Climate Change Book Reviews - Index

Encyclopedia of Britannica, The Britannica Guide to Climate Change: An unbiased guide to the key issue of our age, (Encyclopedia of Britannica, United Kingdom, 2008), 460 pages

The book cover describes the book as "unbiased, comprehensive and up-to-date" - all of which is true. A person looking for a comprehensive, but general guide to climate change, weather and related issues will find it in the 460 pages of this book. The density of the writing and the content detail may be more than most people are looking for. In keeping with the tradition of the Encyclopedia of Britannica, the objective is to inform the reader, rather than persuade the reader to one or other viewpoint. In this sense, the book is "unbiased".

The book begins with a discussion of climate change, climate and weather. Then follows a discussion of the effects of climate change on land, water, the atmosphere, and plants and animals. It follows with a discussion on climate change in the context of environmentalism.

Some readers may be looking to get a greater understanding of the various points of debate in climate science and the impacts of climate change, and the positions of a consensus of scientists versus others (some of whom are practicing climate scientists) on those points of debate. This book will not meet the needs of these readers. The book does not address many of the debates surrounding the highly politicized issue of climate change. One suspects the authors think many of the debates in the public debate are non-issues. At the same time, where there is scientific debate, the book will note areas where the science is uncertain, or scientific differences occur.

A few more pictures, diagrams, charts and other non-text features would have made this book more readable.

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