Global warming: understanding the forecast

Given the latest assessment (February 2007) by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), David Archer's book is timely and provides the scientifically literate person with much of the background necessary for understanding global warming and the contributory role of human activities. A strength of the book is that it covers risk assessment and the decision-making process involved in formulating policy to both ameliorate and adapt to climate change through the 21st century. This includes consideration of economics, human psychology, international relations and other areas not typically covered in a physical science book. Global warming: understanding the forecast is organized into three parts, 'The greenhouse effect', 'The carbon cycle' and 'The forecast', each chapter within which begins with a short overview of the main points and concludes with brief 'take-home points', problem questions ('projects') and further reading. Some of the projects involve working with numerical models (e.g. radiative transfer, carbon cycling), accessed via the World Wide Web. There is both a glossary and a list of constants and symbols given towards the end of the book. The main points are illustrated by line diagrams, a few black-and-white photographs and images, and several color plates.