctic permafrost, which indicate that significant global warming already has begun.

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With oil around $100 a barrel, drivers wince whenever they pull into the gas station and businesses watch their bottom lines shrink. Watch out, say doomsayers, it will only get worse as oil dries up. It's a plausible argument, especially considering the rate at which countries like China and India are now sucking up oil. Even more troubling, the world's largest oil fields sit in geopolitical hotspots like Iran and Iraq. Some believe their nations need to secure remaining supplies using military force, while others consider dwindling supplies a blessing that will help solve the problem of global warming. But wait—is it really the end of oil? Absolutely not, says geologist, economist, and industry-insider Robin Mills.

There is no other book by an industry insider that effectively counters the peak oil theory by showing where and how oil will be found in the future. There also is no other book by an insider that lays out an environmentally and geopolitically responsible path for the petroleum industry and its customers. The Myth of the Oil Crisis, written in a lively style but with scientific rigor, is thus a uniquely useful resource for business leaders, policymakers, petroleum industry professionals, environmentalists, and anyone else who consumes oil. Best of all, it offers an abundance of one commodity now in short supply: hope for the future.

Customer Reviews (15)

Well-researched analysis
Despite its somewhat lurid title the book comes along as a well-researched analysis of the prospects of future oil availability. Mills' analysis is unorthodox in being somewhat optimistic what concerns the availability of oil and gas - without neglecting environmental concerns and without ignoring alternative viewpoints (though these gain less space).

In my view, the book is particularely recommendable because of two reasons:
1) Mills is both a geologist with considerable industry experience and an economist. As opposed to many single-sided authors who take one of the two distinct perspectives, Mills is able to "illuminate" the issue from two angles.
2) Assertions in the book are backed by sources - more then 700 altogether. Supporters of Hubbert's peak oil theory and opponents alike can benefit from the data gathered by Mills. While preparing my PhD in the oil industry, I was missing a book like this.

Sure, the "Myth" is not a book to read from the first to the last page. For instance, not all of the 23 most important oil countries (which are discussed one by one) may be of interest to every reader. On the other hand Mills elaboration of opposing viewpoints (geologists, economists, militarists, environmentalists, neo-luddites) or his analysis of unconventional oil supply (oil sands, heavy oil, also biofuels etc.) may be valuable chapters for reference - also for readers that may not agree with all his conclusions.

If This Is the Best Evidence Against Peak Oil...
...then the world really is in trouble. In this book the author makes a pathetically weak case against an imminent peak in oil production. In order to build this edifice of straw, he uses all manner of untruths, half-truths and irrelevances that, though they may persuade the ill-informed and the hopelessly optimistic, do not begin to dent the very strong case Peak Oil proponents have made. Robin Mills rather reminds one of a slick defense attorney trying to create reasonable doubt in jurors' minds while defending someone whose guilt is patent. For instance, he claims horizontal drilling and other techniques, by increasing production in existing oil fields, will avert production decline in those fields. The fact is that, despite any number of technological advances in oil production, production in existing fields is declining at a rapid rate, around 4% yearly according to the rosiest estimates, but in reality much faster. What this means is that by 2030, the world will have to discover and develop the oil equivalent of four Saudi Arabias just to keep up current production, let alone allow for greater consumption in many parts of the world. As far as Robin Mills is concerned, however, that is not a problem because he prophesies a "breakthrough" in electrical car technology that will curtail demand for oil in any case. Those new electrical cars will then be powered by some unspecified source, whichever one "happens to be most convenient". Perhaps that will turn out to be wind from the beating of angels' wings.

In short, the author simply fails utterly in countering the hard facts and iron-clad numbers that make Peak Oil a mathematical certainty. Peak Oil could have been greatly mitigated, especially, if an earnest effort, a Manhattan Project of alternative energy, if you will, had begun a couple of decades ago. Maybe, if such a project were started today, it might still do some good. What is certain, however, is that Peak Oil cannot be wished away or buried under the mountain of b.s. that this book is.

Great counter to all the peak oil books
Countless books, web sites, podcasts, articles and more exist that promote the imminence of peak oil. If nothing else, I highly recommend this book if you want to get the "other side."

