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Showing reviews 1-5 of 71
 On the actual book December 28, 2009
cm
19 out of 22 found this review helpful
Most of the "reviews" on this site are simply political arguments (with varying degrees of relevance to the book's subject matter) by people who either agree or disagree with Al Gore from a political standpoint. I would like to present a review of this book on its own merits.
1) The author has a lot to say in this book, and some of it takes time to read and comprehend. A book club might be helpful for many readers.
2) My favorite aspect of this book (from a literary standpoint) is the format. It is an interesting blend between textbook-style presentation of data, coffee-table-style presentation of main ideas, and textual exposition of a complex thesis. I think this format, while unconventional, fits the author's writing style. The downside of the format is that it could be too accessible, possibly enabling skimming or cherry-picking in lieu of reading.
3) There are minor grammatical errors that do not appear to obscure the meaning. Grammatical errors are common in scientific texts, because the majority of proofreading is done by technical experts. Also, artistic license is taken in some of the artistic renderings and poetry (and has been criticized in some reviews on this site). Both of these could be blown out of proportion by political opponents, but are legitimate in the context of the genre.
4) One of the reviews on this site claims that there is an "error" on the nuclear bar in the graph on p. 165. A range of 1-255 is given in the graph. The reviewer claims that the "actual" value in the reference is 66, but the reference itself gives the range from 1-255 *and* states that 66 is the mean value obtained upon a weighted average. Ironically, the value of 66 is not an "actual" value; it comes from a mathematical analysis, and does not refer to any particular study of an actual power plant. The book correctly presents the actual values from scientific studies, which range from 1-255. This full explanation is given on p. 2941 of the technical review that was referenced, which is free online: [...]
Our Choice: the Solutions Sequel November 3, 2009
156 out of 227 found this review helpful
Our Choice is wonderfully accessible and pragmatic. Its eighteen chapters are a lavishly illustrated menu of choices which is at once expansive and credible. Our Choice clearly conveys the scope of solutions to the climate crisis, solutions which are promising, practical and potent. The solutions taken together meet the challenge, with speed and at scale.
It is the perfect sequel to An Inconvenient Truth.
I'm particularly struck by Gore's tone in Our Choice: he is sober and thoughtful and opinionated but not pedantic. This is not a superficial, how-to "101 Ways to Go Green," or an encyclopedic compendium of mind-numbing minutiae.
Rather, Our Choice is a survey at just the right level of detail. It covers our sources of energy, how we use it, and the obstacles we must overcome. An important highlight is the discussion of living systems, our forests, soil, and population, which is missing in most writing about climate crisis.
Gore's work comes at a crucial moment in time. The U.S. is vigorously debating climate legislation. Policy makers and parents, students and teachers, entrepreneurs and scientists are all energized. For example, fully one-third of the faculty at MIT wants to work on clean energy technologies. Our Choice will tempt and magnify those passions. It is a manual and manifesto for change, a good guide with a clear view of both the forest and the trees. It comes on the road to Copenhagen, but its best use is the path beyond.
OK, I'll admit (with pride) I'm a huge fan of Al Gore's. But not withstanding our friendship, this remarkable work IS the real thing. It is the product of countless hours of research and interviews, reading and listening, writing and rewriting, debate and critical thinking.
My daughter said "Dad, your generation created this problem. You'd better fix it." Our Choice is the Field Guide to fixing the climate crisis, a set of solutions worthy of your consideration.
Read this book. If you must, burn (and sequester) the others. And recycle the rest!
When mankind confronts and conquers the climate crisis it will be because one man made Our Choice clear.
Scientific, Timely, Smart! December 28, 2009
Vegan-Analysis (from parts unknown)
6 out of 9 found this review helpful
General Description: This book is about global warming - the science and politics behind the issue. The book is attractive and comfortable in the hands despite being fairly large. It features numerous full-color maps, graphs and charts that explain everything from the greenhouse effect to turbine engines. The full-color photography is sensational, comparable to National Geographic. Despite the claims of some reviewers that the content is controversial in science, much of the information consists of basic scientific facts, simple explanations of such things as geothermal energy and solar power. Where the assertions can be contested, Gore appears to rely on consensus scientific opinion. There are 18 chapters spread over 405 pages. The chapters are divided into the following sections:
1)The Crisis
2)Our Sources of Energy
3)Living Systems (ecology and population)
4)How We Use Energy
5)The Obstacles We Need To Overcome
6)Going Far Quickly (Gore's basic plan)
Controversy: Based on what I am reading in this book and others, there is no longer a controversy in science over global warming. There are very few scientists of good reputation who deny global warming or our role in it (see the book What's The Worst That Could Happen?). The controversy is among average folks and politicians. In other words, this is a political, not a scientific controversy. Please note that Gore is referencing leading scientific bodies like The Royal Society in England and the U.S. National Academy of Science. The controversy has been generated largely by conglomerates, notably ExxonMobile, but also Shell, Texaco, General Motors, Ford and other large business combinations. This book is in no small part an expose on a massive cover up by industrial giants. And it appears to me to be an authentic, well-documented expose. But of course, as Gore admits, there are many sincere objectors, including some well-known writers, but few reputable scientists. So why all the sincere objection? To address this issue, Gore taps into psychology and neuroscience. Evolution has geared us for reacting to immediate dangers like snakes, big cats, floods, tornadoes, etc. When the danger isn't visible, we selectively repress the threat, so we can go on about dealing with more pressing problems. I think Gore's psychoanalyses, combined with his accusations of fraud and propaganda, are what's enraging conservatives here at Amazon.
