Rating: 
Summary: Want to know what he really thinks?
Review: If you want to know what Al Gore really meant by eliminating the internal combustion engine in 25 years, this book is the answer. Much has been said about Al Gore, and only about half of it is true.The book starts off fast and furious. It will tell you that the world is going to hell in a handbasket, an assessment that is more likely true than false. You will be alarmed by his frank and sometimes extreme views on the destiny of the planet. Then comes the good news. We can do something about it without killing the economy and putting the American people through a lot of pain. He realizes that Americans will never go for draconian measures to save the environment, but will do what is needed if it is made to be worth their while. The replacement of the IC engine is only one of the many ideas he floats, many of which make a lot of sense. I would encourage people to take the good ideas to heart without bashing him over the head for the bad ones.
Rating: 
Summary: Everyone must read and believe this!
Review: This is an excellent book about global warming and related problems. Al Gore is one of a few people who can see that far into the future. If he makes any mistakes, they are understating the problems involved. Overpopulation is much more serious than Gore appeared to say. The United States can only sustain 40-50 million people and the entire planet can only sustain about 150 million people without doing much damage to the environment.
Rating:
Summary: Well informed, but not necessarily well-written.
Review: When reading this book (and listening to Al Gore speak), I see that he is an intelligent man and has done quite a bit of research. I know he was a journalist, but you wouldn't think it by reading this book. I felt he had a lot of good ideas. The idea of a new form of the Marshall Plan to help guide the world to more environmentally safe commerce and production was great. Some of his plans, although simplistic at times, make a lot of sense. Many of the ideas he gives are ones that are still being debated today (like trading clean air credits). When I noticed that this was written in 1992/1993 when he was first running as the vice president, I was suprised. It is not often that a politician will make such pro-environment and long-reaching statements if they are trying to get elected. He also used the book to take punches at former President Bush. I am sure he had more than one goal with this book. I mention that it was not well-written. This is because many of his analogies make no sense. His comparison of parallel computing with democracy, although a bit more understandable, left me wondering why he brought it up. The book could use some tightening up. He brought a bit of spirituality into the text, but not a lot. I am assuming that he targeted the average American for this book which would explain his language and his constant use of metaphors and analogies. Unfortunately, they don't always work and people may wonder why he is telling them about the scientific study of the sandpile. I found it an enjoyable read and showed me that Al Gore will think like a leader. He will not always (he is a politician) choose the best path for the future and not the best path for the present.
Rating: 
Summary: A conflict of interests...
Review: Here are a few thoughts about Earth in the Balance: 1.) The book at first was quitean easy read, as Mr. Gore has a very comfortable style to hiswriting. You can almost imagine him sitting there in your living roomtalking to you with that good ol' boy southern hospitalitydemeanor. But, as you know, all good things come to an end... and thatcomfortable style of writing soon turned into a long and laborioussoapbox sermon.2.) Mr. Gore seems to say things that contradictthemselves. Let me give you a couple of examples:a. He pretty muchgoes out on a limb to say that the industrialization and free marketeconomy of the United States is a bad thing and that there must be farreaching changes to curtail this evil. But if you think about it, howis that really going to be accomplished? We as a nation are soentrenched in our current situation, that we could never make thechanges that are called for. Could we strip ourselves of all thecreature comforts we are so blessed with? And, would the major oil,energy, textile, food, medical, auto, transportation, entertainment,and technological conglomerates even want you to? I do not thinkso.b. He says that, "In my own religious experience andtraining...", that he is a Baptist (pg. 244). But earlier in hisbook (pg. 24), he has a graphical example of the "extinction ofspecies", where he says that the world is at least 65 millionyears old. Now, in my own Baptist training and experience, I have cometo know the age of the world at approx. 6,000 years. This only leadsme to the conclusion that 1) he does not believe in creation, 2) hebelieves in theistic evolution, or 3) he is really an atheist.c. Inhis Notes found on pg. 376, he says, "37,000 children under theage of five die each day, according to the World Health Organizationand other groups." Mr. Gore states that these figures are both"startling" and "accurate". I agree with the"startling" part... but let us run the numbers for"accuracy": 37,000 X 365 = 13,505,000 children under the ageof five dying per year. Now, Mr. Gore wrote this book in 1993(approx. 7 years ago), so lets add that into the equation: 13,505,000X 7 = 94,535,000 children under the age of five dying since he wrotethis book... That is 94 BILLION children under the age of five ONLYdying since he wrote his book! Now, if you look at the chart hepresents on pg. 32, the projected world population for the year 2032is only 9 billion. How can this be? The numbers do not add up.3.)This book isn't about the environment, internal combustion engines,holes in the ozone layer, global warming, junk science, ormis-information. This book is about religion... the religion of GAIAworship -- ie. Mother earth worship... nature worship... treehugging. In his own special way, Mr. Gore has taken the opportunity topreach his brand of gospel to the masses. And "gospel" ittruly is! Those who know Mr. Gore's background and affiliation withsuch groups as the Freemasons, Illuminati, Bohemian Grove, Bildebergs,CFR and Trilateral Commission, know that he is preaching the"gospel" given to him to preach. In conclusion, I wouldlike to say that this book is not scientifically informative, nor isit very entertaining. But, it does give me an insight into what thepoliticians, funded by the environmentalist elite, are planning forour future. Thanks to Mr. Gore for bringing this to "light".
