Earth's climate: Past and future

Abstract

Given the prominence of global climate change issues in the United States and abroad, it is surprising that there has not been an introductory‐level textbook that adequately addresses the Earth's climate system in a systematic, easy to read, multidisciplinary manner. Earth's Climate: Past and Future by W. F. Ruddiman is exactly that: an excellent introductory textbook covering the basic science and the paradigms that govern our current understanding of Earth's climate system. In his opening remarks, Ruddiman states his goal that the book make climate science interesting and intelligible to all students, especially to non‐science majors taking an upper‐division science course. Ruddiman successfully tackles this goal.