As is obvious from the title, Mills does not believe that peak oil will be coming anytime soon.It's not that he doesn't think it will ever happen; rather, he believes that it is a long way off and that we will have developed other energy sources well before peak oil becomes a major issue.

I found Mills' presentation and discussion of the opposing viewpoints outstanding. Often, books never even touch on opposing viewpoints.Mills' entire book revolves around a discussion of opposing viewpoints. He discusses not only why he believes the opposing viewpoint is wrong, but also presents his own beliefs.

Mills presents an unbelievable amount of supporting data.For the casual reader, the level of detail and support may be too much.For example, in chapter 5, he goes through 31 different countries or regions and breaks down the oil situation for each area, footnoting his data all the way along. For someone not directly involved in the oil industry, this information may be a bit much, but I can't fault him for including it as others may appreciate the level of detail. The contrast is striking compared with other information that I've read from proponents of peak oil that presented almost no supporting data.

However, Mills is not always fair.At one point relatively early in the book, he basically says that peak oil is discredited because prior predictions have proven to be false. He goes so far as to compare proponents of peak oil to prophets of the end of the world, which is unreasonable. Another time, he overstates his case and says that while oil "prices have risen sharply ... at least until 2008, the global economy sailed on almost untroubled. This points out the fallacy of claims by peak oil theorists and Neo-Luddites of the inevitability of economic collapse." I am not convinced that the claims are false just because the economy was in a good state up to 2008. The year 2008 was not exactly a joyride and peak oil theorists will tell you that it will get much worse. My point is that just because it has not happened yet is not proof that it won't happen in the future.

Mills did a convincing job discrediting Hubbert's Peak and explaining how we have enough alternative forms of energy, and the time and resources to deploy them, to avoid the economic meltdown proposed by some. In the end I came away feeling like the doom and gloom that I've read from some peak oil authors is overdone. It's difficult for someone not deeply involved in the industry to really know what's right, however, and I suspect that reality lies between Mill's position and the peak oiler's position.

One note:Some of the charts are hard to read in the kindle version.If I were buying this book again I'd buy the hardcopy version.

It's the flow rate, stupid
This books discusses in length how much oil there is left in the ground. Unfortunately, this is not very relevant. What matters is how fast we can get it out, and how much it costs. Just imagine you have a billion dollars in the bank, but your bank does not allow you to withdraw more than $1 per day. With oil, it is becoming more and more like that - the "resources" are vast, but the "bank" (nature/geology) allows only smaller and smaller withdrawals. And it takes more and more energy to get it out, because the stuff gets more and more viscuous. Used to be like water in the old days, now it's like honey. Have you ever tried to drink honey with a straw?

Texas and North Sea to the Rescue
Texas and the North Sea provide excellent examples of the kind ofoil production results that private oil companies--using the best available technology, with virtually no restrictions on drilling--can achieve.

Since peaking in 1972, Texas oil production has declined at about -4%/year, and since peaking in 1999, the North Sea has declined at about -4.5%/year (EIA data, crude + condensate).

In 2005, Saudi Arabia was at about the same mathematical stage of depletion at which Texas, the prior swing producer, peaked, and Saudi Arabia has shown three straight years of production below their 2005 rate, despite the highest annual oil prices in history.

In 2005, world conventional crude production was at about the same stage of depletion at which the North Sea peaked in 1999, and the world has shown, with some benefit from unconventional production, basically flat production since 2005, although in reality the world has shown a cumulative shortfall between what we would have produced at the 2005 rate and what was actually produced--despite the highest annual oil prices in history.

This pattern of flat to declining production versus rising oil prices was what we also witnessed in the early stages of the Texas and North Sea production declines.

But the primary problem we face is a long term accelerating rate of decline in net oil exports.For more information on our (Brown & Foucher) work, do a Google Search for Jeffrey Brown + Net Oil Exports. ... Read more

Product Description
How to harness the great forces ofcapitalism to save the world fromcatastrophe.The forecasts are grim and time is running out,but that’s not the end of the story. In thisbook, Fred Krupp, longtime president ofEnvironmental Defense Fund, brings asurprisingly hopeful message: We can solveglobal warming. And in doing so, we willbuild the new industries, jobs, and fortunes ofthe twenty-first century.

