- The Weather Makers , By Tim Flannery
- The Revenge of Gaia By James Lovelock
- When the Rivers Run Dry, By Fred Pearce
Regarding The Weather Makers he writes the book " does for climate change what Carl Sagan's Cosmos did for popularizing science and Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time did for black holes. If one were to read only one book about the current state of the global environment, this would be it". Chapman also reports the book ends with " with an afterword written after 'Hurricane Katrina burst upon New Orleans and changed climate history,' and offers in a few pages an account of the disaster, how hurricanes form, and the question of whether Katrina was a symptom of climate change or a product of decadeslong storm cycles. He favors the former, and writes a convincing argument as to why".
In When The Rivers Run Dry, Chapman writes that Pearce includes " a side of the Katrina story both Lovelock and Flannery neglected--the controlling of the Mississippi River at its mouth has eliminated most of the estuary south of New Orleans, which, like a sponge, would have absorbed much of the storm surge. It is an example of how governments and people alike need to look at the more practical side of immediate water needs while also keeping the big picture in mind, instead of relying on idealistic engineering solutions".
The Revenge of Gaia expands on the work of James Lovelock, "who coined the phrase, the Gaia Theory". My own introduction to environmental concerns came via Lovelock's earlier books, which are now considered classics.
For a more in depth analysis of these books check out Chapman's article here.
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