Book Review – Super Facts

Brief Answers to the Big Questions – Review

The goal of this blog is to create a list of what I call super facts. Super facts are important and true facts that nevertheless are surprising to a lot of people, mind-blowing, or misunderstood or disputed among non-experts. They are special facts that we all can learn something important from. However, I also create posts that are not super facts but feature other interesting information, such as this book review and book recommendation. The book is:

Brief Answers to the Big Questions by Stephen Hawking

Below I am listing the four editions of this book. I bought and read the hardback version.

Hardback – Publisher : Bantam (October 16, 2018), ISBN-10 : 1984819194, ISBN-13 : 978-1984819192, 256 pages, item weight : 12.8 ounces, dimensions : 5.55 x 0.8 x 8.1 inches. It costs $11.58 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Paperback – Publisher : Random House Large Print (November 13, 2018), ISBN-10 : 1984887262, ISBN-13 : 978-1984887269, 352 pages, item weight : 10 ounces, dimensions : 5.3 x 0.82 x 7.8 inches. It costs $27.00 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Kindle – Publisher : Bantam (October 16, 2018), ASIN : B07D6BBGKL, ISBN-13 : 978-1984819208, 227 pages, it costs $5.99 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Audiobook – Publisher : Random House Audio (October 16, 2018), ASIN : B07FW4NT2X, Listening length : 4 hours and 51 minutes. $0.99 with membership. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.

The front cover features the title and the name of author Stephen Hawking author of A Brief History of Time. This is on a blue background featuring two blue circles. — The front cover of Brief Answers to the Big Questions by Stephen Hawking. Click on the image to go to the Amazon page for the hardback version of the book.

Amazon’s Description of the Book

“Hawking’s parting gift to humanity . . . a book every thinking person worried about humanity’s future should read.”—NPR

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY Forbes • The Guardian • Wired

Stephen Hawking was the most renowned scientist since Einstein, known both for his groundbreaking work in physics and cosmology and for his mischievous sense of humor. He educated millions of readers about the origins of the universe and the nature of black holes, and inspired millions more by defying a terrifying early prognosis of ALS, which originally gave him only two years to live. In later life he could communicate only by using a few facial muscles, but he continued to advance his field and serve as a revered voice on social and humanitarian issues.

Hawking not only unraveled some of the universe’s greatest mysteries but also believed science plays a critical role in fixing problems here on Earth. Now, as we face immense challenges on our planet—including climate change, the threat of nuclear war, and the development of artificial intelligence—he turns his attention to the most urgent issues facing us.

Will humanity survive? Should we colonize space? Does God exist? These are just a few of the questions Hawking addresses in this wide-ranging, passionately argued final book from one of the greatest minds in history.

Featuring a foreword by Eddie Redmayne, who won an Oscar playing Stephen Hawking, an introduction by Nobel Laureate Kip Thorne, and an afterword from Hawking’s daughter, Lucy, Brief Answers to the Big Questions is a brilliant last message to the world.

This is my five star review for the book Brief Answers to the Big Questions

Smart but Brief Answers to Some Big Questions

People want answers to the big questions. Is there a God? How did it all begin? Is time travel possible? Is there other intelligent life in the Universe? Will artificial intelligence outsmart us? Will we survive on Earth? Should we colonize space? That’s some of the questions that Stephen Hawking address in this book. Stephen Hawking is answering these questions as simply and as briefly as possible at the same time as he uses advanced scientific knowledge and his deep insights and intelligence to do it. However, to read this book you need to be curious and open to using scientific knowledge and logic. The book is for those who intentionally seek the truth and not confirmation of their existing beliefs. That does not mean that Stephen Hawking will arrive at conclusive answers “Yes” or “No” answers.