In thesepages the reader will encounter the boldinnovators and investors who are reinventingenergy and the ways we use it. Theseentrepreneurs are poised to remake the world’sbiggest business and save the planet—ifAmerica’s political leaders give them a fairchance to compete.

12 illustrations ... Read more

Customer Reviews (59)

My review for the American Physical Society
This is directed at professional, typically Ph.D., physicists. Your mileage may vary...

"Earth: The Sequel, The Race to Reinvent Energy and Stop Global Warming" Fred Krupp (President of Environmental Defense Fund) and Miriam Horn, W. W. Norton & Company, New York (2009). ISBN-13 978-0393334197.

The US Federal government spends about $1 billion each year on research and development in renewable energy. That's less than ExxonMobil's daily revenue. And each year the oil and gas industry spends about $60 million lobbying. What are the results of that lobbying? About $6 billion per year in benefits accrue to the oil and gas business. Those simple facts underlie any discussion of American energy use, now or in the near future. Krupp's book also begins with this gap between our present energy basis and any future energy basis, expressed in these stark economic terms.

Of course, a discussion of energy and the environment could instead start with an examination of the size and reliability of estimates of the world oil reserves, the current and predicted energy needs of the world, and efficiencies of energy transport. This approach is likely to be closer to the way we as physicists examine and catalog the world. However, the decision-making powers in the United States, and other developed nations, are tied into economic and business logic (or more cynically, purely political concerns) nearly exclusively. So a book, to have political impact, needs to be directed in this way.

That said, the science implicit in "Earth: The Sequel" is essentially sound, with the possible exception of a few of the "world of possibilities" long-shot options near the end of the book. (And those are well marked as to their lower respectability.) The economics are more debatable; carbon credits make a brief (positive) appearance and carbon taxes are casually dismissed as "not enlist[ing] the full range of human potential." Contrast that with James Hansen (NASA's chief climate scientist) comment on carbon credits. "This is analagous to the indulgences that the Catholic Church sold in the Middle Ages. The bishops collected lots of money and the sinners got redemption."

The technologies addressed in the book include solar photovoltaic, solar thermal, biofuels, ocean energy extraction, geothermal, "clean" coal, so called "Solutions for Today" (e.g., stopping deforestation & increasing energy efficiency), and the more speculative "World of Possibilities" (which include fusion, high altitude power kites, undoing the global environmental damage via geoengineering with "proper caution," and nuclear fission). The general approach is to discuss the current state of the art technology in each area and then note a small start-up with a plan to push beyond the current limits and make the technology more efficient or cost-effective. Some of these ventures will surely fail, Krupp notes, but not all of them, and there are a lot of hopeful enterprises on tap here. That tone of optimism pervades the two hundred and seventy pages of text. It is an optimism that science and technology will solve, or rather is right now solving, the horrible mess of global warming.

That sort of scientific utopianism is rare in discussions of the current state of the environment. The closest other book treatment to this one is probably the recent Ayres & Ayres, "Crossing the Energy Divide" which has a similar, and optimistic, business-oriented analysis of energy technology. I'd wholeheartedly recommend "Earth: The Sequel" to the physicist who is willing to push through the business and financial envelope surrounding the technical topics presented by Fred Krupp. You may disagree in places, but there's a lot of valuable insight into the firms pushing for the energy solutions of the twenty-first century.

Michael DuVernois
University of Hawaii
duvernois@phys.hawaii.edu

An aspirin for all the gloom and doom
This is an uplifting and hopeful book.It details how entrepreneurs rise to the occasion when the conditions are right.Global warming has awakened the creative drives of companies and scientists and individuals, on an international scale.

The need for carbon caps and carbon trading are well documented in this work. It becomes abundantly obvious (reading this very informative treatise) that legislation that deals with any given process (such as corn derived ethanol) is doomed to failure and backlash and that legislation that deals with results (profits) has a much better chance of doing actual good. Carbon caps and carbon trading are essential to averting the "perfect storm" of a looming ecological disaster.

We have, in this significant book, a readable and positive guide to the future of safe and renewable energy sources!

