Geobiologist Jahren (Univ. of Oslo, Norway; Lab Girl) shares material she gathered for a course on climate change in this fascinating, easy-to-understand read. With the earth’s population burgeoning to seven billion, advances in agriculture and meat and fish production allow farmers to produce more food. However, these improved crops and animals necessitate the ever-growing use of pesticides, fertilizers, and antibiotics. Using a plethora of facts and figures, Jahren traces the history of fossil fuel formation and usage, carbon dioxide increases in the atmosphere, evidence of a warming world, and melting ice and rising sea levels, all leading to a possible sixth mass extinction. The pursuit of more, explains the author, especially from the Unites States, the UK, Japan, and Australia, causes residents of these countries to use a disproportionate amount of resources relative to their population size. Jahren concludes by asking readers to define their values and make changes to the way they live to help ameliorate continuing damage to the earth. Citations for statistics are included. VERDICT A well-researched if sobering introduction to the history and causes of climate change that should be read by all.