Entertaining and thoroughly researched, Jeff Goodell brings the subject of climate-driven extreme heat to life in his comprehensive look at heat’s substantial impact on humanity’s past, present, and future.”—Former Vice President Al Gore “Through stellar reporting, artful storytelling and fascinating scientific explanations, Goodell brings to life heat as a world re-making force. In his skillful hands, the climbing temperature is revealed as an invisible, planetary animator that is already pushing landscapes, bodies, and social systems to their limits – and, unless we change course, it will take humanity to an oven-like climate that will feel more like a war than a home. This searing plea for a better, fairer and cooler future should be read by anyone with skin in the game – which is every single one of us.”—Naomi Klein, author of the New York Times bestselling This Changes Everything "In his fast-paced new book about climate change. . .Goodell denounces the term 'global warming' for sounding 'gentle and soothing.' As this terrifying book makes exceptionally clear, thinking we can just crank up the A.C. is a dangerous way to live. This is a propulsive book, one to be raced through; the planet is burning, and we are running out of time."—Jennifer Szalai, The New York Times "The climate crisis brings no greater threat than the prospect of deadly extreme heat. In The Heat Will Kill You First , Jeff Goodell brings a mix of fantastic storytelling, lucid science communication, and eternal optimism in detailing the profound threat we face with the climate crisis and what we can still do about it.”—Michael Mann, Presidential Distinguished Professor, University of Pennsylvania and author of The New Climate War “It is already a new world, hotter than ever before in human history and getting rapidly hotter still. The Heat Will Kill You First is a masterful, bracing, vivid portrait of the future we now know will be shaped, like clay, by that heat—a godlike force, as Goodell writes, governing all life conducted under its profound and brutal reign.” —David Wallace-Wells, author of The New York Times bestselling The Uninhabitable Earth “This is a scary book. It humanizes global warming by telling amazing stories of individuals already affected by it, making very clear the danger we are putting ourselves in. We all have a cognitive map in our head that includes a near future, which is sketchier than our map of the present, being made of our hopes and fears. This book will sharpen that sketch in electrifying ways. You won’t see the world the same way after reading it.” —Kim Stanley Robinson, New York Times bestselling author of The High Sierra and The Ministry for the Future "If you have ever sweated through a heatwave and wondered how much worse things are going to get as temperatures continue to rise around the planet, then Jeff Goodell's The Heat Will Kill You First is just the book for you. Meticulously researched yet thoroughly readable, this is at once a portrait of a heat-disrupted world and a primer for how to prepare for it."—Amitav Ghosh, bestselling author of The Nutmeg’s Curse and The Great Derangement “As the planet warms, all our assumptions are going to be upended. Jeff Goodell asks us to imagine the impact on our minds and bodies, our communities and economies. The Heat Will Kill You First is essential reading for anyone who cares about the future.” —Elizabeth Kolbert, Pulitzer Prize winning author of The Sixth Extinction "[Goodell] provides an intimate look at the effects of our planet's warming on individual lives...another stark, crucial reminder that we are running out of time to save humankind."—Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review) "Once you read this book, you may never see a hot summer day the same way again. Jeff Goodell gives heat names, faces, stories, and emotions that you will find hard to forget."—Andrea Dutton, MacArthur Fellow and Professor of Geology, University of Wisconsin–Madison “With his trademark blend of meticulous research, vivid storytelling, and unflinching honesty, Goodell exposes the devastating toll that extreme heat is already taking on communities around the world, and the inspiring efforts of scientists, activists, and everyday people who are working tirelessly to find solutions. Urgent, compelling, and deeply informative, The Heat Will Kill You First is a must-read for anyone who cares about the future of our planet…I couldn’t put it down.”—Eleni Myrivili, Global Chief Heat Officer, UN-Habitat "In 14 whirlwind chapters, Goodell, a longtime climate journalist and contributing editor for Rolling Stone, earns his book’s grim title. The chapters travel from the Arctic Circle to the tropics and back again, tracing the effects of heat on melting ice and suffering corals, but also on enthused mosquitoes, whose ranges are stretching wider as temperatures warm....The scariest thing about the heat-infused future, Goodell notes, is that we don’t treat it with the respect and concern that it deserves."—The Washington Post "Astonishing" —Time, Health Matters "An urgent warning."—PBS NewsHour "A remarkable exploration of the deadly consequences of rising temperatures...The book’s biggest takeaway is that the harm from heat falls unfairly on those least able to protect themselves....Unlike some climate-science writers who drown readers in data and seem to write only for other activists, Mr Goodell tells his story colourfully. Readers meet people working to raise awareness of climate change by figuring out which extreme weather events can be attributed to it, and helping its victims by leaving water for migrants crossing the Arizona desert or campaigning for safer conditions for farmworkers….The Heat Will Kill You First could not be more timely.”—The Economist
"Heat has a public relations problem, argues journalist Jeff Goodell in his latest book, The Heat Will Kill You First: Life and Death on a Scorched Planet. Most of us are familiar with the temperature readings we see on the nightly news, usually the temperature of the air around us or the heat index—a gauge of air temperature and humidity. But during the latest U.S. heat wave, some areas reported what’s known as wet bulb temperatures—a measurement of the lowest temperature that the evaporation of water can cool air—of 94 degrees.
