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0 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 ....Oct 09, 2009
It's a book. I got it for a class. I'm not into these books but it seems interesting so far. i came in perfect condition....yeah
1 of 2 found the following review helpful:
 Thoughts from a college studentDec 05, 2008
Storm World: Hurricanes, Politics, and the Battle over Global Warming, written by Chris Mooney, is an aggregation of varying perspectives on the connection or lack thereof between global warming and intensifying hurricanes around the world and the fine detail and intricacy of how it's all tied into policy and politicians. Chris Mooney takes the reader on a time travel of hurricane research from 1743 when Benjamin Franklin collectively defined what a storm consists of all the way to current day which is defined by high technology hurricane research (p.15). Along this technology journey scientists have not only discovered amplitude information about hurricanes but also how hurricanes are connected to other meteorological phenomena. Mooney tells of various scientists who have conducted research in attempts to both prove and disprove how global warming is or is not causing an increase in intensity and frequency of hurricanes.
An interesting aspect that Mooney includes in his book is the interconnectedness of the hurricane battle with policy. Research by scientists is funded when the government sees a need for that research to be done. The government sees a need for research when the people are demanding it and citizens demand it when a topic is receiving a lot of media attention. Therefore, the government, and accordint to Mooney particularly the Busch administration, was carefully controlling which aspects of the hurricane-global warming research were released into the media. Also, Mooney gives the example of Landsea who left the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) because they were so controlling of what its scientists could say to the media (p. 134-135). Additionally, where a research institution receives its funds plays a large role in the general reputation it wants to hold on a topic such as global warming. Mooney says the IPCC was funded for a while by the very large oil company, ExxonMobil, and therefore would want to release more anti-hurricane-global warming research. It sends the message that everyone should be very cautious of present biases in the information received because of the number of ways it may be steered to fit the needs of those producing it.
Chris Mooney did a great job providing a variety of perspectives concerning the hurricane-global warming debate, a strategy which strengthens the merit of his book. He made sure to include scientists/researchers, politicians from both ends of the spectrum, the media, and research institutions. He was sure to give research examples from those who support the link between global warming and stronger hurricanes, from those who do not, and those who don't fall strongly either way. Consistently throughout the book he speaks of scientists like Gray who are against a global warming-hurricane link and those like Emanuel, Holland and Knutson who believe in a global warming-hurricane link. At the very end of the book, Mooney lets his opinion shine through his writing by giving examples of stronger research that shows a true link between global warming and hurricanes.
One of my favorite parts of the book is the specific examples and stories of hurricanes that have happened. When a city, people, and personal stories are attached to a hurricane, it becomes more real instead of just wind speeds and pressure measurements. This aspect of the books makes it more relatable to a wide audience. Despite one's political background or one's worldview of the connection between global warming and hurricanes, everyone cares about other people and the devastation they face from a natural disaster like hurricanes. No matter what is causing it, hurricanes cause millions of dollars in damage and affects thousands of lives every year. Mooney definitely sends this underlying message in his book; there is a great need for hurricane research for the better we understand and can predict them, the more prepared we can be for the damage they are capable of producing on land.
1 of 2 found the following review helpful:
 Hurricanes and Politics Should Not MixMar 01, 2008
Chris Mooney presents a fascinating inside look into the politics and personalities behind hurricane science and scientists. With the possibility that global warming can increase the destructive power of hurricanes, a formerly non-controversial topic became highly politicized in a short amount of time. Predictably, scientists were in two basic camps: one believed global warming makes hurricanes worse, and one believed that global warming (which may not be occurring) does not make hurricanes worse.
Although Mooney keeps the pace moving along, by the time you finish this book, you may know more about hurricanes than you bargained for. At times, the book is almost too detailed for its own good, but if you know at least a little basic meteorology, you should be able to handle all the atmospheric science thrown into the book. Good book on a fascinating subject.
6 of 14 found the following review helpful:
Good, But Not OutstandingJan 26, 2008
This is a good book, but not quite as good as the other reviewers suggest. I suspect that how much you like this book depends, in part, on how much you agree with the author's views. Put simply, although the book purports to be an objective overview of the interaction between science and politics, Mr. Mooney makes it clear which side he thinks is right. Those skeptical of global warming tend to be marginalized as out of touch, cranks, or biased by "special interests." This detracts from the book in a significant way because it casts doubt on the accuracy of the analysis. Indeed, in several places, the author seems to go out of his way to downplay data that undercuts the "global warming is making hurricanes worse" thesis that he endorses.
Having said that, the book is still very readable and full of information about hurricanes and the history of their study. Whenever the author is not talking about global climate change, his account of the science and the scientists is engaging and clear.
In sum, worth reading if you have any interest in hurricanes, but take his discussions of the state of global warming science with a large grain of salt.
Science and JournalismJan 21, 2008
This is an exceptionally well done example of scientific journalism.
It presents a balanced review of both sides of the global warming ->
hurricanes issue while recognizing that the consensus of scientific opinion is that global warming is a real phenomenon.
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based on 17 reviews