Kudos to Krupp and Horn and their insight and research to offer us a chance to read about a doable and sustainable future.

good stuff
I was impressed with the book and it came in great shape so im pleased

Earth: The Sequel
If you vote or want to be an informed citizen, you must read "Earth: The Sequel" by Fred Krupp and Miriam Horn. I thought that I was up to speed on renewable energy, alternate energy, or global warming, but my eyes were opened wider from reading this book. It is written in a interesting style, making personal the success stories of inventors and entrepeneurs. The same material could make your mind wander without the human interest approach. Fred Krupp is a strong advocate of "cap and trade" legistration. Our government is trying to pass such legistration this summer of 2009. Krupp makes strong arguments for it. Advancements will not be made without a level playing field. The coal and other carbon burners have used our atmosphere as their personal sewer for too long. The free enterprise system will kick in under "cap and trade" and radically reduce greenhouse gases and the need to purchase vast amounts of oil from arab countries. Our oil purchases make our enemies stronger and richer.
Please read this book and help nudge our politicians in the right direction.
Ralph Hermansen July 14, 2009

Informative Up-to-date ideas
This book was made into a special shown on the Discovery Channel in March 2009. It is the most uplifting look at what we can do to save our planet by using renewable energy technologies. There are new ideas blossoming every day ~ and not just in large companies, but, in backyards and small businesses ~ by every-day people. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (40)

Fantastic, but left wishing for less detail and more depth
I just finished "Merchants of Doubt" by Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway. It is a meticulously detailed history of how a handful of zealots have managed to largely succeed in a propaganda war against actual science involving such important issues as strategic defense, acid rain, ozone, smoking, pesticides, and global warming. The authors exhaustively document the techniques that these "scientists" used to create doubt about the legitimate science in the minds of government officials and of the public - and how their textbook of disinformation methods are still in use (and still largely unopposed) yet today.

It is stunning that four key perpetrators could have been so incredibly successful in their disinformation campaign for so many decades. The most nefarious of these criminals are Frederick Seitz, Fred Singer, Robert Jastrow, and Bill Nirenberg. If the willful misrepresentation of science were treated as a crime against humanity, these four would be indicted on hundreds of counts.

The impression the book paints of these men is that they were essentially wolves in sheep's clothing. They called themselves scientists and used scientific-sounding arguments to tear and shred the flesh of legitimate scientific consensus. Apart from the brave opposition by a very articulate few like Carl Sagan, the rest of the scientific community appear to have been little more than sheep in their inability and unwillingness to publically oppose these ruthless and unethical attacks. The mainstream press, particularly controversy-hungry rags like the Washington Post, New York Times, and Wall Street Journal were cited countless times for serving as the all-too-willing megaphone that legitimized their misinformation campaigns.

While I unequivocally applaud and recommend the book, it did leave me dissatisfied. I would have settled for a bit less detail about these mere hit-men to learn more about the more powerful interests that used or even enlisted them. The authors repeatedly portray these men as ideologues but essentially lone actors.Yet at the same time they continually suggested the complicity of government, quasi-governmental organizations, and corporations. If these men were essentially lone agents, why do the authors continually infer the involvement of larger organizations? If these organizations are overtly complicit, then why didn't the authors go into the same meticulous detail to cite evidence and name names? The feeling I was left with was that while the book solidly indicts these hit-men, these street-pushers, the big bosses who benefit from their crimes largely get away unscathed.

To what degree were Exxon-Mobile and Philip-Morris complicit or just lucky beneficiaries of the efforts of these hit-men? The book doesn't help me understand those relationships. Do the big players simply cover their tracks too well or did the authors consciously decide not to tug too hard on Superman's cape and settle for the little fish? The book leaves me wishing I knew.

Scientifict Dishonesty -
"Merchants of Doubt" tells how a few scientists and advisers with strong connections in politics and industry have run campaigns to undermine well-established scientific findings linking smoking to lung cancer, sulfur emissions to acid rain, CFCs to the ozone hole, and CO2 to global warming. Their tactics include false accusations of expunging the views of those who don't agree, using political contacts to try and have proponents fired, and blatant deceit. They also deny the reality of the problem - eg. global warming isn't happening, the data just reflects natural variation, and it could easily be adapted to.

