Rating: 
Summary: Flaws aside, the book runs circles around other politicians
Review: Little noticed during it's original publication date, this book took a huge upsurge in visibility when it's author was elected Vice President of the United States in 1992. Suddenly, the book was one of the most discussed things in literary-political circles. Not unusual for sitting politicians to author books, it is unusual for those same works to have a heavily edited field, as if the aforementioned public figures were scared of making their opinions and research public, lest somebody become offended by differing proposals and ideas from their own. Thankfully, this book suffers from no such shoddy writing. Even when under attack from individuals accustomed to "lite" political books, it has withstood time because of the utmost importance of the issues it raises within. Using a mix of physical and social sciences, Gore evaluates the crises facing modern earth and then theorizes possible solutions so all people can live in safety and security. As the daughter of a geologist, previous reviews and publicity suggested I would find myself at odds with many of the ideas expressed in this work, but I came away with a greater understanding of environmental issues and a greater realization the planet would work much better if everything was in fact balanced appropriately. At no point did I feel then-Senator Gore was disparaging anybody who worked in/had family or friends in the oil industry, but simply offering honest solutions to an unrelenting and semi-permanent problem faced by all residents of this planet. This text is the complete anti-thesis of the waffling politician. That it was intially dismissed by many media outlets as kooky or off-beat shows just how far-sighted Gore actually is.
Rating: 
Summary: Richard Weaver vs. Captain Planet
Review: A suprise awaits any conservative in the Richard Weaver tradition who reads this book. The thesis echos some of the thoughts of the late author of "Ideas Have Consequences" and other works in the conservative canon. Both identify Descartes and Bacon as the intellectual progenitors of the philosophical crisis that is evident in Western civilization. Both speak to the progressive divorce of man from his world; both inveigh against the progressive materialism that fills our conciousness. The difference is in how they propose to solve the problem. Gore advocates, on the basis of questionable science, worldwide government action to take control of the biosphere. Without conclusive evidence, indeed, without even compelling evidence, he would have us surrender our freedom and undergo a wrenching change in our lives to avert the coming disaster that he sees. Gore is calling for a ban on the internal cumbustion engine (over 25 years) and a 'Global Marshall Plan' whose ends include worldwide 'family planning.' The second half of the book is filled with a number of similarly-inspired policy proposals. More disturbing to me is the tone of the book. Gore compares the fight to save the planet to the struggles against Communism and Nazism (pp. 178-180). If Gore's intention is not to imply that the opponents of his school of eviromentalism are the moral equivalent of Nazis, he does not make that clear. Contrast his treatment of his opponents on the Right with what he says of the Deep Environmentalists, who favor the voluntary extinction of humanity as the best/only way to save the planet. Gore does not accept their arguments, but assumes that they are well-intentioned. No such charitable licence is given to pro-growth opponents. The tone of moral self-righteousness prevades the entire work. "Earth in the Balance" is very readable. Given that the author is honest about his views, defends his views to this day, and may soon be President, I recommend a careful reading, and re-reading, of this book (as I did). It would also be good to give the other side a hearing; I recommend Kahn and Simon's, "The Resourceful Earth," published at about the same time as Gore. -Lloyd A. Conway
Rating: 
Summary: ::snore:: from Gore
Review: Al Gore's Earth in the Balance was a systematic breakdown of the environmental problems our planet faces today. Part I of his book (chapters 1-8) presented the problems, writing on everything from global warming to problems with garbage and waste disposal. Part II focused on the changes that the government and humanity are working together to accomplish, and Part III (chapters 14 and 15) presented what Gore believes is the best plan of action to combat our human-induced environmental problems in what Gore outlines as "A Global Marshall Plan." Part I of Earth in the Balance not only constantly bashed past political powers, it dangerously overgenarlizied the current environmental efforts and presented his examples of environmental problems in hand with extreme hyperbole. Part II was much shorter, however in ventured greater in depth and supplied many more relevant examples for his allegations, like when he wrote on ways the US has not lead in the fight for a better environment. Part III presented the plan Gore wants us to execute in order to better the environment, yet Chapter 15's Marshall Plan spoke more on the US' political past. In all, it was a book muddled with environmental plans infused with name-dropping scenarios Gore seemed to include only to better his political career.
