Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Reading and Riding: ‘Climate Wars’ is Number 1 on my list

At present, I am reading from three books while pedalling 30 plus miles 3 - 4 times per week on my exercise bike.

(I don’t know if 100+ miles per week is average, a lot, or way, way over the top for someone my age but it certainly helps me keep up with most players while playing hockey twice per week).


["Send me in, Coach": GAH circa 1958]

I am reading several pages per week from ‘Beers of the World’ by David Kenning, ‘Saving Planet Earth’ by Tony Juniper and ‘Climate Wars’ by Gwynne Dyer.

Of the three, ‘Climate Wars’ is the most absorbing. (My cotton T-shirts do a lot of absorbing too, but that’s another matter).

Admittedly, because I enjoy a 3 - 4 cans of beer per week (“Everything in moderation,” my mother used to say.), ‘Beers of the World’ will continue to be entertaining, and it’s already inspired a weekly post entitled ‘Searching for a fine glass of beer in London.’

And though I’m pretty sure Tony Juniper’s book will one day be listed under READ THIS (see side margin), I’d like to recommend G. Dyer’s book to you now, even though I’m only up to page 56.

His writing style, statistics and warnings in scenario form (re climate change and consequences) are timely and necessary to the nth degree.

In the introduction he writes:

“The potential cost of doing too little, too late is vastly greater than the cost that might be incurred by doing more to fight global warming than turns out, at some later date, to have been strictly necessary” pg. xi

Another post or two will undoubtedly follow, but for now, please add Dyer’s book to your own ‘read this’ list.

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If there’s another book you think I should read (even while riding) please let me know.

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