The truth about the climate crisis is an inconvenient one that means we are going to have to change the way we live our lives. Our climate crisis may at times appear to be happening slowly, but in fact it has become a true planetary emergency and we must recognise that we are facing a crisis. So why is it that some leaders seem not to hear the clarion warnings? Are they resisting the truth because they know that the moment they acknowledge it, they will face a moral imperative to act? Is it simply more convenient to ignore the warnings? Perhaps, but inconvenient truths do not go away just because they are not seen, rather, their significance grows. Al Gore, former Vice President of the United States, has been a passionate advocate of action to halt climate change for many years. In An Inconvenient Truth Gore writes about the urgent need to solve the problems of climate change, presenting comprehensive facts and information on all aspects of global warming in a direct, thoughtful and compelling way,using explanatory diagrams and dramatic photos to clarify and highlight key issues. The book has been described in the New York Times as one which could 'push awareness of global warming to a real tipping point'. The documentary film of the same name, based on the book, premiered at this year's Sundance Festival to great acclaim.
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'A user-friendly introduction to global warming... lucid, harrowing and bluntly effective' Michiko Kakutani, NEW YORK TIMES '...this frightening, galvanizing book will convince plenty of readers that Earth genuinely does hang in the balance...' Warren Bass, WASHINGTON POST 'Gore the activist is an earnest, passionate, funny and caring individual, determined to communicate with people about the most important issue facing our earth' HollywoodReporter.com
About the Author
Al Gore was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1976 and the U.S. Senate in 1984 and 1990. He was inaugurated as the 45th vice president of the United States on January 20, 1993, and served eight years. He is Chairman of Generation Investment Management, a London-based firm that is focused on a new approach to Sustainable Investing. He also serves as Chairman of Current, an independently owned cable and satellite television network for young people based on viewer-created content and citizen journalism. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Apple Computer, Inc., a Senior Advisor to Google, Inc., and a Visiting Professor at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. He is the author of the 1992 bestseller Earth in the Balance: Ecology and the Human Spirit.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
36 of 43 people found the following review helpful
By reader
Format:Paperback
Being from an environmental research background, I strongly recommend "An Inconvenient Truth" as a good opener to the area of climate change. As a previous reviewer said, it's an easy and well-illustrated read and achieves the aim of putting across the most significant points in a way that should appeal to a wide audience. I also found the brief tangents regarding Al Gore's life and family set his whole passion for the subject in context and made it a more human piece of work rather than a didactic text. In addition, I don't believe it sets out to offer one solution to climate change. I agree it's a way more complex issue than can be solved by local action alone. However, what I see as this books objective is rather to prove to as many as possible that climate change IS happening and that there are ways we could be ameliorating the effects to the benefit of our and other species. We need many more people agreeing that this IS an area where we need to be acting and acting now before the big stuff that WILL make a difference (policy change etc.) will happen. A good, concise, well-written and interesting introduction to the topic.
34 of 42 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Al Gore's book will, I have no doubt, become the standard environmental work of reference for many years to come. It details in an easily accessible, non technical and heavily illustrated way the present environmental problems that humanity faces. In this publication a picture is really worth a thousand words and the words are all relevant. I have no hesitation whatsoever in highly recommending this book.
34 of 43 people found the following review helpful
By T. E. Bush
Format:Paperback
If you consider yourself to be an 'expert' or 'near expert' on the issues of climate change then this books is not really for you.
It does however explain all the causes of environment change and how it will effect our planet.
The photographs are amazing - and show the changes that we can see in our environment over time. The graphs are clear and fasniating in themselves.
The book is (I am guessing) very much like the slide show he has gone around the world showing. It does often have only a few paragraphs on each page, but includes stunning pictures and graphics. For the reason, I managed to read the whole book in about four hours and I am quite a slow reader. That is why I say it is not for experts as the book doesn't really go into complex detail or go into length about the science of climate change.
However, for me it was a superb book. I am not a scientist. I don't want to read a peer reviewed book that someone has worked on for their PHd - I just wanted to know the facts in enough detail to be interesting without so much detail that it would be boring.
Average mere mortals like me - will love this book.
It does however explain all the causes of environment change and how it will effect our planet.
The photographs are amazing - and show the changes that we can see in our environment over time. The graphs are clear and fasniating in themselves.
The book is (I am guessing) very much like the slide show he has gone around the world showing. It does often have only a few paragraphs on each page, but includes stunning pictures and graphics. For the reason, I managed to read the whole book in about four hours and I am quite a slow reader. That is why I say it is not for experts as the book doesn't really go into complex detail or go into length about the science of climate change.
However, for me it was a superb book. I am not a scientist. I don't want to read a peer reviewed book that someone has worked on for their PHd - I just wanted to know the facts in enough detail to be interesting without so much detail that it would be boring.
Average mere mortals like me - will love this book.
By John Dexter
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I have no quarrel with Gore's central premise that anthropogenic climate change is no longer an esoteric curiosity but a planetary emergency requiring an immediate response by all the nations of the world. However, I do have a few gripes about his treatment of the subject.
