Synopsis
Every year, extreme climatic problems occur around the globe, with droughts in some places and floods in others. Recently, we have come to recognise that some of these widely dispersed climatic extremes might have a common origin in the periodic warming of sea surface water in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. A century ago, Peruvian fishermen connected this appearance of warm water every December to changes in fish numbers and christened it 'El Niño', the Spanish term for the Christ Child. In some years, El Niño lingers, and seems to be connected with droughts in Australia, Brazil or India, reduced incidence of tropical hurricanes on the east coast of the US, and floods in Peru. Currents of Change explains in simple terms what El Niño is, how its effects might be forecast and its far reaching impacts on all of us.
Review
'... attractively produced ... written for the non-specialist ... Glantz is a passionate advocate of the value of climate research and his book should be compulsory reading for politicians and funding agency heads everywhere. It also provides background material that will be useful to geography and environmental science students and should appeal to anyone interested in the human dimension of climate.' J. C. King, Weather
'Michael A. Glantz delivers more than a description of a major climatic phenomenon and its impact: he presents a case study of science at work and also shows how to make a book readable ... This book doesn't lay down the law, it informs. It is full of useful maps, diagrams, charts and photos (and even a crossword). A good read, even for those who don't usually care about Pacific sea level pressure changes.' Lothar Lüken, Earthwatch
'... an excellent introductory text. The basic concepts are described clearly. The breadth of the text is pleasingly broad from theory to application.' TEG News
'... should be ... commended for his effort to bridge the gulf between scientists and those who benefit from science.' Nature
'... well-produced book.' Nature
'... an absorbing book.' George Philander, Nature
'El Niño is mostly forgotten. This book aims to change that, in user-friendly style.' New Scientist
'... simple and user-friendly.' L. A. Ogallo, World Meteorological Organization Bulletin
'This book is well written, well illustrated, and manages to convey a lot of important facts without 'techno-speak'. It can be recommended to anyone requiring an introduction to the complexities (here we go again!) of climate.' Elmar R. Reiter, Meteorology and Atmospheric Physics
'... for atmospheric scientists the book provides a meaningful perspective of the human component of the phenomena described. For the social scientist, it is an account of El Niño that will help clear up any misrepresentations derived from popular accounts. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.' John E. Oliver, International Journal of Climatology
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