Subtitled 150 Infographics to Help Anyone Save the World, this book feels a little like a PowerPoint presentation on the planet’s environmental problems that you wish came with a kindly teacher to guide you through. Gonstalla works from the basics, with textbook-style diagrams on the albedo effect, how trees store carbon and the oceans of the world. It’s a useful backdrop as she gets into breakdowns of dirty groundwater, loss of forest species and solutions for mitigating climate change with solar geoengineering. The strength of the infographic is laying out a complex problem in bite-size chunks. The weakness is that it can feel dispassionate. This is not a polemic, it’s more of a teaching aid. Backed by a crowdfunder, it’s got a groundswell of support already. Maybe a good Christmas present – but be prepared to deliver a lecture alongside the gift.
