Reference Reviews

Doug’s Student Reference Room

Climate Change: In Context, edited by Brenda Wiloth Lerner and K. Lee Lerner. 2 vols., 1006 p. Detroit: Gale Cengage Learning, 2008. ISBN 13: 978-1-4144-3614-2. ISBN 10: 1-4144-3614-9. $245.00.

This collection begins with the premise—now almost universally accepted in the scientific community—that global warming is a fact, and expands the discussion from whether it exists to what should be done in response. Compelling essays by noted environmental scientist Wallace Broecker and science writer Thomas Hayden introduce the set with personal reflections on the scientific, political and social implications of global warming. Aimed at high school students, more than 250 alphabetically arranged entries cover topics such as absolute climate change, Antarctica, carbon dioxide concentrations, chlorofluorocarbons, ozone depletion and waste disposal. Each entry begins with an introduction that describes the topic, followed by historical background and scientific foundations, and a discussion of impacts and issues. A “Words to Know” sidebar accompanies each entry, and primary source documents are frequently connected to topics. Entries conclude with both print and web resources for further research. This collection does not assume background in the physical sciences; while there is some unavoidably technical jargon, the language remains accessible to the non-scientist. Charts, graphs and color photos complement the text throughout. Each volume begins with a discussion of how to interpret primary sources, a lengthy glossary, abbreviations, acronyms and definitions used by the 2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and a chronology of climate change-related events from the early 19th century to 2008. The second volume concludes with a 40 page bibliography of sources consulted and a comprehensive index. The range of social, economic, scientific and political issues this set explores, in combination with its accessibility to the general public in high school and beyond, makes this a highly recommended resource for high school and public libraries.
—Doug Achterman