Kolbert, Elizabeth

Kolbert has written a quick but meticulously researched guide to the many sides and faces of the climate crisis. While D may be for “Despair,” H is for “Hope,” and Y is for “You.”

A sobering and realistic look at humankind’s perhaps misplaced faith that technology can work with nature to produce a more livable planet.

The charm of this book (inasmuch as a book about extinction can have charm) lies in Kolbert's hands-on approach to her subject—searching for Panamanian frogs in the dark, hunting for graptolite fossils in Scotland, and observing coral spawning at Australia's Great Barrier Reef. This solid, engaging, multidisciplinary science title should appeal to a broad range of science enthusiasts, particularly those interested in environmental conservation.