An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power by Al Gore

Title: An Inconvenient Sequel:  Truth to Power
Author: Al Gore

Read by: Al Gore, Sterling Brown, Danny Burstein, Marin Ireland, Shailene Woodley

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Length: Approximately 4 hours and 58 minutes
Source: Simon & Schuster Audio Digital Review Copy – Thank-you!

As an environmental engineer and an instructor of an environmental engineering technology program, I should have been the obvious audience for An Inconvenient Truth.  I must admit, I had never seen that movie until just last month.  As an environmental engineer, I have been sickened by the politicization of environmental science.  Facts are facts, but we are now in an age where people can find whatever “facts” they want online and can chose to ignore data.  I’ll admit I was dubious of something that a career politician had put together on the environment.

I was pleasantly surprised by both An Inconvenient Truth the movie and An Inconvenient Sequel that audiobook.  The data presented is accurate data that matches peer reviewed articles on the topics of climate change and is indeed what I teach in my classes when we discuss the topic in class.

The audiobook did a great job of keeping it interesting by switching narrators often for different segments.  I was very happy about this as Al Gore unfortunately has a very boring speaking voice.  The different narrators kept the audiobook engaging to listen too.  I also enjoyed the “deep dive” segments on how climate change has affected different people around the world in different ways as well as biographies on important people who are making changes to help climate change by doing things such as promoting renewable energy.

The goal of An Inconvenient Sequel is to spread the science behind climate change and I fully appreciate that.  I get very aggravated when average Joe tells me that climate change is all made up as they saw a segment on Fox News that said this.  I can tell them about studies and research that was going on even when I was in college at Michigan Tech and what it told them, but they chose not to believe data or someone who works in the field.  The first half of the book gives the background science for what is climate change and why is it a problem.  The second half of the book gives examples of how as a citizen you can do something about it.  This includes registering to vote, voting, finding out who represents you in Congress, contacting your representatives, writing opinion articles, and speaking at public meetings.  These are all good tips and are items I talk to my students about.  I’ve read before that a representative only needs to hear from a few constituents to start looking into a problem.  We discussed these items in great detail when I was in Government class over twenty years ago in high school.  Unfortunately, government classes are being cut across the country and many people are not sure how to have their voices heard.

There is also a PDF that accompanies the audiobook that gives helpful tips and links.  This will be a useful resource in the future for me.

An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power was a very interesting audiobook that engaged readers with great science and absorbing narrators.  It was a great place for those that care about the climate to find more information as well as tips for how to make a change.  It was also a great book to let me know again why not to “judge a book by its cover.”  I went in afraid of the politics, but came out impressed by the science.