Turned Out Nice
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'Kohn, one of Britain's platoon of first-class popular science writers, injects some delightful coolness and subtlety into [the climate change debate] ... An imaginative journey through different parts of the British isles, crammed with detail. From egrets to thorium and nuclear fusion, the spread of beavers and kites to the prospects of British cattle-farming and the coming winter wheat boom, Kohn fills his pages with vivid specifics, drawn from an awesome-looking library of research ... This is a good primer for anyone who wants to think about the British future without being suicidal or consciously blinkered. --Andrew Marr, FT
'[A] talented writer who has tackled a range of social and scientific subjects ... Kohn's exhaustive research offers up a series of fascinating insights ... His readiness to delve into diverting minutiae during his journeys around his chosen habitats constantly enlivens his meticulous unravelling of the consequences of our excesses upon our home turf.' --Independent on Sunday
'The sheer volume of erudition that he brings to bear on this topic is itself a sign of hope.' --Observer
'[A] talented writer who has tackled a range of social and scientific subjects ... Kohn's exhaustive research offers up a series of fascinating insights ... His readiness to delve into diverting minutiae during his journeys around his chosen habitats constantly enlivens his meticulous unravelling of the consequences of our excesses upon our home turf.' --Independent on Sunday
'The sheer volume of erudition that he brings to bear on this topic is itself a sign of hope.' --Observer
Book Description
From 'one of the best science writers we have', a stark and authoritative vision of Britain after a century of global warming.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
'Turned Out Nice' is an exploration of the British landscape and how it will change, with different chapters focusing on specific places, such as London, the Yorkshire Dales, the Scottish Highlands. As well as showing the changes to local geography, each place is a springboard to look at wider issues, such as sea level rise, or drought.
Sometimes the links are more obscure, with discussions leading off in unexpected directions. One begins with Sizewell nuclear power station on the Suffolk coast, ponders the fate of the migrating birds that nest there, and then follows them north to talk about Russian gas reserves under the Arctic ice. That gives the book a rambling, conversational style that makes it an unpredictable read. It's a style that I quite like, with all kinds of interesting discussions and thoughts tucked away, but some might find it a little unfocused.
Asking imaginative questions is Kohn `s strength here, translating the clearly vast amount of science behind the book into real-life scenarios for non-scientific readers. Will terraced houses become more desirable than detached houses when insulation becomes critical? Will our relationship with Spain be reversed, with the Spanish coming on holiday to England to escape the heat? Will we have to rename London's Green Park if it's no longer Green?
There is room for these kinds of questions, as this isn't a gloomy book full of doom and dire consequences. Sitting in the `Atlantic shade', Britain will be sheltered from the worst excesses of climate change, and its climate may actually improve. The biggest changes to life in Britain may well turn out to be social and political.
Climate change could make us "the envy of the world", but what will that do to us as a nation? What would that mean for immigration? If we might benefit from climate change, can be mobilise the will to prevent it for the sake of others? What will our moral obligations be to the rest of the world, particularly the poor?
These are important questions, and Marek Kohn's lateral thinking is a fresh perspective on the future of life in Britain, and a refreshingly subtle and intelligent book on climate change.
Sometimes the links are more obscure, with discussions leading off in unexpected directions. One begins with Sizewell nuclear power station on the Suffolk coast, ponders the fate of the migrating birds that nest there, and then follows them north to talk about Russian gas reserves under the Arctic ice. That gives the book a rambling, conversational style that makes it an unpredictable read. It's a style that I quite like, with all kinds of interesting discussions and thoughts tucked away, but some might find it a little unfocused.
Asking imaginative questions is Kohn `s strength here, translating the clearly vast amount of science behind the book into real-life scenarios for non-scientific readers. Will terraced houses become more desirable than detached houses when insulation becomes critical? Will our relationship with Spain be reversed, with the Spanish coming on holiday to England to escape the heat? Will we have to rename London's Green Park if it's no longer Green?
There is room for these kinds of questions, as this isn't a gloomy book full of doom and dire consequences. Sitting in the `Atlantic shade', Britain will be sheltered from the worst excesses of climate change, and its climate may actually improve. The biggest changes to life in Britain may well turn out to be social and political.
Climate change could make us "the envy of the world", but what will that do to us as a nation? What would that mean for immigration? If we might benefit from climate change, can be mobilise the will to prevent it for the sake of others? What will our moral obligations be to the rest of the world, particularly the poor?
These are important questions, and Marek Kohn's lateral thinking is a fresh perspective on the future of life in Britain, and a refreshingly subtle and intelligent book on climate change.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is by no means a bad book - in fact it's rather good.
For instance it really places the present in the context of a much wider sweep of time; it places possible environmental and technological impacts of climate change in the context of how we Britons live our lives; and it provides a fascinating window into the broader geographical processes that shape the landscapes that make up our country. Smashing stuff.