Rating:
Summary: Dubious facts and flawed conclusions
Review: I read this book in the genuine hope that in these pages, Mr Gore would, in a lucid and rational way, lay out his reasons for his enviorment first political views. I could not have been more disappointed. His cited research is vauge and in some cases, incorrect or taken so out of context as to be irrelevant. His conclusions are not supported by the "facts" he claims to base his arguments on. The entire last half of this book reads like a somewhat frightening rant of a neo-communist expounding on the evils of freedom and capitalism. He directly argues for eliminating automobiles and many other modern technologies and obliquely makes a case against the private ownership of land and property as it is a non renewable resource and should belong to all. I am very thankful this man did not become president and if you read this book, and read not just what he says but between the lines at his intent, I believe you will be too.
Rating:
Summary: Forget Democracy
Review: "I have become very impatient with my own tendency to put a finger to the political winds and proceed cautiously.... [E]very time I pause to consider whether I have gone too far out on a limb, I look at the new facts [on the environment crisis] that continue to pour in from around the world and conclude that I have not gone far enough.... [T]he time has long since come to take more political risks--and endure more political criticism--by proposing tougher, more effective solutions and fighting hard for their enactments." In other words, the time has come to ignore the will of the people and do what the self-appointed elite believe is right, no matter if it really solves the problem or not. The underlying tone of Al Gore is that we can't wait for the people to want it, WE, the political and social elite (meaning Al and his bunch of leftist buddies) need to decide things for them. Al doesn't give a damn about democracy. Al cares about pleasing his leftist friends in the Sierra Club, Hollywood, etc. After all, Al doesn't have to hold down a job, or commute to work, or shop for food, so the idea of moving people out of cars and killing off whole industries doesn't affect him at all. Good for Al. Bad for the rest of us.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book--College Students Should Read This!!
Review: This book needs to be read twice so you get the total impact of what it is trying to say. Conservatives who don't believe in the existence of global warming will not like this because it is unpleasant to think about, that human beings could be messing up the earth so horribly. We have to face the facts before it is too late, and the United States must take the lead. Under George Bush, we are not getting this kind of leadership...perhaps under President Kerry, we will. I hope Al makes another run for president. Jeffrey McAndrew
author of "Our Brown-Eyed Boy"
Rating:
Summary: Out of the box approach to our environment
Review: This books views Earth in a unique context. The events that we observe in our local frame of reference do not give indications of changes that happen at a global scale. Al Gore argues that technological infrastructure should use it to study events from a global perspective and new technologies should be tailored to have beneficial impact on our air, water, and other natural resources.
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Summary: You really must study this book carefully
Review: Senator Al Gore won high praise for this book from Bill Moyers because he "faces honestly the unremitting evidence of science"; from M. Scott Peck for "clearly pointing the way we need to change to assure the survival of our grandchildren"; and from Carl Sagan who tells us that "mitigating the crisis will require a planetary perspective, long-term thinking, political courage and savvy, eloquence and leadership - all of which are in evidence in Al Gore's landmark book." As a child the author watched eight acres an hour of top soil being carried away in the Mississippi River while his mother explained the implications of Rachel Carson's 'Silent Spring'; as a student his professor explained the profound and disruptive change in the global climate due to the carbon dioxide build up in the atmosphere measured at Mauna Loa; as a serviceman in Vietnam he learned of the results of using Agent Orange; as a Congressman he investigated hazardous waste dumps such as Love Canal and learned of our leaders' powerful and determined opposition to the truth and their unwillingness to think about the comprehensive nature of the response needed. After reflecting on his own personal role in determining the course of his nation and civilization he ran for President focusing his campaign on global warming, ozone depletion, the ailing global environment and nuclear arms control only to discover that no one was interested in these issues and that the media would not provide coverage. It was a lesson in how political motives and government policies have helped to create the crisis and frustrate finding solutions; it was a lesson about leadership and evasion of responsibility, timidity of vision, avoiding important issues, and postponing difficult choices. He concluded that "Each of us must take a greater personal responsibility for this deteriorating global environment; each of us must take a hard look at the habits of mind and action that reflect - and have lead to - this grave crisis. The more deeply I search for the roots of the global environmental crisis, the