Take for example the question “Is there a God?” His answer is not “Yes” or “No”. His answer is to explain why the Universe does not need a creator and assuming that the cosmological viewpoint that time and space came into existence with the Big Bang, why the Universe cannot even have a creator. He is using modern physics and logic to deduct those answers, but they are not identical to a simple “No”. As to whether we will survive on Earth, he states that global warming, which is caused by us burning fossil fuels, is potentially a civilization destroying threat, which we may not survive during the next 1,000 years. He says the same thing about nuclear weapons, which do not seem to go away and instead more countries want to adapt. At some point during the next 1,000 years something could go very wrong, whether it is a total nuclear war or runaway global warming. He is also concerned that malevolent Artificial Intelligence could one day outsmart us. He talks about the doomsday clock. These are all well informed opinions but not definite answers.

Along the way we learn about a lot of concepts from science, especially physics. We learn about quantum physics, special and general relativity, black holes, gravitational collapse, the big bang, inflation (the cosmological kind), multiverses, the strong and weak anthropic principle, the information paradox, hawking radiation, antiparticles, virtual particles, supertranslations, cosmic strings, the Higgs Boson, the Large Hadron Collider, vacuum fluctuations, the Casimir effect, the chronology protection conjecture, nuclear fusion, nanocrafts, the technological singularity, etc. He does not explore these concepts in depth but explains them well enough to be useful for answering the big questions for laymen. He is obviously an admirer of Albert Einstein, and I think for good reason I should add.

This book is written for laymen, people who are not physicists, and not experts on these matters. It is well written and relatively easy to understand. Not everyone will like all of the answers but as a reader make sure you understand the arguments and facts before you reject an answer because you don’t like it. Stephen Hawkings was an amazing scientist and he is certainly missed. I highly recommend this book to everyone.

The back cover features advance praise for the book by the New York Times, as well as a list of the Big Questions that he is answering. The text is white on a dark blue background. — The back cover of Brief Answers to the Big Questions by Stephen Hawking. Click on the image to go to the Amazon page for the paperback version of the book.

To see the Super Facts click here

Review of Green American Style

The goal of this blog is to create a list of what I call super facts. Super facts are important and true facts that nevertheless are surprising to a lot of people, they are mind-blowing or misunderstood or disputed among non-experts. They are special facts that many of us can learn something important from or perhaps challenge us. However, I also make posts that are not super facts but feature other interesting information, such as this book review and book recommendation. The book is:

Green, American Style: Becoming Earth-Friendly and Reaping the Benefits by Anna M. Clark

Below I am listing the two editions on Amazon of this book. I bought the paperback version.

Hardback – Publisher : BakerBooks (January 1, 2010), ISBN-10 : 1616643242, ISBN-13 : 978-1616643249, item weight : 1.01 pounds. It costs $10.95 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Paperback – Publisher : BakerBooks (April 1, 2010), ISBN-10 : 0801013348, ISBN-13 : 978-0801013348, 253 pages, item weight : 10.9 ounces, dimensions : 5.25 x 0.5 x 8.25 inches. It costs $4.99 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.

The front cover of Green, American Style: Becoming Earth-Friendly and Reaping the Benefits by Anna M. Clark. Click on the image to go to the Amazon page for the hardback version of the book.

Amazon’s Description of the Book

Americans of all stripes are finding their footing in the green movement. What was once a road less traveled is quickly becoming a superhighway as those who were once reluctant find that going green is not about giving up. It’s about gaining more money, time, opportunity, health, and well-being even as we preserve the American lifestyle in a rapidly changing world. Green, American Style is a guide to going green and loving it. Its uniquely American perspective means it speaks to readers from their own paradigm, taking into account the largely conservative values of much of this country, its democratic and capitalistic history, and its resistance to reining in.

More than a list of ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle, this book explores the green movement from the diverse perspectives of business, faith, and lifestyle, recognizing the economic, physical, and spiritual benefits of sustainable living.

This is my five star review for the book Green, American Style

Save Money Become Healthier and Save the Planet too

The author, Anna Clark, is the founder and President of the company EarthPeople LLC. In this book she presents hundreds of ways companies and citizens can become more environmentally sustainable, while becoming healthier and save money at the same time. Becoming “green” does not have to be a great sacrifice, and you don’t need to adopt a certain environmentalist attitude, or politics. There are practical advantages to you personally as you adopt a greener lifestyle. She refers to this as the green advantage. She is also stating that Green is patriotic. It is our best chance to preserve our way of life for the future.