Fred Seitz, Fred Singer, Robert Jastrow, and William Nierenberg, all physicists, are the most notorious at this. All served in high levels of science administration, and had dealt extensively with the media. Over 20+ years they did almost no original research in any of the areas they weighed in on with doubts. Tobacco companies funded research that hopefully would demonstrate other causes for the outcomes it was accused of - stress, genetics, and some others. Seitz had previously participated in the development of the A-bomb, he then went on to become science advisor to NATO, the president of the National Academy of Sciences and an ex officio member of the U.S. President's Science Advisory Committee. After that Seitz became president of Rockefeller University - while there R.J. Reynolds funded $500,000 in research for 5 years, and in 1979 upon retirement Seitz became and advisor to the RJR Board. Defending RJR wasn't hard for Seitz because he was a a bit of a genetic determinist.

Legal cases typically foundered on the difficulty proving that a specific case was caused by smoking, and the fact that not everyone who smokes gets cancer. Eventually the industry was found guilty per RICO because documents showed it knew the dangers of smoking as early as 1953 and conspired to suppress that knowledge. It was not until the 1990s that the industry began to lose court cases, and it took the FDA until 2009 to get authority to regulate tobacco as an addictive drug (took 15+ years).

Side Note: Since nuclear weapons decay over time, agreement to stop building new ones is tantamount to disarming.

Acid rain harms plant growth, fish, and structures.

a must read
Just finished reading this book and enjoyed it very much. I found it well researched and bringing up numerous points that need to be discussed.I liked their explanation of how science works via peer review, validation of test results etc. and feel that information should be taught to every civics class in America that proper reading of science papers could be done by all.If we had that, much of this debate of the reality of global warming (and it is real and man causes it)would never have happened and the real discussion we need of what to do about it would be in full swing, if not resolved.The chapters on smoking, acid rain, DDT and global warming are excellent and knowing how certain scientists not versed in those fields can obfuscate the debate was eye opening.The chapter on SDI, not so much.That SDI is a pipe dream seems little reason to berate those pushing it.That SDI is far fetched and seems impossible to achieve is normally cause to try harder to overcome the obsticles.
Last, I am not sure they were right about the motivations of the scientists they show as the biggest blocks to all the findings of the various chapters.I think a main problem of both extremes, the right and the left is a disdain/disbelief of the vast middle.The right seems to believe we are too quick to just want the government to solve things via more regulation and the left seems to believe we are not active/aware enough for our own good and we must be regulated by the government to save us from ourselves. In that case, science matters little except how it helps your cause and you do what ever it takes for your side to win at the expense of the good of the people.

sometimes you can tell a book by its cover

When I first picked up this book and read the jacket, I thought
it would be about global warming. It is not. There is no scientific inquiry,
and no balanced views. The authors intent is to create some bogey men and
beatify others, notably Michael Mann who wrote one of the worst scientific papers
ever (the hockey-stick tree-ring fiasco). There is only one graphic in the entire
book (on page 188). That said, one may still judge this book by its cover.
The picture on the cover is about blowing smoke. That is the content of this book.

Cold War warriors find a new enemy
It's easy to understand - if not condone - the behavior of politicians who are financed by tobacco and oil companies. They oppose the regulation of smoking or pollution because they benefit from the financial contributions of those industries. But what motivates certain scientists to relentlessly cast doubt on peer-reviewed scientific evidence that's inconveniently contrary to financial interests? Merchants of Doubt attempts to answer this question.

To some extent, the motivation for certain scientists is the same as that of politicians. Those who opposed the issues covered by this book - nuclear winter (could we survive a nuclear war), Star Wars, acid rain, the ozone hole, global warming, DDT, cigarette smoking and second-hand smoke - are frequently members of "institutes" or think tanks heavily funded by tobacco and "dirty" energy donations. The answer is much more complex than money, however. And much more interesting.

It turns out that a handful of scientists - mostly physicists -- are behind all of these issues. Their names - except for Dixy Lee Ray and Robert Jastrow - are not overly familiar: Frederick Seitz, Fred Singer, Bill Simon, Bill Nierenberg. This in itself is somewhat surprising and is a major contribution uncovered by the extensive research of the authors.