But then, why on earth are there no maps? If you are talking us through the flood-vulnerable areas of London, from Barnes to Woolwich, wouldn't it be nice to have some form of illustration for the reader just to glance at? And what about a nice little illustration of the chunks of Sussex and Norfolk in the next two chapters? And so on and son on.
Three stars only because this is frankly a barmy oversight.
For instance it really places the present in the context of a much wider sweep of time; it places possible environmental and technological impacts of climate change in the context of how we Britons live our lives; and it provides a fascinating window into the broader geographical processes that shape the landscapes that make up our country. Smashing stuff.
But then, why on earth are there no maps? If you are talking us through the flood-vulnerable areas of London, from Barnes to Woolwich, wouldn't it be nice to have some form of illustration for the reader just to glance at? And what about a nice little illustration of the chunks of Sussex and Norfolk in the next two chapters? And so on and son on.
Three stars only because this is frankly a barmy oversight.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Turned Out Nice is a very well thought out vision of how climate change may alter the British Isles and our way of life.
The world's climate has always been unstable, varying from Ice Ages to warm periods, and there is no reason to believe that this will not continue. This book doesn't concentrate on why the climate changes, or even if the current warming is necessarily being accerated by man, although on balance it probably is. The main thesis is that the climate will get warmer.
The good news for those of us living in Britain is that our climate is likely to improve because of the stabilising effects of the Atlantic water around us, albeit with more extreme weather events, but for the majority of the world their climate is likely to become far more extreme and in places unsustainable.
The fact that here is likely to become one of the most attractive climates to live in is very much a double edged sword. Although climate has always changed never before has the world had so many people to sustain. The book touches on the pressures of population movements but in my mind this will be the most dangerous aspect of a changing planet.
Already areas of Africa which once could sustain large populations are finding drought a far more common event. New conflicts are likely as people need to find more arable land. Many of the countries surrounding the Mediterranean are likely to become unbearably hot in the summer months leading to a northern migration.
Quite how Britain will face up to this massive immigration pressure is not extensively covered in Marek's book, but then I guess this is one aspect of the future which nobody knows the outcome of, and the book is certainly no less interesting because of it.
Marek does go into depth about coastline changes as the sea levels rise, and the impact this will have on flora and fauna. In particular he describes how some animals and birds, once rare in Britain, will become regular sights and how the landscape will change as farmers adapt to warmer conditions. Different insects and disease will also become a feature of our lives which Britain's gentle climate had once given us protection from.
Overall I found this a very thoughtful, insightful and thought provoking read and highly recommend it.
The world's climate has always been unstable, varying from Ice Ages to warm periods, and there is no reason to believe that this will not continue. This book doesn't concentrate on why the climate changes, or even if the current warming is necessarily being accerated by man, although on balance it probably is. The main thesis is that the climate will get warmer.
The good news for those of us living in Britain is that our climate is likely to improve because of the stabilising effects of the Atlantic water around us, albeit with more extreme weather events, but for the majority of the world their climate is likely to become far more extreme and in places unsustainable.
The fact that here is likely to become one of the most attractive climates to live in is very much a double edged sword. Although climate has always changed never before has the world had so many people to sustain. The book touches on the pressures of population movements but in my mind this will be the most dangerous aspect of a changing planet.
Already areas of Africa which once could sustain large populations are finding drought a far more common event. New conflicts are likely as people need to find more arable land. Many of the countries surrounding the Mediterranean are likely to become unbearably hot in the summer months leading to a northern migration.
Quite how Britain will face up to this massive immigration pressure is not extensively covered in Marek's book, but then I guess this is one aspect of the future which nobody knows the outcome of, and the book is certainly no less interesting because of it.
Marek does go into depth about coastline changes as the sea levels rise, and the impact this will have on flora and fauna. In particular he describes how some animals and birds, once rare in Britain, will become regular sights and how the landscape will change as farmers adapt to warmer conditions. Different insects and disease will also become a feature of our lives which Britain's gentle climate had once given us protection from.
Overall I found this a very thoughtful, insightful and thought provoking read and highly recommend it.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
lost potential
To be fair I'm only just over a third through this book, but...The idea of how climate change will effect Britain was a good one. Read more
Published 7 months ago by wilson family
not what it says in the title
In the early pages you rapidly conclude that the the authors are way out of date with climate change science or the severe limitations on IPCC concensus reports.
1. Read more
1. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Mr. R. G. A. Thomas
Global Warming on a Local Scale
I've read several excellent books on climate change and ecological themes, most notably Six Degrees: Our Future on a Hotter Planet and The World without Us. Read more
Published 23 months ago by J. Evans
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