Climate Change / Global Warming is happening, and the scientific evidence clearly shows that we are the cause. We know it is not natural. Unfortunately, a lot of people have a negative emotional reaction to this reality. Instead of arguing about this issue, and risking turning off some readers, the author focuses on the positives of sustainability and the things we can all agree on. Sustainability is not a political decision but a better way to live.

She is also not an all-or-nothing advocate. For example, she says that you can eat less meat, but you don’t need to become a vegan if that is not what you want. I can add to that that the average American eats 220 pounds of meat per year, which corresponds to 330 million tons of carbon emissions, or 5-6% of our total emissions in the US. If you eat 110 pounds of meat instead of 220 pounds of meat you have removed 50% of those emissions. If you go from eating 10 pounds of meat per year to being vegan you’ve reduced only 3%. All-or-nothing is hard and there are so many other ways that you can reduce your impact on the environment. You choose what fits you and reaching for the low-hanging fruit is smart.

At the same time, she does not shy away from the problems. She mentions the danger of being so dependent on oil, not the least considering national security, and the need for developing alternatives, preferably clean energy sources. She discusses freshwater scarcity, the world losing species at a rate thousands of times faster than the natural extinction rate, and the dangers of excessive carbon dioxide levels. She discusses the many toxins in our environment and how to avoid them.

In the book she describes her interviews and interactions with several important personalities in sustainability including the billionaire and oil tycoon T. Boone Pickens and the billionaire and CEO Roger Barnett. She advocates for eco-capitalism and for LEED certified buildings. She herself lives in a platinum level LEED certified residence. The book features a lot of resources and hundreds of links, and the second part of the book lists 85 easy ways to save the planet and money at the same time. It is not that strange. If you save energy and gasoline, and you waste less and you don’t buy things you don’t really need, you’ll save the planet and money too. In fact, you can easily save thousands of dollars. You may not know how to do that, but the book will tell you.

She also lists 25 ways to remodel your home to make it greener and saving energy. I found that we have already done several of the things listed. She also discusses gardening and composting. I can add that she correctly states that EVs not only save you gas money, but they are significantly cleaner than regular cars even with dirty grids. Due to some untrue rumors, there is some confusions about that. I can add that EVs has come a long way since this book was published.

The author also talked about the environmental studies program at St. Marks School of Texas, the school our boys attended. We live next to that school. This was more of a fun and for me personal portion of the book. The book also features some warnings. When you go shopping, there are third party-verification labels and non-specific generic labels that don’t mean anything such as “natural”, “cage free”, and “free range”. Be a smart shopper.

In summary, this book may be a bit old, but it contains a lot of useful and helpful information that is still relevant today. Therefore, I highly recommend it to everyone. You certainly don’t have to be an environmentalist to put the advice in the book to practice and save some money, become a bit healthier and save the planet at the same time.

The back cover of Green, American Style: Becoming Earth-Friendly and Reaping the Benefits by Anna M. Clark. Click on the image to go to the Amazon page for the paperback version of the book.

About the Author

Photo of Anna M. Clark author of Green, American Style. There is also summary describing her. "Anna Clark is president of EarthPeople (www.earthpeopleco.com), a consulting and communications firm that helps organizations of all sizes save money and bolster their brands through profitable green strategies. A featured blogger for Greenbiz.com and SustainLane.com, Anna writes on topics ranging from green living to leadership. Anna lives with her family in Dallas in one of the first residences in Texas to earn a platinum LEED-certified rating from the US Green Building Council."

Anna Clark is president of EarthPeople (www.earthpeopleco.com), a consulting and communications firm that helps organizations of all sizes save money and bolster their brands through profitable green strategies. A featured blogger for Greenbiz.com and SustainLane.com, Anna writes on topics ranging from green living to leadership. Anna lives with her family in Dallas in one of the first residences in Texas to earn a platinum LEED-certified rating from the US Green Building Council. For the more on all things green, visit www.annamclark.com.

