Ice, Mud and Blood: (MacSci)

Imagine a world of wildly escalating temperatures, apocalyptic flooding, devastating storms and catastrophic sea levels.This might sound like a prediction for the future or the storyline of a new Hollywood blockbuster but it s actually what occurred on earth in the past.In a day and age when worrying forecasts for future climate change are the norm, it seems hard to believe that such things happened regularly over time. Canhumankind decipher the past and learn from it?As science gains new understanding of how the planet works, it s becomingincreasingly clear that no one place is disconnected from anywhere else.From the Alps to the Andes, seemingly unrelated parts of the world are connected in one way or another.By reading this bookyou ll realize thatwe're facing challenges beyond anything our species has had to contend with before. "

About the Author :
Chris Turneyis a British Geologist currently based at the University of Exeter, UK. He did the radiocarbon dating on the 'Hobbit' fossil of Flores, Indonesia, that hit the headlines worldwide. He has published numerous scientific papers and magazine articles and done many media interviews thanks to his infectious enthusiasm for working out how old things are.He is also the author of "Bones, Rocks and Stars: The Science of When Things Happened. ""

Review :
"Captures the intriguing stories of how science uncovered this unexpectedly volatile past. It is a sobering and vividly told tale - especially as we contemplate our growing contribution to its outcome." --"New Scientist""Chris Turney's "Ice, Mud and Blood" is lively, well-researched, and up-to-date. A summary of key discoveries by scientists about past climate change, it ranges widely across time and all over the planet. Turney begins many of these stories with delightful anecdotes about people who centuries ago stumbled on confusing observations that in time came to be understood as the result of climate change." Professor William F. Ruddiman, "Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia, USAand author of Plows, Plagues and Petroleum " "Chris Turney has unveiled a climate crystal ball. It s made of ice, covered in mud, and tells the past and likely future of life on Earth. Join him as he delves expertly into the layered depths of climatic history and exposes the stark warnings to all fossil-fuelled humanity that they hold." --Dr Dave Reay, "author of Climate Change Begins at Home " "A great read on a critically important subject. Turney's best book yet." Tim Flannery, "Professor, Earth & Life Science, Macquarie University" ""Ice, Mud and Blood" is just what the global warming debate needs a sober but passionate account of past climate change by a leading climate scientist that builds to an uncompromising climax: unnatural climate change is here and it s only going to get worse. With a great eye for a story and a quirky turn of phrase, Turney tells how human history has twisted and turned at the helm of a capricious Nature. All the more frightening then to hear that the environmental challenges we face in the coming decades go beyond anything our species has ever had to contend with. A timely rallying call from someone on the frontline." Dr Iain Stewart, School of Earth, Ocean and Environmental Sciences, University of Plymouth, and presenter and author of the BBCs "Earth: the Power of the Planet""""Chris Turney is an outstanding young scientist and this book explores the changing climate and the risks facing us today." --"Devon Life""""If you want just one book, not too thick or too technical, that will give you the intellectual tools to at least understand what the climate change experts are talking about, this is the one. I recommend bringing it to the beach and reading it there you'll appreciate the rising tide and the ocean beaches a little more, and perhaps regard them with a little more respectful dread." "--Pharyngula""""Turney writes calmly and clearly about warming, cooling and other enormous climatic events in earth's geological past. He explains why they add to scientific concern about human greenhouse gas emissions, not detract as sceptics contend. A top contribution to the global warming debate." --"Australian" Accessible, informative, gripping, humorous and sobering . . .Through his extensive research and charismatic approach, Turney provides a convincing explanation of the concepts, causes and effects of climate change. "In the News.com" (UK)"An entertaining, state-of-the-art overview of key issues in paleoclimatology . . . Chris Turney's new book is a great addition to a legacy of climate science literature." --"Holocene """"