The Weather Makers

How Man is Changing the Climate and What it Means for Life on Earth

By: Tim Flannery

Narrated by: Drew de Carvalho

From Dr. Tim Flannery, one of the world's foremost experts on conservation and ecology, comes a book of immeasurable importance. Hailed by Kirkus Reviews as a "powerful and persuasive" work that is "sure to provoke strong reaction", The Weather Makers is among the finest examinations of climate change ever written.

Originally skeptical of global warming, Flannery spent years compiling his own research. What he learned is sobering. Human beings are weather makers whose production of carbon dioxide is polluting the planet at a devastating rate. Species are disappearing, the natural world is changing, and weather events, like Hurricane Katrina, are becoming increasingly disastrous. But as Flannery shows, there are cleaner ways to live, and doing so is the only way to avoid global catastrophe.

Alarming but filled with ideas that inspire hope, The Weather Makers could be the most important book you ever hear.

©2006 Tim Flannery (P)2006 Recorded Books, LLC.

Critic reviews

"Straightforward and powerfully written....Destined to become required reading." (Publishers Weekly)
"This work is distinctive in its marriage of science to an act-now attitude and should energize environmentally minded readers." (Booklist)

Informative

A book that provides a lot of good information about climate change and potential causes.

Not Bad, but biased

Very informative and interesting discussion of this issue. His presentation of the history of the global warming theories and debate is the best part of the book because he demonstrates the theories are rooted in science that has developed over the past 100 years. The second portion of the book is not up to the high standard set by the first half of the book. While the author states that he is presenting a scientific case for global warming, his ad hominem attacks on President Bush and Australian leaders belie his bias (scientists are, after all, supposed to use dispassionate logic when presenting their point of view). Still, most will benefit from his discussion of this topic and I, for one, came away believing that something should be done now about this problem.

The definitive book on climate crisis

If you want to read just one book on the climate crisis this is it. In this award-winning book the eminent Scientist Tim Flannery approaches the subject of climate crisis from various angles- the history, the science, the politics and the actions we all can take to fight this gravest crisis our civilization faces today. Flannery writes in a poetic language with a gift of making complex ideas simple and comprehendible. He explores the issues in great depth but does not turn off the reader for a moment with lifeless scientific facts. You can feel his love for this planet and every living being on earth in every word of his writing. The narrator did an excellent job in expressing the emotive account. I have already listened it twice and also got the hard copy for ready reference. I keep referring it to all my friends. Keep up the good work Tim!

Excellent

Great audio book and great read all around. Well worth the price of admission! I may listen to it twice....

Preaching to the choir

If you are already convinced seriousness of global warming, then the stories about humankind's relationship to the environment will likely invigorate and solidify that belief.

However, as a skeptic trying to find the faith, I found the arguments scattered and weak. I needed a clear presention of the evidence both for and against the prediction of global catastrophe, even if the verdict was prejudiced. Instead, I got lots of examples of how delicate the environment is, of how unbelievers are somehow blinded or dishonest, and lots of fire & brimstone types of adjectives.

That, and a general lack of organization in the work, made The Weathermakers not just unconvincing, but often tedious.