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Summary: "In The Balance" Out of balnce
Review: Interesting book from someone who owns large amounts of stock in oil companies. Also the actual book's quality is extremely poor. He appears to have an identity crisis one minute world renouned author the next inventor of the internet.
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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: Well intentioned, well researched
Review: It is heartening to know that a Presidential candidate holds environmental causes close to his heart. Sustainability of the earth's environment is the one major challenge of our times. Denying that, is futile and a sign of ignorance. We have selfishly consumed the earth's resources and now must worry about what it is we leave for our children. This book expresses the primary concerns of most people. A President need not have all the answers, (IMO), he simply needs to be aware and needs to care. This books indicates that Gore is the man. The negative reviews here have to be politically motivated. Gore's opponents are so out of touch with the concerns and issues of the times, that it seems it should be any easy win for him at the elections.
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Summary: What Can I say?
Review: The best thing that I can say about this book is that if you want to learn at lot about Al Gore, it is a great place to start.Unfortunately for Al, what I learned about him isn't good. What I learned is this: Al and those who agree with him are clearly so much smarter than everyone else that there is no need for them to even consider that the facts may not be on their side. Logical inconsistencies plague this book. There is a total failure to give any consideration to unintended consequences. I suppose that if you are as smart as Al, not intending them is good enough. But, not being so smart, I found myself asking over and over 'doesn't he have a clue what will happen if we try to do that?'. I can only conclude, 'apparently not'. Those that disagree are not only (apparently) stupid, but selfish, greedy and mean-spirited as well. It is not necessary to actually debate the issues because Al's side is 'good' and those who disagree are 'bad'. The only solution to these problems is to turn them over to Al and his experts (the ones who agree with him). Fear not, in spite of it's track record, the government can determine what needs to be done, and force us all to do it. Oh, and by the way. If we don't follow this approach, we are doomed. Got that? Doomed. If you like that approach, you will like this book. If you agree with Al Gore on these issues, and you feel that the only way anyone can disagree is because they are stupid and evil, then by all means get this book and give it to your friends. However, you should place it squarely in the 'feel good about yourself' section of your library, not in the 'issues' section. Earth may be in the balance, but this book is in no way balanced.
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Summary: A Tremendous Intellectual and Political Legacy
Review: Remember when Reagan and all his cronies were denying Global Warming existed in the 80's? Al Gore was the only politician with the cajones to come out and accept the facts and stare the problem dead in the face. Not only that, but with a whole book on the subject. It takes a man of incredible courage to set the record straight and Al Gore did just that. And as we notice it getting hotter and hotter each year, this book has become more prescient. Whatta guy!
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Summary: a politician who thinks he's a scientist
Review: One thing my father, a physicist, believed strongly was that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Gore proves that whith this book. Do the smart thing and read scientific research if you want to understand the complex issues of global warming and ozone depletion. Gore makes numerous errors and leaps in logic in this book. Don't waste your time or money on it
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Summary: A Refreshing Book
Review: I read "Earth in the Balance" years ago when Vice-PresidentGore was first elected. Though the environment is not an issue I feelpassionately about, I was impressed by the depth of Gore'sknowledge. This is not the usual blah blah book about "How Iwould change America" assembled by the Senator's staff on the eveof an important election. This is a very passionate, very detailedanalysis of an issue Al Gore has spent years on. Regardless of how youfeel about Gore's environmental views (the reviewer is unimpressed bythe author's viewpoint on the issue of urban sprawl), you have to givethe Vice-President credit for making a detailed argument about anarcane subject most politicans don't even pretend to understand. ...
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Summary: Heavy-handed and somewhat suspect, but important
Review: Al Gore has presented us with one of his famously overblown but compelling discourses on what is actually a very critical subject. What is missing in our approach to this book (based on the reviews I have read here) is perspective. IT'S NOT ABOUT AL, SILLY! Oh, sure, this book definitely benefits Gore in many ways... but the subject matter is what counts. I grew up in New York's Adirondack region... and I know firsthand the silence that acid rain brings. Twenty-five years ago I would thrill to dozens of fish jumping for insects in Adirondack lakes... ten years ago, at the apogee of the acid rain crisis, I could pass an entire day at Lows Lake or Upper Saranac without seeing a fish jump. I also remember the stench of Lake Erie in the west wind and as a young boy being amazed that people were driven from their homes at Love Canal. Fortunately, there are now jumping fish in the north country, Lake Erie has been resurrected from the dead and many Superfund sites have been cleaned up. Presently living in Orange County, California (no stranger to pollution problems), I see concerted efforts to repair some of the damage our society has done. The value in works like Algore's book, or more powerfully, Rachel Carson's Silent Spring is that they have FORCED people to PAY ATTENTION to these things. When my ex-girlfriend was diagnosed, at 37, with lymphoma, I drew a parallel to her residing and working in an area known for airborne pollutants and industrial solvent contamination. Eyes opened, I decided to make the small. personal changes which cumulatively lead to sweeping changes if adopted by large numbers of people. OK, so I drive a truck (and a gas-hog at that)... I am not a vegetarian, and I definitely am not an activist... but if a man like me can be moved to adjust my consuming ways by reading this book, then I must endorse it on a practical level. Come on folks... those who reviewed and wrote that this is silly, or not really a problem, are the real ostriches here.
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Summary: A serious subject treated seriously. Fools need not review.
Review: In terms that are easy to relate to, the Vice President carefully details the evidence science provides confirming our worst case scenarios. We can treat the patient now, or let it die and take the future with it. More than simple statistics, the book takes the reader on a graphic journey through some of the more remarkable and carefully documented environmental catastrophies in history which may recur with ever-increasing negative impact as population increases and climate is impacted by chemical and biological pollution. The many kook-reviews attached to this page are surely worrysome. Any reasonable mind which actually turned a page could never write some of the hoaxs attached to this title, and fortunately won't fool anyone. They are the kids that threw spitballs in funny-book 101 and will cast a devastating vote against the Earth in the Balance in the next election. Buy the book to understand what makes Al Gore so determined to work for this country and this world. He is not just another 'big hat with no cattle.'
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Summary: Gore is a thinker and a concerned environmentalist
Review: This book is now eight years old and some of the concerns about global warming raised by Gore have been researched and disputed. But this doesn't take away a single bit from Gores concerns about urban sprawl and the quality of life issues he raises. This great book establishes Gores credentials as both a thinker and an environmentalist and the kind of person well equipped to lead our country into the next century.
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