This measurement in ambient air temperature may not seem like a big deal to many people. But it’s a dangerous measurement in wet bulb temperatures, Goodell explains in his book. The higher the wet bulb temperature, the less effective evaporation is, and the harder it is for our sweat to cool us down."
—New Republic "Read this book and then look at the temperatures in the northern hemisphere. That's the Anthropocene: so hot, it's chilling."—Jeff Sparrow , The Saturday Paper “They’re no disputing that Goodell is an engaging writer at the top of his game. He's like the love child of Ed Yong and James Patterson, with a little bit of Rachel Carson thrown in, which is to say he writes science-based dystopian thrillers."—Jennifer Graham , The Hippo "As The Heat Will Kill You First makes clear, the time to mitigate the sources and effects of rising temperatures is now."—Inside Higher Ed “Goodell’s brilliant and sobering book can help inspire a critical mass of people to “reimagine everything” and join the fight to create a habitable future.”—Sierra Magazine “'Prescient' and 'gripping' are two words that come to mind when describing Goodell’s latest book. Goodell guides us clearly with clear science and great storytelling.”—The Los Angeles Times "The Heat Will Kill You First is arguably also one of the most eloquent books — and one of the most terrifying — to hit the global bookshelf. Because Heat brings home the perilous urgency of the current moment like no other." "the extraordinary power of Goodell’s narrative is the way he renders cutting-edge science understandable, adroitly interweaving scientific detail, relevant statistics and conversations with scientists with the stories of ordinary individuals to drive home the invisible power of “this form of heat that has been unleashed upon us through the burning of fossil fuels”.—Bron Sibree , Sunday Times “The Heat Will Kill You First spans the globe, with Goodell constantly on assignment, jumping from melting icebergs in Antarctica to the scalding streets of Chennai. His stories make heat, and the dangers it incites, visible in new ways.”—John Washington , New York Review of Books
Once you read this book, you may never see a hot summer day the same way again. Jeff Goodell gives heat names, faces, stories, and emotions that you will find hard to forget.
It is already a new world, hotter than ever before in human history and getting rapidly hotter still. The Heat Will Kill You First is a masterful, bracing, vivid portrait of the future we now know will be shaped, like clay, by that heat—a godlike force, as Goodell writes, governing all life conducted under its profound and brutal reign.
author of The New York Times bestselling The Uninh David Wallace-Wells
The climate crisis brings no greater threat than the prospect of deadly extreme heat. In The Heat Will Kill You First , Jeff Goodell brings a mix of fantastic storytelling, lucid science communication, and eternal optimism in detailing the profound threat we face with the climate crisis and what we can still do about it.
As the planet warms, all our assumptions are going to be upended. Jeff Goodell asks us to imagine the impact on our minds and bodies, our communities and economies. The Heat Will Kill You First is essential reading for anyone who cares about the future.