Click below to visit her web sites.

https://www.annamclark.com

https://www.earthpeopleco.com

The Unfolding Solar Energy Revolution

The goal of this blog is to create a list of what I call super facts. Super facts are important true facts that nevertheless are surprising to many, misunderstood, or disputed among the non-experts. They are special facts that we all can learn something important from. However, I also make posts that are not super facts but feature other interesting information, such as this book review and book recommendation. I should say that this book is not written by a scientist but an environmentalist, and he did not provide references for his hundreds of factual claims. However, I fact checked at least 20 claims and found only one that was not entirely correct, so I think his facts are for the part correct. The book is:

Here Comes the Sun: A Last Chance for the Climate and a Fresh Chance for Civilization by Bill McKibben

Below I am listing the four versions of this book. I bought the hardback version.

Hardback – Publisher : W. W. Norton & Company (August 19, 2025), ISBN-10 : 1324106239, ISBN-13 : 978-1324106234, 224 pages, item weight : 12 ounces, dimensions : 5.8 x 0.9 x 8.6 inches. It costs $15.91on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Paperback – Publisher : W. W. Norton & Company (August 11, 2026), ISBN-10 : 1324130628, ISBN-13 : 978-1324130628, 240 pages, item weight : 13 ounces, dimensions : 1 x 5.5 x 8.25 inches. It costs $19.99 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Kindle – Publisher : W. W. Norton & Company (August 19, 2025), ASIN : B0DXQGBM4Z, 220 pages, it costs $9.40 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Audiobook – Publisher : Highbridge Audio (August 19, 2025), ASIN : B0F95QL1C2, Listening length : 7 hours and 36 minutes. $0.00 with membership. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.

The front cover of Here Comes the Sun: A Last Chance for the Climate and a Fresh Chance for Civilization by Bill McKibben. | The Unfolding Solar Energy Revolution — The front cover of Here Comes the Sun: A Last Chance for the Climate and a Fresh Chance for Civilization by Bill McKibben. Click on the image to go to the Amazon page for the hardback version of the book.

Amazon’s Description of the Book

From the acclaimed environmentalist, a call to harness the power of the sun and rewrite our scientific, economic, and political future.

Our climate, and our democracy, are melting down. But Bill McKibben, one of the first to sound the alarm about the climate crisis, insists the moment is also full of possibility. Energy from the sun and wind is suddenly the cheapest power on the planet and growing faster than any energy source in history―if we can keep accelerating the pace, we have a chance.

Here Comes the Sun tells the story of the sudden spike in power from the sun and wind―and the desperate fight of the fossil fuel industry and their politicians to hold this new power at bay. From the everyday citizens who installed solar panels equal to a third of Pakistan’s electric grid in a year to the world’s sixth-largest economy―California―nearly halving its use of natural gas in the last two years, Bill McKibben traces the arrival of plentiful, inexpensive solar energy. And he shows how solar power is more than just a path out of the climate crisis: it is a chance to reorder the world on saner and more humane grounds. You can’t hoard solar energy or hold it in reserves―it’s available to all.

There’s no guarantee we can make this change in time, but there is a hope―in McKibben’s eyes, our best hope for a new civilization: one that looks up to the sun, every day, as the star that fuels our world.

This is my five-star review for Here Comes the Sun

The Spectacular Success of Renewables

Here comes the sun tells the story of the spectacular success of renewables around the world, especially the success of solar power and wind power, with a special emphasis on solar power. The success of renewables was one reason that the IPCC will likely retire the RCP8.5 emissions scenario. The RCP8.5 emissions scenario, which was the extremely bad emissions scenario, was never very likely to begin with, but the fact that the world, including China, is turning away from coal and fossil fuels made this scenario implausible as they stated. I am not sure whether Bill McKibben could have predicted this when he wrote this book, but I think this recent event makes this book very relevant now in 2026.

