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Facing the Future

Bloomsbury, London



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A book I wrote as a defence of science, the possibility of progress, and rationality.

"At a time when gibbering hordes of mystics, cranks and cultists threaten us with an age of Neo-Barbarism, Michael Allaby's book is both a refreshing dose of sanity and a brilliant defence of science, our only real hope for the future."
Arthur C. Clarke.

" ... Facing the Future is the aptly titled book by Michael Allaby which lays into this unholy caravan of antiscience pessimists. In chapter after chapter he confounds their predictions of impending disasters and points out that the future is not likely to be as they envisage, because they have got their facts and theories wrong. ... This is a super book. Buy it, cheer yourself up, and revive your faith in science."
John Emsley, New Scientist.



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"... a remarkably level-headed defence of science and scientists. ... By denying the possibility of progress, he argues, the critics of science are shortchanging society and spreading a wholly unjustified gloom about the future. He makes a persuasive case. This book is an excellent corrective for anybody in danger of an acute attack of environmentalism - which includes about half the planet."
Nigel Hawkes, The Times

"... you are made aware that one's previous precious beliefs probably amount to prejudice. It is an awful testament to the power of the media and lobby groups in shaping public perception. Allaby's argument is a necessary corrective to the dangerous nonsense peddled by people whose idea of science is throwing the tarot cards."
Simon Hughes, The Australian Financial Review Magazine

"Perhaps science needs more people like Michael Allaby. Those who can communicate if not remind society about the significance of scientific inquiry in our daily lives."
Christopher Bantick. Canberra Times

Dangerous Weather

Hurricanes, Tornadoes, Blizzards, Droughts Floods, A Chronology of Weather

Facts On File, Inc., New York.

This is a series of six books, each of just over 120 pages plus index. They're illustrated with diagrams, maps, and black and white photographs. Although they're written for young readers, they're also valuable for their explanations of what makes really bad weather happen and what's going on inside big storms.
Five of the books describe the fiercest and most dangerous kinds of weather our planet can produce. They have lots of stories of particular episodes and people who lived through them, but the books also explain how the weather happens. They introduce young readers to the basics of meteorology and climatology, but in an easy style and simple language. The books also contain advice on what to do if you are threatened by a severe storm.
The sixth book describes how the weather has changed over the centuries and then lists particular examples of "dangerous weather" over the last 5000 years. Then there is a similar list of discoveries that have helped scientists to understand the way our atmosphere works. There are simple experiments you can do at home with no special equipment, and a list of weather classifications and scales.