The Gold Standard of Climate Change Books January 6, 2010
E. David Swan (South Euclid, Ohio USA)
5 out of 9 found this review helpful
Climate change should never have become a political battle but when money is on the line I suppose it's inevitable. On one side of the debate we have Al Gore authoring an excellently written, intellectually stimulating, visually stunning and easy to understand book on the threat of climate change. On the opposite side is Sarah Palin who Twitters, "Earth saw clmate chnge4 ions;will cont 2 c chnges.R duty2responsbly devlop resorces4humankind/not pollute&destroy;but cant alter naturl chng," (yes, that is a real Palin tweet). The effort that Al Gore has expended in researching climate change is quite evident in this book and equally evident is the amount of effort Palin has taken in developing her views. The debate reminds me of the days when tobacco companies would work to convince the public that smoking has no link to lung cancer except in this case it's the entire planet being put at risk. Unless there really is an enormous multinational conspiracy by climatologist around the world to scam us all global warming is likely the greatest challenge humanity has ever faced.
Trying to inform people to the threat of global warming is a very delicate balancing act. On the one hand you want to make people aware of the danger but you don't want to leave people feeling hopeless and paralyzed. Al Gore is able to thread that needle by presenting a book that is both optimistic and dire. The book carefully and methodically lays out the science behind climate change as well as ramifications and most importantly solutions. I read another book recently that focused more on the debate and about how the public is being manipulated by large corporations, PR firms and politicians. The information is important but I question how effective it is in swaying the public. "Our Choice" addresses this misinformation campaign but only after laying out a rock solid foundation for understanding the cause of climate change and means of combating it.
To those who accept the existence of global warming as a man made crisis it is incredibly frustrating to listen to people who simply dismiss all the science and claim that it's a big liberal conspiracy. Rather than cast aside deniers as hopeless or sling disparaging labels Al Gore does his best to reach out and try and speak their language. Global warming is a problem that has grown out of control because of distortions in the market. The actual price of our current fossil fuel based energy system is being hidden and so a true comparison of cost with a sustainable alternative energy system cannot be judged properly. The market only functions as designed when investors are able to analyze information accurately. One brilliant argument that Al Gore uses was something I had never considered before. There have been documents released showing that the oil industries own scientists concluded that global warming is a man made threat but company executives decided this information wasn't conducive to their business and buried it. But as Gore points out, publicly traded companies are legally required to present an honest assessment of the value of their stocks. Gore draws an analogy with the collapse in the value of subprime due to their lack of transparency. Likewise, the value of fossil fuel stocks are likely to be vastly overinflated because of an intentional effort to hide information damaging to their business model and although Gore never comes out and says it that sounds like a criminal offense to me. This is more than a lack of transparency; this is an active and ongoing suppression of information done to maintain stock values.
Even if you put aside global warming, modifying buildings to be energy efficient and creating a modern "smart grid" is a tremendous money saver that would pay for itself in a matter of a few short years. Moving towards clean energy would be a huge job creator and that should be appealing to just about everyone regardless of political leanings unless they literally work for oil and gas or take their money.
As someone who is a firm believer in the threat of global warming I am naturally inclined to look favorably on a book like this but I seriously do think it is extremely well done. Al Gore has a talent for relaying information without appearing preachy or accusatory. There will always be those who believe that Al Gore is a world class liar and discount anything he says but Al Gore cleverly appeals to peoples own self interest to convince them to give alternative energy a chance. There were a ton of surprising facts in the book that caught me by surprise. For instance I had no idea that the soil in rainforests is only nutrient rich on a thin top layer. It would seem to me that in an area so teaming with life that the soil would be thick with nutrients but apparently the denseness of the trees causes all the energy to get absorbed into the canopy. I found that fascinating and I found much of the book fascinating. The point is this book seems to hit its target in every way possible. It is about as entertaining as a book can be given the frightening subject matter. I unreservedly recommend this book to anyone who cares the least about the future of our planet.
A RENEWABLE ENERGY ACTION PLAN! December 7, 2009
J. Torre (Las Vegas, NV)
19 out of 32 found this review helpful
This book is a comprehensive action plan from Al Gore. To combat global warming, Al offers several renewable energy choices with breathtaking pictures, easy to read graghs and understandable language for the average lay person. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to be part of the global warming solution.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 71
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