The book describes a very interesting situation for our world and contains interesting personal anecdotes and is written in a positive and optimistic way. However, I was delighted that the book was full of interesting facts, for example, in 2024 92.5% of all new electricity bought online around the world came from renewables. Other facts are, Chinese emissions are dropping. He tells us that forty percent of the world’s ship traffic consists of moving coal and gas back and forth across the ocean to be burned. He states that the entire continent of Africa has barely produced 3% of the greenhouse gases warming the atmosphere, whilst they are likely to bear the brunt of the effects of global warming.

Other interesting facts are; Chinese citizens can expect to live on average 2.2 years longer than they would have a decade ago, due to the sharp drop in pollution (thanks to renewables and EVs). Dealing with cleantech waste is a small problem compared to fossil fuels, and we have enough minerals, especially considering recycling. He tells us about various physics facts related to the sun, how our health is effected by the sun, the history of the day “Sunday”, sun worship in the ancient world, and other sun related facts.

He reviews the history of fossil fuels and renewables, particularly solar power, and the how the fossil fuel industry and certain politicians are fighting against renewables with disinformation and bad faith arguments. He explains the problems with fossil fuels and the dangers they pose, which is not just limited to climate change. He also explains a little bit about why we know that fossil fuels are causing global warming / climate change, why we need to keep pushing for renewables despite their success. He states that because fossil fuels themselves are easy to concentrate, they often yield authoritarian outcomes.

In the past renewables were an expensive alternative and fossil fuels cheap, but that situation has been reversed. He explains why EVs are in general cleaner and better for the environment than cars with internal combustion engines. He explains how we get around the intermittence issue with wind and solar and that batteries are getting much cheaper and environmentally friendlier, and why a lot of negative information you hear about batteries is not true anymore. Salt batteries is an example of an emerging technology.

My only concern with the book is that Bill McKibben is not a scientist. He is an activist. Because of that it is extra important that he provides references to reputable sources for all his claims. Typically, scientists provide references to their claims even though you in general can trust scientists more than activists. However, Bill McKibben provided no references to any of his several hundred facts and claims, except for some general and vague information in the back about where he got his information from.

I should say that I fact checked about two dozen of his claims and found only one that was not entirely accurate, so overall I trust this book. The book is easy, lighthearted and positive reading. It is not a heavy science book, the book was well organized, and he is a good author. Therefore, I highly recommend this book.

The back cover of Here Comes the Sun: A Last Chance for the Climate and a Fresh Chance for Civilization by Bill McKibben. Click on the image to go to the Amazon page for the paperback version of the book.

A related super fact is “The Unfolding Clean Energy Revolution”

To see the Super Facts click here

Beyond Debate by Shahir Masri a Review

The goal of this blog is to create a list of what I call super facts. Super facts are important and true facts that are nevertheless highly surprising to many, misunderstood, or disputed among the public. They are special facts that we all can learn something important from. However, I also make posts that are not super facts but feature other interesting information, such as this book review and book recommendation.

A Note About Liars on Amazon

I’ve noticed that most of the reviews for this book were positive but there were a few negative reviews from what I refer to as climate deniers. These reviews were not just misguided fossil fuel talking points, but they were obviously written by people who had not read the book or by people who skimmed the book and who did not make an honest effort to understand the content of the book. You can tell because the objections they raise were addressed and clearly debunked in the book in a way that was easy to understand.

I’ve read many books on climate science and there are always a bunch of negative reviews written by people who have no clue about the content of the book. Writing reviews for books you have not read is the same as lying, especially if you are slamming the book. There are reviewers who literally seem to be at war with the truth, and they spend their time trying to bury it, and in the process, they are shamelessly lying. Why would someone dump lots of fake reviews over books they haven’t read?

BEYOND DEBATE: Answers to 50 Misconceptions on Climate Change by Dr. Shahir Masri

Below I am listing the two versions of this book (kindle and paperback). I bought the paperback version.