Rating:
Summary: An important book, with lots of unimportant words
Review: While it is clear that those reviews I have read that are critical of this book are, at best, vacuous (who, in his right mind could compare Earth in the Balance to Mein Kampf or the Communist Manifesto) this important book contains two serious flaws.1. It is much too long and rambling. As a former journalist, Gore should know the importance of clear and concise writing. Unfortunately, the middle sections of this book read much more like stream of consciousness. This style does not call for careful reading. A good editor could probably cut the length in half and only help the book's important message. 2. In asking for an environmental Marshall Plan or (sic) Strategic Environment Initiative, Gore has given short shrift to one very important issue. Unlike his models of post-war rebuilding or cold war spending, Gore's SEI will require sacrifice and changes in lifestyle for every day people in the US. As Americans are stubborn about their individual rights, these sacrifices will be a very difficult sell. Still, this book is timely and important. It should be required reading in high schools and its points discussed and debated. I suggest it be edited down to 200 pages and then translated into other languages to show the world that at least one major politician in the US is willing to stick his neck out and make politically risky but necessary statements of truth.
Rating:
Summary: Meaningful, hopeful and informative
Review: This is the only book recommended by my fellow faculty members who teach environmental science at university. Reason: it's head and shoulders above the typical, one-sided environmental text. It shows how humans can continue to develop and profit from industry while regaining our respect for the earth. Gore gives potential solutions to global pollution problems, instead of just complaining about them. I use this as my only textbook for graduate and undergraduate Environmental Science majors.
Rating:
Summary: Reading it objectively....a great book! Buy 10 copies
Review: One must conclude that this is one of the best thought out books ever written on the enviroment and the human condition. Many of it's critics here seem to be more motivated by political hatred of Gore than by anything else......I suspect by there comments and assessment of the book that they have not read it, and if they have...well... that just goes to prove once again that we need more teachers in the classroom. A must read.
Rating: 
Summary: It would be funny if it weren¿t so sad.
Review: What a crock. First I should explain that I am a degreed chemical engineer working in the pulp and paper industry for the last 11 years. Before that I worked at several nuclear facilities in Tennessee and Ohio. I also spent some time working for General Motors, in Ohio. Earth in the Balance is broken into three sections: Balance at Risk, The Search for Balance, and Striking the Balance. The first section is a 160-page diatribe on the evils of the modern industrial society. Mr. Gore briefly mentions the bitter disagreement among scientists on the causes and effects of the continued rise in CO2 and other greenhouse gases on our environment. He ignores any possible benefits from these changes such as higher crop yields and longer growing seasons. Alternative viewpoints are passed off as junk science and Mr. Gore fully embraces the doomsayer view that the earth's temperature will rise and we will all either drown or die of skin cancer. Other than a few charts showing the rise in measured CO2 and other gases in the earth's lower atmosphere since the last ice age and the change in the ozone hole since the 1960's little effort is devoted to a quantitative analysis of this book's main premise, CO2 bad. Mixed in with the data that is presented, is a collection of horror stories that describing man's role in the creation of several wastelands around the planet. Mr. Gore states that these wastelands are the model for the future world, and if we don't drastically change our behavior with respect to the planet and fellow humans, our inevitable fate. Section 2 is 100 pages of random thoughts woven together and offered as a history of society from the beginning of time to the present day. Sort of the "World According to Al". Scattered throughout this section is a healthy dose of religion and politics. The only purpose for this section that I could see was to try and paint Mr. Gore as an understanding leader concerned with mans place in the world. He wants to let us all know that he is one of us, and he feels our pain. While in reality, he just a liberally educated product of an Ivy League School who was groomed for public service and has spent his entire life as a politician. The final section, Striking the Balance is 100 pages of Mr. Gore's plan to save us all, his so called Global Marshall Plan. In short, stop population growth, tax the rich industrial nations, pay-off the poor nations so they won't advance and become rich industrial nations, live happily ever after, or until Mr. Gore can find another cause to champion so he can save us all over again. So what did I get from this book, an understanding of the cause and effects of global warming? No, just a reinforcement of my opinion on Al Gore, that he is an egotistical, know-it-all, windbag, who can look out his office window in Washington, D.C. and write a 360 page essay on why there is haze over the city on a summer day. The sad truth about this book is that for all its promise, it states the obvious, unquestioningly embraces the doomsday viewpoint, blames the industrialized nations of the world for our so called predicament, and offers up only superficial remedies for this supposed problem. This book was not written by a great champion of the environment. It was written by a politician, for a politician. Let's all go out and vote for Al Gore; thank god he is going to save us all. It would be funny if it weren't so sad.
Rating: 
Summary: I suspect they haven't read it...
Review: I have read only parts of it. But I have read enough to tell you that many of your reviewers have never read any of it. All they've done is read newspapers and editorials about Gore, and then use this review board for anti-Gore remarks. Gore has been accused of having a lousy environmental voting record by left-wing critics. That means right wing critics should ask if he believes in his own book. But it isn't happening. A few Republican critics throw qoutes from the book at reporters, but if the book contained ideas that would discredit Gore they'd be qouting whole chapters. The book starts in the former Soviet Union at the Aral Sea, an inland sea being turned to desert by environmental abuse. Fishing boats lie stranded on sands that used to be sea bottom. I've yet to hear anyone say that this *isn't* an example of humans wrecking their environment through mismanagement. If specific points are not being argued about, then people are not thinking about the books ideas. What I'd like to know is, what does George W. Bush think about the ideas in the book? What ideas does Bush have about the environment? Could the books solutions be carried out by later administrations, because the problems will force Gores ideas on us?
Rating:
Summary: Boring, inaccurate
Review: This book was boring when it was first published and it's still boring. It's filled with scientific distortions, junk science and psychobabble. But, what can you expect from someone who claims to have invented the Internet?
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