The scientists who led all of these campaigns of doubt are primarily of a certain age. Many of them were involved in secret research projects during World War II, such as the Manhattan project. They were all vehemently anti-Communist and anti-Soviet. They thrived on Cold War rhetoric. In their eyes, regulation of the free market economy was equivalent to socialism, which was the same as the archenemy, Communism.

When the Cold War ended and the Soviets were no longer a threat, these scientists sought a new target - a new enemy -- for their philosophical beliefs. These beliefs were informed by the neoliberal economics of Milton Friedman: Free markets must be defended as vigorously as the freedoms of speech, religion, or assembly. Anything that threatens free markets is an enemy of Liberty.

The new enemy that received the wrath of these scientists was the environmental movement and the science that supported its claims. If the destruction of the environment calls for regulation of the free market, then the scientific research supporting those claims must be discredited.

As we now know, the industrial revolution has had side-effects that are damaging to the planet and to human health. Science was the messenger that brought the bad news. These Cold War scientists attacked science because they didn't want to hear this message. To accept the findings of science would mean accepting the truth that there were limits to industrial capitalism and that the free market system was a failure.

The authors do an excellent job of presenting an enormous amount of information in a highly readable style. A must read for anyone who wants to understand why it's so difficult for governments to act in the interests of the public good.
... Read more

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IS GLOBAL WARMING A HOAX?Isn't it time you read the facts?The propaganda of man-made global warming has been promoted by those with a political agenda by suppressing the truth and spreading fear. In this effort they have recruited academics, media, environmental groups, governments, the United Nations, even religions. Scientific evidence supporting man-made global warming has now been investigated by scientists and found to be baseless. Examination of the data has revealed the theory of climate change for the propaganda it is, derived from erroneous data, junk science, even scientific fraud.Now, for the first time, the American people have available to them an honest discussion of man-made global warming and climate change that is easily understood by those without a scientific background. The Layman's Guide describes in easily understood language the science refuting claims of climatic catastrophe resulting from the burning of fossil fuels. Using well-documented scientific facts, the Layman's Guide exposes the global warming hoax as an authoritarian assault on individual freedom. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

actually...
this book is full of hoaxes of it's own. The talking points in it have been debunked. Don't waste your time on this one.

You're being lied to, America.
Yes, we're being lied to again. This little book lays it all out: how we're being lied to and manipulated to steal more of our freedoms and more of our money. The myths are explained one by one. No PhD required. Read it and learn.

Global Warming Hoax
This is a must read for anyone that thinks that global warming is a fact, or that if it is, it is caused by man.This is more of a reference book, but in Q and A form gives a "quick and dirty" solid refutation of what Al Gore and his minions want you to believe. ... Read more

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In New England, 1816 was called the Year Without a Summer. Crops failed throughout America and, in Western Europe, it was even worse, with food riots and armed groups raiding bakeries and grain markets. All this turmoil followed a catastrophic volcanic eruption--a year earlier on the other side of the world--the eruption of Tambora, a blast heard almost a thousand miles away.
In When the Planet Rages, Charles Officer and Jake Page describe some of the great events of environmental history, from calamities such as the Lisbon earthquake of 1755 (the greatest in recorded history) and the ice ages, to recent man-made disasters such as Chernobyl, acid rain, and the depletion of the ozone layer. Officer and Page provide fascinating discussions of meteorites and comets; of the demise of mammoths, mastodons, and dinosaurs; and of great floods that have swept the earth. But they also show that human activity can make trouble for nature, discussing the depletion of natural resources (we burn coal and oil at millions of times their natural rate of production), air pollution in Los Angeles and London (where the Killer Smog of 1952 caused the death of some four thousand people), and the pollution of major waterways, like the Chesapeake Bay and Lake Erie. For the paperback edition, the authors have included a new preface, have added material on the recent Sichuan, China earthquake, the Indian Ocean Tsunami, and Hurricane Katrina, and discuss such topics as of the (un)predictability of symptoms of global warming.
Ranging from the monumental eruption at Krakatoa to industrial disasters such as the mercury poisoning in Japan's Minamata Bay, When the Planet Rages will engage anyone concerned with the environment and the natural world. ... Read more