Paperback – Publisher : Dockside Sailing Press (July 14, 2018), ISBN-10 : 0692157417, ISBN-13 : 978-0692157411, 329 pages, item weight : 1.09 pounds, dimensions : 5.5 x 0.75 x 8.5 inches. It costs $6.44 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Kindle – Published : Dockside Sailing Press (April 12, 2021) ASIN : B092DPY7LL, 245 pages, it costs $9.99 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.

The front cover features a photo of snowy mountains in the background and sea ice in the foreground, as well as the title and author name. The title is “BEYOND DEBATE: Answers to 50 Misconceptions on Climate Change” by “Shahir Masri” front cover | Beyond Debate by Shahir Masri a Review — BEYOND DEBATE: Answers to 50 Misconceptions on Climate Change. Click on the image to go to the Amazon page for the paperback version of the book.

Amazon’s Description of the Book

What if volcanoes are heating the planet? Maybe solar cycles are to blame? Isn’t carbon dioxide good for plants? These are but a few of the questions on global warming that are addressed in this book. If you are concerned that global warming may be a serious problem, but find it hard to know what to believe or how to help in the face of conflicting arguments, you will want to read this book. You don’t have to be a scientist to understand Dr. Shahir Masri’s explanations and solutions. They proceed along common-sense lines that are easy to follow. Climate change poses a major threat to public health and the environment. Yet, political squabbles and misinformation have stalled policy and enabled little progress to be made in solving the crisis.

Similarly, the notion of a “climate debate” has created the illusion of a divided scientific community, when in fact most scientists agree that human activity is causing the planet to warm. At a time when open discussion is essential, talk of global warming has become entrenched in politics and all but taboo in unfamiliar company. In Beyond Debate, Shahir Masri clears up 50 of the most common misconceptions surrounding climate change. He simplifies the science and resolves the confusion so that everyone may better understand the issue. Now is not the time for silence, but rather a time for conversation and collective action to address greenhouse gas emissions and begin to solve the climate crisis. Action begins with understanding, which Beyond Debate so eloquently offers. Masri conveys a sense of urgency while describing opportunities for hope.

This is my five-star review for BEYOND DEBATE

Fix your misconceptions. Don’t fall for disinformation. Be curious and learn.

There are a lot of misconceptions, misunderstandings as well as disinformation surrounding climate change or if you call it global warming, global weirding, or climate disruption. This book provides answers and explanations to 50 misconceptions. Some of the misconceptions are common but basic misunderstandings. Other misconceptions require more in depth explanations.

In addition, the book gives you an introduction into how the greenhouse effect works, covering 200+ years of scientific discoveries by some famous scientists. Did you know that without the various greenhouse gases in the atmosphere (water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone), our planet would be 60 degrees colder than it is. It would be a snowball earth. This book is for those of us who are curious and want to learn more about this topic.

An example of a basic misconception is Chapter 4, “Earth’s Natural cycles explain recent warming”, well they don’t. For example, the Milankovitch cycles, earth’s precession, axial tilt, and the eccentricity of earth’s orbit, are too slow and would favor cooling right now, not warming. It is not the sun (chapter 5) and not volcanoes (chapter 3). Volcanoes release less than 1 % of the CO2 released currently by human activities, and they are part of the carbon cycle, and CO2 from volcanoes have the wrong isotope mix to correspond to the increase of CO2. He explains that the carbon atom comes in different isotopes (different number of neutrons) and that the mix is different for different carbon sources and that the carbon added to the atmosphere comes from burning fossil fuels based on the isotope mix.

I can add that in addition different potential causes for global warming result in different ways the warming happens (like a fingerprint) and the fingerprint of the current warming is that of greenhouse gases (he does not explain this enough). Another thing to ask yourself is if you think the current global warming is natural, why do paleoclimatologists and others who have dedicated their lives to studying naturally occurring climate change not think this warming is natural.

Another basic misconception is addressed in Chapter 23, “Climate models don’t account for the most abundant greenhouse gas, water vapor”, which is false, they do account for water vapor. Some people believe that because water vapor is a more powerful and abundant greenhouse gas than CO2, it should be what is causing global warming. That’s not how it works. We are not increasing water vapor in the atmosphere by emitting it and even if we did it would rain back down. Therefore, water vapor is not driving global warming. If a greenhouse gas isn’t increasing it can’t cause rising temperatures, no matter how abundant it is.

