In my limited readings on desertification (about 10 books), this is the only book that covers desertification comprehensively. While other books tell you that desertification is a long-term land degradation and is caused by mismanagement of land, this book covers the climatic factor as well. How climate influences the hydrologic cycle, vegetation and soil, and how in turn these factors affected by human actions lead to qualitative changes in soil and vegetation. It also suggests a few steps towards mitigating desertification. In overall, this book deserves a 5!

A lot of the misinformation on global warming has involved the use of three or four greenhouse skeptics like Dr. Balling. These are people who take a different position from the more than two-thousand scientists reporting to the United Nations, and they have been given access to the media by money being spent by the petroleum industry. This book is no more than a paid advertisement by big oil.

"The Heated Debate," is a very balanced discussion of theory and data related to the greenhouse effect. The author, Dr. Robert Balling, Jr., is Director of the Office of Climatology at Arizona State University. He's published some seventy technical articles.

Dr. Balling is a climate consultant to the United Nations, the World Meteorological Organization, and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. I believe he is a pure researcher, "untainted" by connections to any political agenda. His writing is scholarly, well foot-noted and documented, and he offers a history and critique of greenhouse theory and empirical data.

His general conclusion is that more than a little skepticism is warranted, and that we should wait ten years or so before investing TRILLIONS of $ on carbon withdrawal, and DRASTICALLY changing all of our lives, until a MUCH better understanding is established. The theory, measurements, and understanding of the greenhouse effect are advancing rapidly, and drastically changing the original predictions from only a few decades ago. Measured warming has been nowhere near the earlier predictions, and the mathematical models are being constantly revised.

For anyone interested in global warming this book is a very interesting and different perspective than that propounded by politicians and the media!!

What is the latest global religion? Environmentalism. Finally a book that sheds the light of skepticism and science on the environmental hype and scaremongering.