Water by Steven Solomon Book Review

Water: The Epic Struggle for Wealth, Power, and Civilization by Steven Solomon is a weighty tome at 500 pages plus photographs and notes but covers a heck of a lot.

Not having time to read it all I dipped in and out of it’s chapters and found it fascinating. With freshwater use growing twice as fast as population growth, water is rapidly going to replace oil as the world’s most valuable resource (if it hasn’t already) and there is going to be bigger battles between those who have access to it and those who do not.

Water famine could outstrip famine and religion as the cause of wars and the scenario played out in the book is pretty bleak indeed. Researched in great detail, Solomon shows enormous understanding of the issues and gives us the history of water’s role in shaping of the world as we know it today. Interspersed with maps and a set of photos, the understanding of the past is critical to understanding the present situation. Egyptian, Roman, Islamic and Chinese sea and water power are explained; the building of the great canals; “The Sanitary Awakening” that lead to a massive clean up of the way water was treated; and much more.

With humans requiring two to three quarts (~2 liters) of fresh water a day to stay alive, population projections for 2050 to be in excess of 9 billion, and only 2.5% of water on earth being freshwater, the challenges are enormous.

If you’re interested in the issues surrounding water in the 21st century and how the issues came to be, I don’t think there is another single book that encompasses all the issues in such great depth and detail.

You can buy it from Amazon for around $18.50. Now I just need to finish it!

Voluntary Simplicity by Duane Elgin Review

Originally published in 1981, and began to be called ‘the bible of the simplicity movement’ shortly thereafter, Voluntary Simplicity by Duane Elgin apparently is “not a book about living in poverty, but living with balance. Elgin illuminates the changes that an increasing number of Americans are making in their everyday lives – adjustments in day-to-day living that are an active, positive response to the complex dilemmas of our time. By embracing the tenets of voluntary simplicity – frugal consumption, ecological awareness, and personal growth – people can change their lives and, in the process, save our planet.”

The book was apparently in much need of an update, the ecological landscape has changed much in twenty years, an the author has done much since, including winning the 2006 international Goi Peace Award. It’s a relatively short book, and with two forewords and an introduction to the second edition it gets a little shorter but they do explain the context of the book and sever as a good platform for what is to come.

Split into seven basic chapters it’s an relatively easy read, covering what simplicity really means (in his terms), and the lifestyle choices it can involve. However it’s not the strongest book on the practicalities of making such changes, but provides a thorough understanding of what choices there are.

It’s an interesting book but I’m struggling for more to say about it as it delivers what it offers. The resources section at the end is pretty useful too. Take a look at the latest edition on Amazon.

A World Without Ice Book Review

Henry N Pollack, the author of A World Without Ice was the contributing author to the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize, was a professor of geophysics at the University of Michigan for more than forty years and now serves as a science adviser to Al Gore’s Climate Project training programs.

The book attempts to show that it’s not difficult to envisage a world without ice, and how the relationship between humankind and ice is at a dangerous turning point. Ice is the direct source of drinking and agricultural ware for more that 25% of the earth’s population, and the possibility of “climate refugees” in places like New York, London and Japan is a distinctly real one.

It feels, perhaps deliberately, old-fashioned. I love a book with maps, black and white drawings in, and quotes at the start of each chapter. It makes the reading seem more enjoyable and “real” for some reason. The author explains why ice is such a great indicator (or barometer) of climate change and why changes have such a big impact in the world of ice, and beyond.

The historical context into which facts and arguments were presented was most interesting to me, particularly the early chapter on Arctic tourism. Each chapter has numerous sub-headings throughout that nicely break up the text for easier reading.

I actually found the background, history and factual information around ice more interesting than the later parts about the impact humans are having. Again, perhaps this was deliberate, it made ice seem much more important, and even wondrous, before telling us of what will happen if it keeps declining. A very interesting read overall though, worth a look.

Further details can be found on The World Without Ice website, and you can buy the book from Amazon.

Our Choice by Al Gore Book Review

Al Gore’s latest book is Our Choice: A Plan to Solve the Climate Crisis. Picking it up, it immediately struck me that is was like a school text book, but with more color pictures. It looked incredibly inviting flicking through, diagrams, explanations, graphs and maps, I couldn’t wait to read it.

First though, the front cover has kind of a gimmicky fold out globe. One that shows on one side how the earth looks now, and on the other an artists rendering of when global warming has wreaked havoc. Complete with multiple cyclones. It’s an interesting touch, but does little besides entice someone to pick up the book.

Broken down into large sections, with smaller chapters, the book goes through sources of energy, living systems, how we use that energy, the obstacles that stand in our way, and how to move quickly to overcome the challenges.

It often reads like a “How It Works” book, with great “exploded” diagrams on subject such as how alternative sources of energy work, how soil stores carbon, to where the energy in gasoline goes.

The video below shows Al talking about his inspiration for the book, and how we have all the knowledge and tools to solve the problem.

I’m still reading the book, it doesn’t have to read in order even, and is a fascinating round-up of the current solutions to the climate crisis, and couple with some stunning photographs and interesting graphical explanations, it’d also make a great gift.

Available for around $15.99 from Amazon.

10 Ways To Change The World In Your 20s Book Review

Ten Ways to Change the World in Your Twenties by Libuse Binder is yet another green tips books. What is different about this one? It’s targeted to people in their 20s (as you can tell by the title), and provides ideas, resources and proven strategies to help those twentysomethings take action and make a change.

It may only be ten ways, but at over 300 pages there is certainly a lot of detail. The ways are general, but with specific examples and suggestions, I found it packed full of “ways”. The 20s thing is part gimmick and part practical, there are many ways that are easier when you’re younger, but it certainly applies to people of any age who are willing for inspiration on how to make a difference.

I also liked that is wasn’t preachy, and you can open the book almost anywhere and find something useful you can do almost immediately. There’s a icon ratings guide (lie several other green books) to rate each activity in terms of time, cost and lifestyle impact, and there is even an index to summarize them if you want to looks for some easy ones quickly.

I enjoyed reading about the ideas, and particulary the easy ways to travel lightly and cheaply. If you don’t already have a green book full of ideas, or you’re looking for something with fresh ideas and practical steps to achieving them, then this book is a great resource.

You can find out more about the book on Ten Ways and buy from Amazon.

Jane Goodall – Hope For Animals and Their World Review

Jane Goodall – Hope For Animals and Their World: How Endangered Species Are Being Rescued Form The Brink was a very different book form many I’ve read lately. It’s full of hope and stories of success not only for animals but plants and the rest of the natural world.

Available from Amazon, currently only in hardcover, the book is not only written by Jane but Thane Maynard and Gail Hudson. With a fiction novel this is normally a warning sign, however in this case I barely noticed. Full of color photos and black and white photos unusually integrated into the text, it covers success stories of species revival and continuing efforts to revive and preserve some species.

From well known stories like the Panda and Peregrine Falcon, to the American Burying Beetle the stories are equally interesting and inspiring. The Asian vultures of India have decreased from 87 million birds to 27 breeding pairs a couple of years ago, causing knock on affects due to animal carcasses not being eaten and pathogens spreading more easily. I won’t spoil the cause, but yes, it was us…

It really is an interesting read, the efforts that have been gone to and are still ongoing are often staggering. There is a section at the back that tells you how you can take action for each of the species mentioned. Great read, available from Amazon.

Bill Streever – Cold Book Review

Cold – Adventures in The World’s Frozen Places is a book that looks cold. But that’s OK, it was 100°F today so I don’t mind.

Living in Anchorage, Alaska, Bill knows what it’s like to be cold. Split into 12 monthly chapters – July to June for some reason, the book is a nice change, rather than global warming it talks about the places that are still cold, and how this effects the people and animals there, and across the world.

There are plenty of historical references setting the scene in context and I enjoyed the nature parts the most, learning things on almost every page. I thought all Polar bears hibernated (nope, just the females), some frogs can freeze and still return to life, and a full-grown musk ox can shed five pounds of underfur per year.

I’ve never made it to Alaska, or the Arctic, but this books makes you want to go, it’s almost a travel guide in one respect. There are slow parts, and parts where I would have liked more information (though there’s a great notes section in the back for further reading), but no more than any other book I’ve read.

Definitely worth a read.

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