However, an increase in carbon dioxide warms the atmosphere which in turn increases the amount of humidity the atmosphere can hold (positive feedback loop) thus water vapor gives the greenhouse effect a boost. It gives CO2 and methane a bit of a helping hand as the emissions and increase of these gases heats things up, but water vapor is not driving it. This is not hard to understand and yet this misconception refuses to go away.

Some other examples are chapter 8, “Climate Change is Chinese hoax” – this is a funny one. Climate science is 200+ year old European science. Chapter 12, “Climate change is just a theory” – see “evolution is just a theory”. Chapter 15, “there is still uncertainty about climate change” – that we know it is happening and that we are the cause is well established but there is uncertainty about other related things. Chapter 36, “glaciers aren’t melting, Antarctica is even gaining ice” – glaciers and sea ice are melting rapidly. Antarctica was gaining ice for four decades despite warming but there are good explanations for this (for example, precipitation). Now Antarctica is losing ice. Chapter 43, “Electric cars aren’t that green” – they are much cleaner than gas cars, but it depends on where you live. Chapter 49, “It’s too late for climate” – no it isn’t.

So, as you can see, this is a fact packed book addressing and correcting a lot of misconceptions. It is very educational and great for anyone ready to learn and understand. It is also well organized and well written. Reading this book will make you smarter and I highly recommend it to anyone who is curious about this topic. I think we all have some misconception on this topic. Let’s correct them.

The back cover features an overview of the book and a photo and a brief introduction of the author “Shahir Masri”. | Back cover for BEYOND DEBATE: Answers to 50 Misconceptions on Climate Change By Dr. Shahir Masri — BEYOND DEBATE: Answers to 50 Misconceptions on Climate Change. Click on the image to go to the Amazon page for the Kindle version of the book.

How Our Planet Came to Life

I recently read a very interesting book on the history of our Planet Earth, Becoming Earth: How Our Planet Came to Life by Ferris Jabr. Life of various forms, microbes, fungi, plants, animals, etc., has had a large impact on climate, earth’s crust, the composition of the atmosphere, the oceans, and still do. This fact filled book is about this four and half billion history. Below is my review of the but first something about the book formats.

Becoming Earth Book Formats

Becoming Earth: How Our Planet Came to Life by Ferris Jabr comes in four formats. I bought the hardback format.

Hardcover – Publisher : Random House (June 25, 2024), ISBN-10 : 0593133978, ISBN-13 : 978-0593133972, 304 pages, item weight : 2.31 pounds: ‎ 6.3 x 1.1 x 9.55 inches, it costs $16.68 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Paperback – Publisher : Random House Trade Paperbacks (April 1, 2025), ISBN-10 : 0593133994, ISBN-13 : 978-0593133996, 320 pages, item weight : 4.8 ounces, dimensions : ‎ 5.15 x 0.75 x 7.97 inches, it costs $ 13.57 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Kindle – Publisher : Random House (June 25, 2024), ASIN : B0CJTLBCDX, ISBN-13 : 978-0593133989, 423 pages, it costs $5.99 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Audio– Publisher : Random House Audio (June 25, 2024), Listening Length : 9 hours and 27 minutes, ASIN : B0CKM3P33F, it costs $0.99 on US Amazon with membership. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.

Front cover of Becoming Earth: How Our Planet Came to Life by Ferris Jabr. Click on the image to go to the Amazon page for the hardcover version of the book.

Amazon’s Description of Becoming Earth

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A vivid account of a major shift in how we understand Earth, from an exceptionally talented new voice. Earth is not simply an inanimate planet on which life evolved, but rather a planet that came to life.