Pulitzer Prize winning author of The Sixth Extinct Elizabeth Kolbert
Through stellar reporting, artful storytelling and fascinating scientific explanations, Goodell brings to life heat as a world re-making force. In his skillful hands, the climbing temperature is revealed as an invisible, planetary animator that is already pushing landscapes, bodies, and social systems to their limits – and, unless we change course, it will take humanity to an oven-like climate that will feel more like a war than a home. This searing plea for a better, fairer and cooler future should be read by anyone with skin in the game – which is every single one of us.
author of the New York Times bestselling This Chan Naomi Klein
"You won’t see the world the same way after reading it."
Entertaining and thoroughly researched, Jeff Goodell brings the subject of climate-driven extreme heat to life in his comprehensive look at heat’s substantial impact on humanity’s past, present, and future.
Former Vice President Al Gore
If you have ever sweated through a heatwave and wondered how much worse things are going to get as temperatures continue to rise around the planet, then Jeff Goodell's The Heat Will Kill You First is just the book for you. Meticulously researched yet thoroughly readable, this is at once a portrait of a heat-disrupted world and a primer for how to prepare for it.
bestselling author of The Nutmeg’s Curse and Amitav Ghosh
This is a scary book. It humanizes global warming by telling amazing stories of individuals already affected by it, making very clear the danger we are putting ourselves in. We all have a cognitive map in our head that includes a near future, which is sketchier than our map of the present, being made of our hopes and fears. This book will sharpen that sketch in electrifying ways. You won’t see the world the same way after reading it.
New York Times bestselling author of The High Sier Kim Stanley Robinson
This audiobook illuminates the dramatic impact of climate change on our planet. Presented superbly by narrator L.J. Ganser, the audiobook exposes the how and why of global heat and its devastating effects, from wildfires to melting glaciers and other events that are impacting lives around the globe. Ganser delivers an exceptional performance. With a bold delivery, he transforms author Jeff Goodell's investigative report into a masterpiece. Unlike many books about our climate, this report is fascinating and provides relevance and context that enable listeners to recognize the dangers we face. Ganser's delivery is focused, and his use of nuance and inflection make this a book for all who are concerned about our future and that of generations to come. D.J.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
This audiobook illuminates the dramatic impact of climate change on our planet. Presented superbly by narrator L.J. Ganser, the audiobook exposes the how and why of global heat and its devastating effects, from wildfires to melting glaciers and other events that are impacting lives around the globe. Ganser delivers an exceptional performance. With a bold delivery, he transforms author Jeff Goodell's investigative report into a masterpiece. Unlike many books about our climate, this report is fascinating and provides relevance and context that enable listeners to recognize the dangers we face. Ganser's delivery is focused, and his use of nuance and inflection make this a book for all who are concerned about our future and that of generations to come. D.J.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
★ 2023-04-04 A noted environmental journalist examines the effects of extreme heat on our lives and future generations.
In this gripping examination, Goodell, a Rolling Stone contributing editor and author of The Water Will Come and Big Coal , demonstrates the deleterious effects of rising temperatures and the frightening possibilities of what lies ahead if we don’t take immediate, globally coordinated action. Rather than simply providing scientific data to support his claims, the author provides an intimate look at the effects of our planet's warming on individual lives. Among them is the heartbreaking story of Sebastian Perez, a migrant worker from Guatemala who succumbed to heat exhaustion while working in the fields of Willamette Valley, Oregon, a location once considered a refuge from extreme heat. Goodell argues for legislation to protect vulnerable outdoor workers from unsafe conditions; investigates how hotter weather will lead to a decline in food production, which will make feeding the rapidly increasing global population more difficult; and looks at the decrease in mountain snowpack, which is already taking a toll on the water supply of the American Southwest. As the temperature of our planet continues to rise, we also face greater risks related to mosquito-borne and other infectious diseases. Rising temperatures increase the chance of ice-sheet collapse in the polar regions, resulting in rising sea levels and catastrophic damage to low-lying coastal cities. With the extreme weather conditions experienced in recent years throughout the world, including heat waves in Paris, prolonged drought followed by widespread flooding in California, and more frequent ice storms in Texas, climate change denial is no longer an option. “Making the necessary changes will be hard; it will require political leadership and a deeper understanding of our connection with one another and with the world we live in,” writes Goodell. “But it is not beyond our reach.”
Yet another stark, crucial reminder that we are running out of time to save humankind.