Field Notes from a Catastrophe

I very much enjoyed reading Kolbert's book "Field Notes from a Catastrophe" and would recommend this book for advanced students (undergraduate, graduate) or professionals that have some knowledge on this topic. During my reading I begun to learn other stories that I had not previously heard about in relation to climate change. Hearing these stories kept me interested and wanting to learn more the entire book. I spent many hours post-reading on the internet doing research on different topics she had brought up in the book to get a better understanding on them. It is not that she didn't explain them well, it was simply she told a quick chapter on them which made me want to learn all of the details. As a scientist, I understood why every chapter in this book has no relation to any of the other chapters, but I do believe this could be a downfall to the book when referring to someone who wants to read a "story" about climate change. Each chapter is divided into a different time, a different place, a different experience, and a different thing relating to climate change. This book does not tell you a story, instead if focuses on teaching the readers actual facts about what is happening with our climate and reasons why we should start becoming more proactive. I am very glad I decided to read this book and will gladly recommend this book to other professions seeking additional information on climate change.

I listened to the audio version of this book about a year ago. Kolbert's treatment of this subject is carefully researched, her presentation of the facts is thoughtful and logical. The overall presentation of her story is engaging. I rated this book as five stars because it a very easy to understand description of what is happening with regard to climate change. It also explains the differences between weather and climate which unfortunately get mixed into many discussions on climate. If you want to get caught up on this subject and be able to discuss this topic intelligently with almost anyone, this is the book that I recommend that you read. Kolbert's style, is similar to another favorite author of mine on the topic of the environment: David Quammen. If you enjoyed reading: "Field Notes from a Catastrophe: Man, Nature, and Climate Change" I think that you would enjoy reading Quammen's book: "The Song of the Dodo: Island Biogeography in an Age of Extinction", it will open your eyes to the long term consequences of destroying habitats for other species of plants and animals on our planet. You will learn about amount of evolutionary biology and natural selection,how habitats affect the biodiversity of species and why species biodiversity matters to humanity. Like Kolbert's book. Quammen has made this subject accessible to nearly anyone who has a desire to understand this subject.

The title of this book is apt: Field Notes. Whether the word Catastrophe is equally apt, or merely good salesmanship, can be left undecided for the moment. Chapter by chapter, Ms Kolbert has written honestly and earnestly. Chapter 2, for instance, recounts the historical development of the concern over global warming, clearly and fairly, in a mere nine pages. Chapter 3 outlines the recent studies of glaciers, and the possible implications of those studies, with equal brevity and clarity. Chapter 1 sets a passionate tone for the whole book, confronting the fearful sense of global warming at the level of villagers whose lives are already impacted; I have kayaked many times in the Seward Peninsula region, over a span of 25 years, and I've personally felt the real urgency that Ms. Kolbert reports. Each chapter of the book is in fact an essay unto itself. Ms. Kolbert is a front-line journalist, not a climatologist. That is the source of her stylistic clarity, obviously, and of her daring in reporting on the crisis at multiple levels. It also makes her vulnerable to the dogmatic deniers of anthropogenic climate change, as is colorfully exhibited in the several ranting one-star reviews on this page.

Having read a number of books on the subject of global warming, I have been struck by the lack of books that have a balance. The books are either very scientific, or strictly policy with a smattering of science for legitimacy. Too much science overwhelms too many people with technical information; not enough science creates the illusion this is strictly a political issue. I was very pleased by the information in this book. It struck the proper balance between the political aspects and the scientific aspects of global warming. In addition, the scientific portions were written so that people without a scientific background could still understand the material. I would recommend this book as a very good primer on global warming. If you understand the scientific information, and want more, there are certainly a number of books available. The debate on global warming, however, cannot continue until people understand the fundamentals of the issues, and this book is perfect for that task.

The 2nd book I've read by this author (I previously read her "6th Extinction"), & it's just as spectacular. Ms Kolbert's style of writing is easy to follow, & I believe she's earnestly concerned about climate change. In "Field Notes" she visits several people around the world who've either made new discoveries about climate change, or else are actively working on methods to reduce the carbon emissions. Fascinating book!

Mostly about warming, not interesting to me. Her other two are more enjoyable

I read this as the Stern Report was published in the UK, which added a certain zest to Kolbert's excellent work. The subtext to this frightening book is that we have sleepwalked our way to disaster, but still haven't woken up. The prospects of there being any kind of meaningful agreement on emissions between the US, the EU, India and China to avert a global catastrophe seem remote indeed. But hey ho, at least Kolbert and Stern can both say they did their best. I can't speak for the Stern report as I haven't read the whole 600-odd pages, but Kolbert's book is compelling, brilliantly well presented and thoroughly depressing. Everyone who cares about our future should read it.

An important book about humanity's greatest challenge that everybody should read (not least our politicians!). Elizabeth Kolbert has the ability to describe climate change and the science behind it in a way that anybody can understand.

If you are not prepared to be shocked by the revelations in Kolbert's book, be prepared to suffer the far heavier impact of the future that will surely come from denying the changes we are imposing on our biosphere. This book has been compared to Rachel Carson's Silent Spring in terms of its impact and importance in exposing the risks posed by the CO2 we are adding to the atmosphere. The CO2 problem, however, has fundamentally more impact on the natural world, and if not quickly corrected, has the potential to extinguish 35 to 90% of existing species, and in an extreme case, convert our oceans from producing oxygen to producing hydrogen sulfide gas Under a Green Sky by Peter D. Ward). Hard to imagine that being anybody's idea of fun. Read this together with Tim Flannery's The Weather Makers, and what you will not know about global warming is of little importance. If you truly understand the message here, you will surely experience a thrill of genuine fear at sheer magnitude of our collective folly, and our evident inability to come to grips with the problem in a timely and effective manner.

Ce livre est très bien documenté. Il nous rappelle que nos politiciens et une bonne partie de la population mondiale se comporte comme des autruches vis à vis du réchauffement climatique. Ils ne cherchent ni à voir les conséquences désastreuses pour l'environnement, la disparition de la diversité des animale. Mais l'homme fait partie du règne animal. Un environnement dévasté ne peux plus supporter une agriculture qui doit nourrir une population qui explose. Nous rassurer et dire que tout est en ordre est un mensonge qui se paiera très, très cher. La croissance voulues par les politiciens accélère la destruction de notre planète.

Highly recommend this book, this book should be read by teachers and students to spread more awareness of climate change.