“Glorious . . . full of achingly beautiful passages, mind-bending conceptual twists, and wonderful characters. Jabr reveals how Earth has been profoundly, miraculously shaped by life.”—Ed Yong, Pulitzer Prize winner and bestselling author of An Immense World

FINALIST FOR THE LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK PRIZE • FINALIST FOR THE OREGON BOOK AWARD • AN AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION NOTABLE BOOK OF THE YEAR

A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: Smithsonian, Chicago Public Library, Booklist, Scientific American, Nature

A BEST BOOK OF THE SUMMER: The Atlantic and NPR’s Science Friday

One of humanity’s oldest beliefs is that our world is alive. Though once ridiculed by some scientists, the idea of Earth as a vast interconnected living system has gained acceptance in recent decades. We, and all living things, are more than inhabitants of Earth—we are Earth, an outgrowth of its structure and an engine of its evolution. Life and its environment have coevolved for billions of years, transforming a lump of orbiting rock into a cosmic oasis—a planet that breathes, metabolizes, and regulates its climate.

Acclaimed science writer Ferris Jabr reveals a radical new vision of Earth where lush forests spew water, pollen, and bacteria to summon rain; giant animals engineer the very landscapes they roam; microbes chew rock to shape continents; and microscopic plankton, some as glittering as carved jewels, remake the air and sea.

Humans are one of the most extreme examples of life transforming Earth. Through fossil fuel consumption, agriculture, and pollution, we have altered more layers of the planet in less time than any other species, pushing Earth into a crisis. But we are also uniquely able to understand and protect the planet’s wondrous ecology and self-stabilizing processes. Jabr introduces us to a diverse cast of fascinating people who have devoted themselves to this vital work.

Becoming Earth is an exhilarating journey through the hidden workings of our planetary symphony—its players, its instruments, and the music of life that emerges—and an invitation to reexamine our place in it. How well we play our part will determine what kind of Earth our descendants inherit for millennia to come.

My five-star review for Becoming Earth

A Page Turner for People with a Curious Mind

This book gives us a brief overview of the natural history of Earth, emphasizing that not only is life impacted by geological forces, but life is influencing and even creating the composition of the atmosphere, impacting climate and even affecting geological forces. The author explains how microbes, plants, and animals transformed the planet. He is explaining how humans are transforming planet Earth and its climate through fossil fuel consumption, agriculture, and pollution. He is noting that we have altered more layers of the planet in less time than any other species, pushing Earth into a crisis. The author promotes the idea that Earth itself is a living organism (Gaia hypothesis). I am not sure if I entirely buy that idea, but he makes a good case for it.

The book covers a lot of history. Earth is four and half billion years old and a lot has happened. As a result, there are no deep dives into topics. However, the book is filled with hundreds of interesting facts and information, which makes the book a page turner to anyone with a curious mind. One major example of this is that about three billion years ago Cyanobacteria evolved a new type of photosynthesis that used sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to create energy, while releasing oxygen as a waste product. This transformed the atmosphere and enabled complex life by allowing aerobic respiration to evolve. This invention turned the sky blue, gave us the protective ozone layer, but also caused climate change (snowball Earth) resulting in massive extinctions.

However, there is much more. Another example is that microbes helped transform Earth’s crust. During the first half billion years of Earth’s history, Earth was a water world save for volcanic islands. Trees communicate and assist each other via fungi (Mycorrhizas). Phytoplankton produces 50% of all oxygen, the invention of the Haber-Bosch process more than doubled the world’s crop harvest, there once was 30-60 million Bison roaming the plains, humans now emit 60 to 120 times more carbon dioxide each year than all the world’s volcanoes.

As I mentioned there are hundreds more interesting facts. He also presents a lot of facts and information regarding the destruction of the environment, which may not sit well with everyone. However, I think it is important information. The book includes a large number of references for further reading.

The book is well written and well organized and included fun personal anecdotes. It was easy and entertaining reading and like I said, it is a page turner to people with a curious mind. I loved this book and I highly recommend it.

Back cover of Becoming Earth: How Our Planet Came to Life by Ferris Jabr. Click on the image to go to the Amazon page for the paperback version of the book.