Introduction to Climate Science - 1st Edition

Reviewed by Nyasha Dunkley, Adjunct Faculty, Massasoit Community College on 6/22/21

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

Great comprehensiveness look at a challenging subject. It covered all of the necessary introductory content for a climate science course.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

Content is accurate and frequently includes references to outside resources to help validate information and provide more detailed explanations.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

The textbook is written so that it is easy to incorporate it into courses with current data and discussions.

Clarity rating: 5

Written very clearly and easy to understand for the non-science majors.

Consistency rating: 4

The text makes a good attempt at consistency, but falls a bit short as it relates to the tone and style of each chapter.

Modularity rating: 5

Each chapter provides sufficient material to be used in sections of a climate course.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The content in each chapter is presented in an organized and clear manner that is easy to follow.

Interface rating: 5

I especially appreciate the clarity of the images and charts utilized in each section.

Grammatical Errors rating: 4

Just a few small grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

Text appears culturally sensitive and unoffensive.

Comments

Very good introductory climate science textbook overall.

Reviewed by George Nolly, Lecturer, Metropolitan State University of Denver on 7/11/20

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

Very comprehensive treatment of a complex subject. I was especially impressed with the currency of the information, including reference to the Corona Virus we are currently experiencing. My only disappointment was in the omission of any discussion of hydrothermal vents in the discussion of the ocean's effect on climate.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The book is filled with links to external sources from government resources and formulas to explain various processes.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

The inclusion of the mention of the Corona Virus indicates that the discussions in the book are timely and relevant.

Clarity rating: 5

The book clearly explains climate processes in a forthright manner.

Consistency rating: 3

Because the chapters were written by different authors/sets of authors, the chapters are noticeably different in their tone and substance.

Modularity rating: 5

The chapter divisions make it easy to use relevant material from one chapter without relying on information from another chapter.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

I thought the organization was comprehensive and clear. It is easy to find information on a single aspect of climate science without interference from other sections.

Interface rating: 5

Each chapter is a stand-alone text for the discrete subject, including references and footnotes.

Grammatical Errors rating: 4

I found a few spelling/grammatical errors, but they were minor.

Cultural Relevance rating: 3

The book clearly has a liberal bias, and I found it absurd to include a quote from a twelve-year-old about climate in what otherwise is an erudite book.

Comments

Overall, very comprehensive treatment of climate science.