Promotions - Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles 2021 -

Framing his refreshing climate analysis within complex systems and nonlinear causality, Kupers (Univ. of Amsterdam) convincingly contends that our climate crisis demands revolutionary policy changes. Incremental shifts such as turning off lights and flying less are helpful but insufficient. Top-down initiatives, as evidenced by efforts over the last three decades, develop too slowly. The solution, Kupers suggests, is to recognize the power of complex systems where small local steps can spur systemwide effects. Further, Kupers embraces bottom-up initiatives as the best route to spark revolutionary change and break free from our fossil fuels addiction. Revolution will not come from within established industries, which, he points out, are "too constrained by their own path dependencies" and emphasis on efficiency. Instead, Kupers projects, the state sector, universities, and the military sector will spur innovation. The work is divided into two parts. The first half explores complexity ideas from network literacy (chapter 3) to non-equilibrium (chapter 4), while the second half of the book turns to a handful of revolutionary policy examples such as ending coal consumption (chapter 6) and converting to autonomous cars (chapter 12). Kupers' crisply written text--which brims with fascinating examples--will engage readers from entrepreneurs and policy makers to environmental activists.Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers.

Wood is a fascinating material, according to Ennos (Univ. of Hull): unmatched for its structural properties, lighter than water, as stiff, strong, and tough as steel of the same weight, resistant to stress and compression, and easy to shape. Aside from all this, it's also renewable. In 15 chapters and 4 parts, Ennos plots the history of humankind's interactions with wood. Part 1 envisions human evolution in relation to wood, from prehistoric arboreal origins to likely developments involving human physiology and tool making. Part 2 surveys the building of whole civilizations--clearing of forests, forming communities, learning to smelt and cook, creating or extracting luxuries. Here Ennos also posits the influence of wood on warfare and the emergence of (Western) geopolitical and commercial dominance, including its essential role in the formation of the United States. Part 3 describes the industrial era, replacement of firewood by charcoal, and uses in the 19th century and the modern world. Part 4 ("Facing the Consequences") includes chapters on assessing human impacts and mending relationships. Included are discussions of deforestation, reforestation, forestry practices, and human effects on climate change. Chapter notes and references conclude this fascinating book, likely to capture the interest of all readers interested in history, anthropology, engineering, environmental science, and even in wood itself.Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers.

Why is climate change skepticism so rampant in the media when the scientific community has clearly accepted a changing climate? Scholars of environmental policy and applied linguistics, the authors address this core question by examining counternarratives and ideologies evident in the media. Well-analyzed findings in several chapters are derived through narrative analysis methodology applied to sample media sources and associated online commentary. Lejano and Nero (both, New York Univ.) effectively distill selected climate counternarratives into a list of core common themes and strategies a variety of readers will easily recognize. One chapter also explores criticism of scientists and questions such as who are the true authors of the IPCC reports on which national climate policy is often based. The text concludes with direct discussion of the "so what?" question by providing suggestions for addressing climate skepticism, including opening direct dialogue, and speaking to ideologically driven fears. Scholarly yet accessible to a variety of readers, including undergraduates, this text ably complements prior works on climate skepticism, scientific opinion, and media, such as Merchants of Doubt, by Naomi Oreskes (CH, Jul'11, 48-6243). This thought-provoking work is especially commended to scholars and students of environmental studies and the sciences, political science, communication, and journalism.Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers.