The Greening of Gavin

Two Eco Book Reviews

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Here are two recent books that I read and reviews that I wrote for them.  Both were interesting and eye opening, and highly relevant to the theme of this blog.

Just as a disclaimer for integrity purposes; I did not get paid for these reviews, however I was just offered a free copy of each book for review purposes.  I believe it is a neat way of getting something interesting to read, and voice your opinion at the same time.

by John J. Berger

Book Description: 
Climate Myths is both a primer on climate change and a definitive rebuttal of climate science denial. The book can thus be used to help educate students, teachers, and the general public about the controversy over climate change. Climate Myths puts the campaign against climate science in historical, political, and economic context and juxtaposes the claims of climate change deniers with the facts about climate change as revealed by authoritative climate science. Climate Myths dispels common misunderstandings about climate change and spotlights the companies, organizations, and individuals who have promoted climate myths in the course of their highly successful, multimillion dollar climate disinformation campaigns. Drawing on the principles and achievements of climate science, Climate Myths summarizes the imminent threat of rapid climate change, pointing readers toward needed action.

My Review

“Facts are our friends. Climate Myths is a well written book about the facts of climate change and the industrial forces that oppose action to prevent this planet altering issue.

The campaign against climate science has been meticulously researched and referenced by Berger, quickly blowing away the smoke and mirrors that are manipulated by these forces to plant confusion in the mind of the common man. The cloud of deception funded by vested interests has been lifted within the pages of this compact reference.

By revealing these truths, Berger allows us to see the problems and forces in front of us. By reading this book, we are now armed with the ammunition to refute and rebut climate change deniers and their ilk.

At the end of the day, science doesn’t care if we believe in climate change or not. It just is, and it is happening. The author has sifted away the sands of disinformation, so that the climate myths can be well and truly busted.”

Ascending Spiral: Humanity’s Last Chance

by Bob Rich

Book description:
Join us on an epic journey older than civilization itself
Dr. Pip Lipkin has lived for 12,000 years, incarnated many times as man, woman, and even as species beyond our world and senses. But he’s here for a reason: to pay restitution for an ancient crime by working to save humanity from certain destruction. Ascending Spiral is a book that will take the reader to many different places and times, showing, ultimately, that our differences and divisions, even at their most devastating, are less important than our similarities.
My Review

An eon of experiences and learning that can span many physical bodies? Is that possible? Well, after reading “Ascending Spiral – Humanity’s Last Chance”, you will rethink the meaning of life, death and what may follow, especially the future of humanity.

This thought provoking book by Dr Bob Rich is a page turner from first to last. It is meticulously researched through many historical periods, and during the story you follow the journey of a single entity, Pip Lipkin, who is traversing many timeframes. The genre of this book is difficult to categorise, spanning historical drama, science fiction, and the metaphysical. That is not to say that the book is difficult to read. Far from it. It flows effortlessly from life to life, who are all connected in a particular way, which leaves the reader to ponder deeply. The environmental theme is subtly disguised throughout the story until it becomes crystal clear in the final sequences.

This story had me hooked from the very start, and I could emotionally identify with all of the characters that I was introduced to during his progression. In fact, I cried with tears of joy as I flipped through to the end as the story reached its climax. Its powerful message was loud and clear. We are the owners of our own future!

This is a must-read book!


Note: Links to the book titles are Amazon affiliate links, where I will be paid a very small fee for referral.

The Aviator – A Book Review

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I stumbled across this recently published book as I was listening to an episode of Radio Ecoshock, where Alex Smith (the presenter) was interviewing Gareth Renowden who co-hosts a podcast called The Climate Show.  I bought it straight way at the iBookstore, but should have purchased directly from the author as he would have gotten a bigger slice of the pie.  Sorry Gareth.

Anyway, Gareth was given the opportunity to promote his book, The Aviator which he describes as  ;

“Flying around a world battered by rapid climate change and struggling with economic collapse in a hi-tech airship, Lemmy encounters the remnants of our civilisation – the artificial intelligences searching for the singularity, a rocking bishop in his flying cathedral, the last climate sceptics, the technovegans and deep green terrorists, billionaire libertarians in their bubble, and much, much more. Not to mention the goats, the girlfriend with bots in her head and the elixir of life (which is cheese).”

I was attracted to it right away, because it mentioned two things that I am passionate about.  Climate Change and Cheese!  How the two go together is well worth picking up a copy for just for that.

The story centres around the main character ex Californian Lemmy and his airship, the Thunderbird, who travel around this ravaged world.  The Thunderbird is the shell of a body for the Artificial Intelligence, called Jenny, who has a thing for old movies and historical figures.  The story is told by both main characters, and it was very interesting reading from Jenny’s point of view.  It gave a lot more depth to the story than otherwise would have been there if it had just been told from Lemmy’s side of the tale.  Did I mention that Jenny the AI likes pirates?  Aarrr.

From what I can figure the book is set around 2030-2040 from various comments throughout the book, however a specific date is never given (it could be a little later).  I believe that is because the author tried to steer away from having the story compared to a prediction of sorts.

The description of a post climate change world was eye opening.  It was well researched as to what may happen if we do not take climate action soon, and stop using our atmosphere to dump our waste.  With a melted Arctic Ice Cap, a Greenland void of ice, methane fires in Siberia, and violent global weather patterns, it was the stuff of nightmares.

However, dystopian future aside, the story keeps you flipping each page, and the adventures that Lemmy and Jenny have together are varied and wondrous.  They travel from their base near Nelson, New Zealand (after all, the author is a Kiwi) to what is left of the USA, to northern Canada, across to Greenland, over part of the North Pole down to Russia, to China, and Melbourne, Australia.  Wait until you find out what happened to Australia!  It is not difficult to imagine either given the droughts, bushfires and floods that we are already experiencing at the beginning of climate change.

Introduce a foxy lady in the form of Lemmy’s love interest Kate (also from Nelson), and throw in a  jealous AI, and things get really interesting.

Without giving away any more spoilers, I found the story enthralling, entertaining, humorous, chilling in places, and believable. It was also a definite page-turner. I couldn’t put it down once I started and it took me a day to finish. Normally a work of fiction would take a week or two to get through, especially then it weighs in at over 100,000 words.

It even featured goats, with magical cheese, and they even stumble upon what is left of the Heartland Institute which has a hilarious twist.

Well written, well thought through, and well edited.  This book is a must read and well worth the asking price of US$4.99

The Aviator, the first in a series set in The Burning World, is available from in multiple formats from Smashwords, iBookstore US, UK and AU, and on Amazon for Kindle and in Paperback ($US15).  You can read more about the author here.

I can’t wait until Part Two is published and I know it will be well worth the wait.

Gavin out.