Book Description

An investigation into climate change and increasingly dangerous hurricanes from the New York Times–bestselling author of The Republican War on Science. A leading science journalist delves into a red-hot debate in meteorology: whether the increasing ferocity of hurricanes is connected to global warming. In the wake of Katrina, Chris Mooney follows the careers of leading scientists on either side of the argument through the 2006 hurricane season, tracing how the media, special interests, politics, and the weather itself have skewed and amplified what was already a fraught scientific debate. As Mooney puts it: “Scientists, like hurricanes, do extraordinary things at high wind speeds.” Mooney—a New Orleans native, host of the Point of Inquiry podcast, and author of The Republican Brain—has written “a well-researched, nuanced book” that closely examines whether we as a society should be held responsible for making hurricanes even bigger monsters than they already are (The New York Times). “Mooney serves his readers as both an empiricist who gathers data and an analyst who puts it into context. The result is an important book, whose author succeeds admirably in both his roles.” —The Plain Dealer “Engaging and readable . . . Mooney catches real science in the act and, in so doing, weaves a story as intriguing as it is important.” —Los Angeles Times Book Review “Mooney has hit upon an important and controversial topic, and attacks it with vigor.” —The Boston Globe “An absorbing, informed account of the politics behind a pressing contemporary controversy.” —Kirkus Reviews