Walden Warming: Climate Change Comes to Thoreau's Woods

"Walden Warming," by Richard B. Primack, is an interesting book, containing a good deal of important information. The author draws inferences from his data that readers should take heed of. Perhaps the book is too chatty, too informal. It lacks rigorous presentation of data in a concise form. Instead, the author gives us anecdotes summarizing the data gleaned from historical sources and from natural history surveys taken around Concord, Mass., by his graduate students. I get the feeling that the book could have been much condensed, with the author, or more likely the publisher or editor, pushing to stretch the information out to book length. "Walden Warming" would be improved if Primack's prose was pruned and his findings presented in tables and in graphical form.

I know Richard Primack from his high school days as a student scientist, and he has become an environmental hero. I love this book. Stimulating and interesting picture of climate change on a local level, with a unique historical perspective. On a minor note, I do not agree with all of his assumptions about how to remediate the local impacts of climate change in his neighborhood, but that is tangential to his thoughtful, detailed, and beautifully laid out picture of climate change in a classic New England ecosystem.

Every journey begins with a first step and Walden Warming is a good starting point. By the work of our own hands, matched with reason and principle, each of us can make a difference.

Wonderful book on Thoreau's record keeping at Walden that has helped prove climate warming.

Primack's research is quite incomplete. Too bad he's trying to convince us that global warming has changed Concord; unfortunately, he's no phenologist. Not sure Henry David would approve.

Interesting & relevant research. Easy to read if you have an interest i in the topic.

Great price! I was very happy with my order.

Dr. Richard Primack is an academic botanist with decades of research experience, but his work around Walden Pond began only about ten years ago. Looking for an “angle” from which to study the impact of climate change on plants, Primack learned that Thoreau, most commonly thought of as an author and philosopher, was a dedicated naturalist who kept detailed records about the plants and animals around him. The crucial pieces of data related to dates – when did the winter ice leave Walden Pont, when did plants leaf out, blossom and set fruit? Having an “old” data set allows for comparison with present conditions. Yes, it can be documented that climate change is having an impact on plants. And so are many other actions, especially development.Primack moved on from plants to insects, using data from Thoreau and other early naturalists. When he ran out of records, he turned to the world’s great insect collections, reading the dates on specimens, from which emergence data can be construed.Primack repeatedly referred to “analyzing” data, but didn’t really say how. I assume he looked for statistical correlations, but wonder if he also engaged in mathematical modeling, to me a mysterious but potentially useful “black box” endeavor.Primack also studied climate impact on birds, bees, butterflies, fish and frogs. Only a person with tremendous energy and a steady supply of graduate students could cover so much physical and intellectual territory.I was totally taken by surprise when Primack discussed the impact of climate change on humans by analyzing data from the Boston Marathon!His last chapter, on solutions to global warming, wasn’t really needed. So many people are addressing that topic. But I would say Primack is entitled to hold forth, since he produced so much well written discussion in Walden Warming.This book, which I highly recommend, is right on the line between “popular” and “scientific”. I hope Primack continues to write in both veins, since he has valuable information to impart.