SCIENCES

Madlands: A Journey To Change the Mind of a Climate Skeptic

Melbourne Univ. Mar. 2013. 256p. illus. ISBN 9780522861693. pap. $29.99. SCI
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OrangeReviewStarEnvironmental activist Rose writes a first-person narrative of a four-week tour she took with conservative politician Nick Minchin to discuss global warming, in which each tried to change the other's mind. Both activist and skeptic hail from Australia, but they travel from Geneva to Hawaii to meet scientists and pundits chosen by both participants to support their respective side of the climate-change debate. As she recounts the journey, Rose clearly favors her own perspective—that global warming is real, that it is caused by human activity, and that it poses a threat—but she does share with readers Minchin's skeptical viewpoints, though she also counters them with relevant information.
VERDICT Because dry, uncontextualized data can be boring (or worse, unconvincing), this style of narrative and conversation to discuss the concepts is very helpful and even persuasive. Both perspectives on the climate, both skeptic and activist, are presented clearly. Highly recommended.
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