An Inconvenient Truth is not so much a book as a PowerPoint presentation on steroids. There can be little argument that the photographs are lavish and the pages glossy; but the book consists mostly of a tidal wave of assertions punctuated by personal anecdote leading, in my view, to two significant problems:
1. Superficiality - Although the science broadly supports Gore's arguments and assertions, his declarations make little or no reference to original scientific discoveries, papers or empirical evidence and the result is little more than an argument from authority. This is a shame, because Gore misses the opportunity to engage the layman in a more detailed exploration of the climate change issue by directing interested readers to reputable (and accessible) science.
2. Presentation - superficiality coupled with luxurious presentation results in a product that is a triumph of style over substance: notwithstanding the publication's FSC accreditation, it does not appear to have been printed on recycled paper, despite the fact that Gore himself points out the reduction in energy consumption of using recycled paper (p.315)! Moreover, the glossy, magazine style of the page production has resulted in a weighty tome of over 880g making it heavy, unwieldy and almost impossible to read in low light (for my poor old eyes anyway). On a less substantive but undoubtedly related note, I found myself increasingly irritated with the gratuitous use of different font sizes and colours.... Read more ›
An Inconvenient Truth is not so much a book as a PowerPoint presentation on steroids. There can be little argument that the photographs are lavish and the pages glossy; but the book consists mostly of a tidal wave of assertions punctuated by personal anecdote leading, in my view, to two significant problems:
1. Superficiality - Although the science broadly supports Gore's arguments and assertions, his declarations make little or no reference to original scientific discoveries, papers or empirical evidence and the result is little more than an argument from authority. This is a shame, because Gore misses the opportunity to engage the layman in a more detailed exploration of the climate change issue by directing interested readers to reputable (and accessible) science.
2. Presentation - superficiality coupled with luxurious presentation results in a product that is a triumph of style over substance: notwithstanding the publication's FSC accreditation, it does not appear to have been printed on recycled paper, despite the fact that Gore himself points out the reduction in energy consumption of using recycled paper (p.315)! Moreover, the glossy, magazine style of the page production has resulted in a weighty tome of over 880g making it heavy, unwieldy and almost impossible to read in low light (for my poor old eyes anyway). On a less substantive but undoubtedly related note, I found myself increasingly irritated with the gratuitous use of different font sizes and colours.... Read more ›
Format:Paperback
This is not exactly an in depth overview and sometimes comes across as 'scientific propaganda' but nonetheless it serves as a good reminder for the things the human race needs to fight for.
Format:Paperback
A great book with some fascinating information. The images and diagrams really make this book something else and Gore comes across as a dedicated guy with a very lucid writing style and compelling argument. It remains to be seen if we can act on this, and other pertinent info, to make the changes we need. Highly recommended if you're interested in climate change and want a good introduction or alternatively a beautifully presented book on the subject.
Feel free to check out my blog which can be found on my profile page.
Feel free to check out my blog which can be found on my profile page.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
1.0 out of 5 stars
An Unforgiveable Lie
More appropriately titled 'An Unforgiveable Lie', the principal claims of the book have been found in court to be unsound and contradicted by science, and the book prevented from... Read more
Published on 9 Sep 2010 by A. Mather
1.0 out of 5 stars
Based on since debunked as false 'political' science.
Many of the climate change claims made in this book have since been discovered to have been based on bad science and, in some cases, FALSIFIED OR ALTERED REPORTS. Read more
Published on 30 Aug 2010 by Mr. J. Hewett
1.0 out of 5 stars
Totally Unconvincing
I have always been rather doubtful about some of the warnings of the proponents of 'Global Warming', but I wanted to gain a balanced view of differing views, so I bought 2 books... Read more
Published on 13 Jan 2010 by N. Gosney
1.0 out of 5 stars
Moved On
The science underlying this subject has moved on. Projections of an ever increasing CO2 level seem to be holding on (at a fairly moderate level), yet the best efforts to measure... Read more
Published on 2 Dec 2009 by Sean Houlihane
1.0 out of 5 stars
An Inconvenient Turth: The local emergency of Gore's political career...
If you were hoping for a hard-hitting book on the science of climate change, think again. It is more a book of Gore's political views poorly portrayed in what can only be described... Read more
Published on 9 Oct 2008 by M. Barnes
1.0 out of 5 stars
Picture book
I cannot believe that there is a "Young adult" version of this book. For crying out load what is this one then? Read more
Published on 12 Sep 2008 by Ms. J. Cooper
5.0 out of 5 stars
Mind blowing!
Everybody should watch this. I'm a bit of a cynic at times but I was amazed at the effort put into this film and its effect on me. Read more
Published on 8 Sep 2008 by Road Rocket
4.0 out of 5 stars
If this book don't wake people up, nothing will
Al gore has done what many in World goverments are afaird to do and admit that Global Warming is actually happening and he is spot on when he says it's an Inconvenient Truth to... Read more
Published on 2 July 2008 by Daniel Storey
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good introduction
Having a well known presenter has certainly given the book and DVD access to a huge audience and the information is very good but there are many more in depth books to read that... Read more
Published on 20 Sep 2007 by A. Durham
3.0 out of 5 stars
Strong on problems weak on solutions
I don't know if the debate is different in the US from Europe, maybe many Americans haven't heard of climate change. Read more
Published on 13 Jun 2007 by Peter Shield
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