Book 91 - Mark Lynas "Six Degrees"

Mark Lynas "Six degrees: our future on a hotter planet" (Fourth Estate)




The IPCC says that in the 21st century global warming could bring temperatures anywhere from 1 to 6 degrees hotter. Lynas uses peer-reviewed scientific literature to show what these temperature rises could mean. In 6 chapters he outlines 6 degrees, 1 degree for each chapter. Fundamentally, once temps get past 2 or 3 degrees, like a wild fire burning out of control, the planet will continue to heat up no matter we do because nature starts releasing massive stores of CO2 from burning forests, melting tundra, warming oceans etc.. once it reaches 6 degrees it could wipe out most life on the planet.

This is the first comprehensive attempt I have seen to outline what exactly a warmer world will be like, based on the most recent peer reviewed scientific literature. It is one part of the learning curve about global warming but an important part. It should be read in conjunction with other books, such as Monbiot's "Heat" which offers solutions to keep temps below 2 or 3 degrees.

This is scary stuff and we don't have much time, 8 or 10 years, to make drastic changes. Once things reach a certain temperature its out of our control and the higher temps become just a matter of time. There is a fire smouldering in the kitchen and we need to get off the couch and turn off the TV and do something about it before it burns down the house.

Recommended reading.

Book 92 - Richard Williams "Blue Moment"

Richard Williams "Blue Moment: Miles Davis's Kind of Blue and the Remaking of Modern Music" (W.W Norton & Co.)






This book explores the development of Miles Davis as a jazz artist that lead to his seminal album of 1959, Kind of Blue, which is routinely voted “the best jazz album of all time” when those types of lists are put together.

I am a jazz fan who does not understand or particularly care about the technical, theoretical aspects of the music, and this book goes into that in great detail. I often found myself skimming over some of this exposition, which often read like gibberish to me. A little of it did sink in nonetheless, but only on a superficial level. A great part of the book talks about the effect that Kind of Blue had on jazz and other musical forms, from 1959 up to the present. I mostly enjoyed that; I like all forms of music. Reading this part of the book did make me want to explore some of the music that is discussed, which I have not paid much attention to before.