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This is nonfiction commentary.Chapters: The Great Global Warming Swindle, an Inconvenient Truth, Waterworld, the Day After Tomorrow, the Age of Stupid, Are We Changing Planet Earth?, Not Evil Just Wrong, Everything's Cool, Clouds of Smoke. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 113. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: The Great Global Warming Swindle is a polemic documentary film that argues against the scientific consensus that global warming is "very likely due to the observed increase in anthropogenic (man-made) greenhouse gas concentrations". The film, made by British television producer Martin Durkin, showcases scientists, economists, politicians, writers, and others who are sceptical about the scientific theory of anthropogenic global warming. The programme's publicity materials assert that man-made global warming is "a lie" and "the biggest scam of modern times." Its original working title was "Apocalypse my arse", but the title The Great Global Warming Swindle was later adopted as an allusion to the 1980 mockumentary The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle about British punk band The Sex Pistols. The UK's Channel 4 premiered the documentary on 8 March 2007. The channel described the film as "a polemic that drew together the well-documented views of a number of respected scientists to reach the same conclusions. This is a controversial film but we feel that it is important that all sides of the debate are aired." According to Hamish Mykura, Channel 4's head of documentaries, the film was commissioned "to present the viewpoint of the small minority of scientists who do not believe global warming is caused by anthropogenic production of carbon dioxide." Although the documentary was welcomed by global warming sceptics, it was criticised by scientific organisations and individual scientists (includi...http://booksllc.net/?id=9869126 ... Read more

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The science is in: Global warming is for real. But what does it all really mean, and what can or should we do about it? This clear, fluid narrative by a leading scientist and educator takes a scrupulously balanced approach in explaining for the reader the history of global climate monitoring and change, and the who’s, how’s, what’s, when’s, where’s and why’s of the interaction between human activity and recent trends in the Earth’s climate.
Global Warming For Beginners is organized into five compelling sections:
Global Warming, An Introduction
The Cause
The Consequences
The Solutions
What Steps Can I Take?

Working from the premise that no one can do everything but everyone can do something, Goodwin challenges readers with experiments they can conduct to gain a better understanding of the science underlying the problems facing our planet, and concludes with a list of fifty easy actions people can choose from to start doing their part in the effort to slow or stop global warming.

As with all For Beginners titles, this volume is illustrated throughout with entertaining drawings that help readers understand and retain the information in Goodwin’s lively and comprehensive text. ... Read more

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Outstanding manner of looking into Global Warming for Beginners and all students.
Just an excellent manner in which Global Warming is introduced.
The illustration were also very good and entertaining. ... Read more