more I am convinced that it is an outer manifestation of an inner crisis that is, for the lack of a better word, spiritual." Gore concluded that the search for truth about the crisis and the search for truth about himself are in fact the same search. Mahatma Ghandi said "We must be the change we wish to see in the world" but Gandhi could say that only after he was asked to tell a boy to stop eating sugar, stopped eating sugar himself for two weeks and only then spoke to the boy. Gore concluded that he had to deal with his own hypocrisy in such things as using CFCs in his automobile air conditioner before he could hope to convince others of the hypocrisy in their lives. Gore examines the crisis from the perspective of the earth sciences, economics, sociology, history, information theory, psychology, religion and from his vantagepoint as a politician. Although very difficult changes in established patterns of thought and action will be required, success is within our capacity and desirable in the interest of social justice, democratic government and free market economics. But we must adopt an attitude similar to that which brought success in World War II where the central organizing principle was total commitment to the defeat of fascism. Following the war and through 1989 the central organizing principle of government policy and society was total commitment to the defeat of communism; this was the reason for the Marshall Plan, MacArthur's blueprint for Japan, the 1947 decision to give massive aid to Greece and Turkey, NATO, foreign aid, the Korean and Vietnam wars, the nuclear arms race, and arms sales to dictators opposed to Soviet communism - all served the same central purpose of defeating communism. Even the interstate highway system, federal aid to education and the space program were tied to the defeat of communism. The Marshall Plan concentrated on fixing bottlenecks impeding growth. Today we need total commitment to a Global Marshall Plan concentrating on five strategic goals - stabilizing world population, environmentally appropriate technologies, changes to the economic rules, renegotiated international agreements, and educating the world's citizens about our global environment - and emphasizing actions and programs aimed at removing the bottlenecks to creating a healthy global economy. This book gives much more than the environmental facts; it helps us understand why our leaders fail in their responsibilities even when presented with indisputable evidence; it helps us understand that we need more political savvy; it helps us understand that you and I are the problem and we have to do as Gandhi tells us - WE must be the change we want to see in the world. Finally it helps us to understand that if we are to take greater personal responsibility, we must be committed. Gore quotes W. H. Murray who is actually partially quoting Wolfgang Goethe who I quote in full because it is only when we accept Chico Mendes' level of commitment that we will work the miracle that is needed to save our world.
"Concerning all acts of initiative and creation,
there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which
kills countless ideas and splendid plans;
that the moment one definitely commits oneself,
Providence moves, too.
All sorts of things occur to help one,
That would otherwise never have occurred.
A whole stream of events issues from the decision,
Raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and
Meetings and material assistance, which no person could
Have dreamt would have come his or her way.
Are you in earnest?
Seize this very minute!
Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it!
Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it."
Rating:
Summary: courageous and on the mark
Review: >He attributes many increases in global warming gasses (mainly C02 and methane) to man, but fails to mention that these gasses are a natural product of carbon-based life-cycle (from: birth --> death --> break-down into molecular components). In fact all herbivores generate thousands of pounds of methane a year. Look up the word "increases" in a dictionary, bonehead.
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Summary: Exhaustive Research By Unparalleled Authority
Review: This superlative examination of the detrimental effect mankind's technology is having upon our planet is vital reading for anyone who cares about the environment, and wants to leave the Earth habitable for generations to come. Dr. Gore herein summarizes the exhaustive research he compiled during more than a decade of work upon multiple post-graduate science degrees. A fully-educated, technically qualified and field-tested scientist of first rank, Dr. Gore offers incontrovertible empirical data, fully reflecting his countless hours, days and nights, weeks, months and years in the laboratory, the classroom and the field (ocean depths, desert expanses, forests, meadows, polar ice caps, balloon ascensions into the upper atmosphere, descents into active volcanos, mountain-tops, rivers, streams, lakes and plains). The author's multiple doctorate degrees (Earth science, anthropology, geology, envirnomental science, physics, chemistry) imbue his conclusions and predictions with utterly unquestionable credibility -- it would be impossible to believe anyone with any less of an academic credential or laboratory pedigree. Thank you, Dr. Gore, for sounding your tocsins. If only humankind would now give Dr. Gore's warnings the consideration they deserve!
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