Britain’s Habitats: A Guide to the Wildlife Habitats of Britain and Ireland by Sophie Lake and Durwyn Liley [Princeton University Press, 2014; Amazon UK hardcover; Amazon US hardcover]

Publisher’s synopsis: A photographic guide to habitats, this lavishly illustrated book provides a comprehensive overview of the natural history and conservation landscape of Britain and Ireland. In essence a field guide, the book leads the reader through all the main habitat types, with information on their characteristics, extent, geographical variation, key species, cultural importance, origins and conservation. It aims to help visitors to the countryside recognize the habitats around them, understand how they have evolved and what makes them special, and imagine how they might change in the future.

This book is the perfect companion for anyone travelling in Britain and Ireland, and essential reading for all wildlife enthusiasts, professional ecologists and landscape architects.

• Individual sections on all the main habitat types found in Britain and Ireland
• More than 680 evocative colour photographs, including images from around Britain and Ireland in all seasons
• Details and photographs of key species and features associated with the different habitats
• Up-to-date information -- including maps -- on the distribution, extent and importance of all habitat types
• Information on key nature conservation designations and different systems of habitat classification

My first impression: This is a stunning book in every way that a bibliophile or collector can imagine, and it’s an inspirational book in every sense that a citizen scientist or a professional ecologist can wish for. It is crammed full of informative maps that are colour-coded to describe the habitats of Britain and Ireland, as well as maps describing areas of special concern, topology, rock types, mean minimum and maximum temperatures, rainfall … the list goes on and on. It even has a timeline describing the history of Britain and Ireland from the start of the Devensian/Midlandian Glacial period. But most of the book is devoted to discussing each habitat in detail; including the flora and fauna, cultural importance, and special issues -- conservation, water quality, etc. Every page features several full-colour photographs along with species identifications and other relevant information. It even features a short “did you know?” section that shares an interesting little fact about each habitat type. Reading this book inspires me to set out on a series of exploratory hiking visits to Britain and Ireland, carrying my binoculars, cameras, toothbrush -- and this book. The only thing I could wish for that might improve this book, particularly for long-term outdoors use is … flexi-binding!

The Weather Makers: Our Changing Climate and what it means for Life on Earth by Tim Flannery [Grove Press; New Ed edition, 2007; Amazon UK paperback; Amazon US paperback/kindle US/audio CD]

Publisher’s synopsis: An international bestseller embraced and endorsed by policy makers, scientists, writers and energy industry executives from around the world, Tim Flannery’s The Weather Makers contributed in bringing the topic of global warming to national prominence. For the first time, a scientist provided an accessible and comprehensive account of the history, current status, and future impact of climate change, writing what has been acclaimed by reviewers everywhere as the definitive book on global warming.

With one out of every five living things on this planet committed to extinction by the levels of greenhouse gases that will accumulate in the next few decades, we are reaching a global climatic tipping point. The Weather Makers is both an urgent warning and a call to arms, outlining the history of climate change, how it will unfold over the next century, and what we can do to prevent a cataclysmic future. Originally somewhat of a global warming skeptic, Tim Flannery spent several years researching the topic and offers a connect-the-dots approach for a reading public who has received patchy or misleading information on the subject. Pulling on his expertise as a scientist to discuss climate change from a historical perspective, Flannery also explains how climate change is interconnected across the planet.

This edition includes a new afterword by the author.

My first impression: Before I purchased this book at the 2014 Frankfurt Book Fair, I randomly opened it and landed in chapter ten, “Peril at the Poles”. I was immediately captivated by the shining prose, by the well-chosen data, and by the coherent yet passionate argument. Although published in 2007, this book’s message is even more important, more relevant and more compelling today. An eye-opening (although chilling) must-read.

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When she’s not got her nose stuck in a book, GrrlScientist is very active on twitter @GrrlScientist and lurks on social media: facebook, G+, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.