Elizabeth Kolbert's Field Notes from a Catastrophe extensively discusses climate change, combining scientific insights with compelling narratives. Critics praise its accessible yet informative approach, though some find the tone overly pessimistic. The book effectively raises awareness, but its dire projections might overwhelm some readers.

Readers who appreciate Field Notes from a Catastrophe by Elizabeth Kolbert are environmentally conscious individuals drawn to narratives blending scientific research with compelling storytelling. Fans of The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert or Silent Spring by Rachel Carson will find this book intriguing and insightful.

In Field Notes from a Catastrophe, Elizabeth Kolbert explores the urgent and multifaceted impacts of climate change, beginning with observations in Greenland and the Alaskan island of Shishmaref and tracing historical and contemporary scientific research. She examines global climate models, the political resistance to addressing emissions, and the consequences for biodiversity and human societies. Kolbert concludes that human activities have ushered in the Anthropocene epoch, significantly disrupting the earth's natural climate balance. 

The book contains discussions of environmental displacement and mentions large-scale famines.

Informative / Challenging / Melancholic / Unnerving / Contemplative

Elizabeth Kolbert

Adult

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Nonfiction

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Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 1: “Nature”

Preface-Part 1

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Part 2: “Man”

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