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As capitalism continues with business as usual, climate change is fast expanding the gap between rich and poor between and within nations, and imposing unparalleled suffering on those least able to protect themselves. In THE GLOBAL FIGHT FOR CLIMATE JUSTICE, anticapitalist activists from five continents offer radical answers to the most important questions of our time:** Why is capitalism destroying the conditions that make life on Earth possible?** How can we stop the destruction before it is too late? "In 46 essays on topics ranging from the food crisis to carbon trading to perspectives from indigenous peoples, they make a compelling case that saving the world from climate catastrophe will require much more than tinkering with technology or taxes. Only radical social change can prevent irreversible damage to the earth and civilization."Essential reading for everyone who is serious about confronting the climate emergency." -Emma Murphy, co-editor, Green Left WeeklyEDITED BY IAN ANGUSIan Angus, who wrote several of the articles in this book and selected the others from a wide range of authors and movements, is one of the world's best-known ecosocialist activists. He is editor of the online journal Climate and Capitalism, which has been described as "the most reliable single source of information and strategic insights for climate justice." Ian is also Associate Editor of Socialist Voice, an Advisory Editor of Socialist Resistance, and a founding member of the Ecosocialist International Network. He lives in Ontario, Canada.THE GLOBAL FIGHT FOR CLIMATE JUSTICEEditor: Ian AngusPublisher: Resistance Books (London)ISBN: 978-0-902869-87-5Publication Date: July 2009Trade paperback: 6" x 9" (15cm x 23cm)284 pages"At last, an absolutely indispensable guide to the debate on climate change, a sourcebook that makes the case for anti-capitalist action as the only effective way to stop global warming. Of course the powers-that-be don't agree - after all, who else is responsible for the current crisis? But we all need The Global Fight for Climate Justice if we are to fight for a liveable world." -Joel Kovel, author of The Enemy of Nature; founding member of the Ecosocialist International Network"A wonderful collection of articles from across the world by climate change activists, from governmental leaders such as Evo Morales to trade unionists like Tony Kearns. This book will inform, excite and energise those who see the need to fight both the impact of climate change and the political systems that have produced it." -Jane Kelly, editor (with Sheila Malone) of Ecosocialism or Barbarism"Everyone who wants a better world should read The Global Fight for Climate Change, to understand the economic, social and political causes of the climate crisis, and the sweeping changes that are needed to save the Earth." -Suzanne Weiss, Socialist Voice contributing editor; author of Anti-Semitism, Zionism, and the Defense of Palestinian Rights"'Socialism or Barbarism' is no longer (if it ever was) an abstract theoretical proposition. This comprehensive collection of essays focused upon the climate and food crises, the responses of capital and socialist alternatives, draws upon both global social movements and leading advocates of an alternative to barbarism to demonstrate that the choice before us is an immediate one, not one to be put off to the future." -Michael A. Lebowitz, author of Build it Now: Socialism for the 21st Century and Beyond Capital: Marx's Political Economy of the Working Class"The most reliable single source of information and strategic insights for climate justice is Climate and Capitalism, the website Ian Angus edits, and it is a tribute to the movement's development that demand has arisen for this book." -Patrick Bond, director of the Centre for Civil Society, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa ... Read more

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Even though he's a programmer for Virtual Vision Network, Adam Porter never wonders how it all works. He knows that virtual vision offers subscribers a variety of premium channels with which to view the world. There's Cartoon Vision for family fun, Chapel Vision for meditation, Ultramodern and Shangrila for variety. And his personal favorite, Frontier Vision, where he and his virtual dog, Bo, defend the homestead from bands of desperados. But going off-line always brings a return to normal, everyday life until a head injury puts his receiver on the fritz, revealing a post-apocalyptic world that Adam has never seen before. Adam is forced to question what is real and what is an illusion. With Network cops dogging his every move, Adam goes on the run and stumbles upon the Actual Reality Underground where he joins a band of Eco-guerrillas in a plan to blow up the virtual vision transmitters and force the population back to the actual reality they don't even know exists. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Fun, fun...fun
I read, I have a rich fantasy life, I sorta like TV, I, blushing...play Second Life, and yeh, I also have a 'real' life, I think. And, now, I'm a bit more conscious of just how real "real" is!

The authors put together a believable, alternate reality, disturbingly believable, in fact. Posing challenging questions about perception and reality, offering an engaging plot and attractive characters they trot readers through adventures and ponderings and,in the process, describe a future that it absolutely impossible--I hope...

A Real Fiction Thriller
This fascinating and compelling story immediately pulls you into a fictional world that you can surprisingly relate to and yet hope will only live within your imagination. The authors use today's technology and its possible future application to create a seemingly ideal environment that frighteningly unwinds before your eyes. You identify with characters that seem eerily familiar as they struggle to alter a future that you also fear.

When you have finished this book, don't expect to be done with the story. Is the story of our civilization the prequel to Reality Crash? Is the brave new world of Reality Crash the next new button on your remote control?

This is a very good read and one that you are not soon to forget.

A Real Fiction Thriller
This fascinating and compelling story immediately pulls you into a fictional world that you can surprisingly relate to and yet hope will only live within your imagination. The authors use today's technology and its possible future application to create a seemingly ideal environment that frighteningly unwinds before your eyes. You identify with characters that seem eerily familiar as they struggle to alter a future that you also fear.

When you have finished this book, don't expect to be done with the story. Is the story of our civilization the prequel to Reality Crash? Is the brave new world of Reality Crash the next new button on your remote control?

This is a very good read and one that you are not soon to forget.
... Read more