How to Avoid a Climate DisasterHow to Avoid a Climate Disaster
What it's about
Bill Gates explains, in plain numbers, what it would take to stop climate change: getting the world's greenhouse gas emissions from about 51 billion tons a year to zero. He goes sector by sector, through electricity, manufacturing, farming, transport and buildings, explaining which technologies we have, which we still need, and what governments, businesses and individuals can do.
Why it's worth reading
It hit #1 on the New York Times list and was a Goodreads Choice finalist. It's a clear, practical, optimistic guide to a huge problem.
You'll love it if you liked
The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History
Nexus
Fire Weather: A True Story From a Hotter WorldGood to know
Some critics say it leans too heavily on technology. It's short and readable.
By the numbers
- Readers57 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller62 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #63 of the 119 science and ideas books we rank
- #186 of the 481 new books we rank
- #1091 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story, Thought-provoking
More by Bill Gates
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Quick answers
Is How to Avoid a Climate Disaster worth reading?
Yes. It hit #1 on the New York Times list and was a Goodreads Choice finalist. It ranks #1,091 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 72.0 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is How to Avoid a Climate Disaster about?
Bill Gates explains, in plain numbers, what it would take to stop climate change: getting the world's greenhouse gas emissions from about 51 billion tons a year to zero. He goes sector by sector, through electricity, manufacturing, farming, transport and buildings, explaining which technologies we have, which we still need, and what governments, businesses and individuals can do.
How long does it take to read How to Avoid a Climate Disaster?
About 7 hours (288 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after How to Avoid a Climate Disaster?
If you liked it, try The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert, Nexus by Yuval Noah Harari or Fire Weather: A True Story From a Hotter World by John Vaillant.