UPDATE: "Steyn's book on Mann surges in Amazon rankings, leaving climate alarmism books in the dust."
Here's the original post:
I won't deny that I enjoyed the headline of this Instapundit post - "PUNCHING BACK TWICE AS HARD":
Mark Steyn's new book on Michael Mann is entitled A Disgrace To The Profession.
It is indeed. But some people have difficulty grasping the concept. Over in my ancestral sod, politics.ie has a climate-change page, at which someone called Sir Charles scoffed:
Science versus tabloid writer Mark Steyn. I would know who's got more credibility.
A fellow commenter attempted to draw Sir Charles' attention to the relevant part of my book title:
"A disgrace to the profession: the world's scientists in their own words on Michael Mann"
It isn't Steyn's words. He just compiled them. The people saying Mann and his Hokey Schtick is garbage include every scientists, right up to his co-authors!
Just so. The very title "A Disgrace to the Profession" is from Dr Hendrik Tennekes' damning verdict on Michael E Mann. But Sir Charles was having none of it:
Well, then this hatred author's book should easily pass scrutinised peer-review in the scientific literature...
Well, it won't happen. But I'm sure Mark Steyn's ejaculations will please some white angry male science deniers.
Actually, many of the book's quotations on Mann's "science" come directly from the "peer-reviewed" "scientific literature". For example, on page 49, Professors McShane and Wyner say:
We conclude unequivocally that the evidence for a 'long-handled' hockey stick ...is lacking in the data.
That line was peer-reviewed up the wazoo. But my fellow Irishman (I assume) is such a weenie he refuses to believe these scientists said it in "the scientific literature" until my quotations from the "peer-reviewed" "scientific literature" are themselves "peer-reviewed" in "the scientific literature". Sir Charles accuses me of "ejaculating", but better that than taking a can-opener to your genitalia and saying all you're fit for is court eunuch to the climate sultans. Are all Irish climate fetishists so prostrate before authority? If his grandparents' generation had been that craven and obsequious, you'd still be living under the Lord Lieutenant.
That attitude is why I wrote this book. It begins with a quote from Ed Begley Jr, the actor-activist, in a memorable Climategate interview with Stuart Varney:
If these scientists have done something wrong, it will be found out and their peers will determine it... Don't get your information from me, folks, or any newscaster. Get it from people with PhD after their names.
So I did. I acted on Ed Begley Jr's shrewd advice and got my information from people with PhD after their names. As I say in the intro, I've never typed more post-nominals in my life. And whaddaya know? People with PhD after their names have a very low opinion of Mann and his science. Go on, Sir Charles. Give the book a try. If you're that prostrate before authority, these are the authorities to be prostrate before.
Over on our Facebook page, another excitable climate queen called Tennis Lily is eagerly contemplating my demise:
Tennis Lilly Robert - Mark Steyn has attacked a respected, award winning scientist and made demonsterably false claims impugning his integrity. He has done so in spite of a mountain of evidence supporting his research and in an effort to destroy Manns reputation and career. So yes...screw Mark Steyn and I DO absolutely hope he dies in poverty
Have a nice cup of tea, dear, and lie down in a darkened room for half-an-hour. You'll soon feel better. Over at Dr Mann's ruthlessly policed Facebook page, he's such an insecure ninny he'd have blocked you two dozen comments back. But over here we're more relaxed about that kind of thing. So feel free to prowl around, and maybe treat yourself to a Steyn vs the Stick T-shirt.
The wear and tear on my poor signing hand remains something awful, but I'm truly grateful for readers' response to the book these last couple of days. As you know, we've been offering the paperback exclusively to SteynOnline readers initially. But you'll be glad to hear the Kindle edition is now available for pre-order, and other eBook formats will be available shortly - and the paperback is already selling briskly at Amazon even though it's not officially released yet.
~On a similar theme, Judith Curry has a thoughtful post on how to bring "Feynman integrity" back to climate science in an age of hucksterism. Toward the end a certain fake Nobel Laureate and his pals begin to rear their heads, and Dr Curry concludes:
p.s. I've tried to keep the Mann references to a minimum, although it wasn't easy given that I have just finished reading Mark Steyn's new book A disgrace to his profession: The world's scientists on Michael E. Mann, his hockey stick and their damage to science. Stay tuned for a post on this. In the long run, I don't think adversarial science and hucksterism will 'pay'.
Among the commenters on her piece is CalTech's Professor David Rutledge:
In the years after the CRU emails were released I gave many seminars on energy supplies to groups of climate scientists, and I always included a group of slides analyzing and criticizing different aspects of the emails. Friends told me they could see the audiences bristle when I did that. I cannot recall receiving the slightest acknowledgement, publicly or privately, from a single climate scientist in those audiences that there was any bad behavior in the emails. I did get attacks from the climate scientists, publicly and privately, stating that their opponents were bad people doing bad science and that they should be kept from publishing. This is the same attitude that was apparent in the emails.
At Caltech, Feynman's ghost is still with us, and in my classes I show his videos on the nature of physical law and pseudoscience. Climate science today is classic pseudoscience... It is also classic junk science.
Professor Rutledge is also quoted in my book, on the corruption of peer review and related matters.
~I said yesterday that the last three Mann-boys on the planet had come out to give him the love. It is quite remarkable how few supporters Mann has these days, but what they lack in numbers they make up for in devotion. Here's one from the distaff side, a lady named "Sou" who blogs at Hot Whopper:
Today Anthony Watts is promoting Mark Steyn's last ditch attempt to discredit one of the world's leading climate scientists. Professor Michael Mann is Distinguished Professor of Meteorology and Director, Earth System Science Center at Penn State University. Mark Steyn is an ex-smut columnist turned smut blogger, who arguably viciously defamed Professor Michael Mann (any others?) and is now being sued by Professor Mann.
It all sounds quite exciting from that opening. But, alas, Sou is one almighty snoozeroo. Still, she does lay it on with a trowel. I enjoyed this bit:
Unlike the other defendents, Mark Steyn seems intent on adding to his own destruction. He is undoubtedly adding ammunition for Michael Mann's lawyers to fire. Even the title of his book shrieks of unfettered malice toward Professor Mann and could be viewed as explicitly libelous: "A Disgrace to the Profession: the world's scientists in their own words on Michael Mann, his hockey stick, and their damage to science."
Actually, it's A Disgrace to the Profession: the world's scientists - in their own words - on Michael E Mann, his hockey stick, and their damage to science. Volume One. But close enough. At any rate, Sou now urges Doctor Fraudpants to sue again, and this time not just me and not just our illustrator Josh but, in a spectacular reverse class-action suit (as Anthony Watts called it), all the scientists I quote in the book:
What would be great would be to see some of the other defamers sued. Now that Josh has involved himself formally, will he also be sued? Anthony Watts has highlighted a section in Mark Steyn's book where he quotes Judith Curry - who appears to have a personal grudge against Professor Mann. Is she happy to open up the possibility of her being sued? She is a supporter of Mark Steyn so probably yes. I doubt she'd get the support of the Climate Science Legal Defense Fund. She'd be on her own.
No, she wouldn't. She'd be one of hundreds of "defamers" - because Sioux City Sou says sue 'em all, Mikey. Sue everyone! And then sue 'em again! Sue early, sue often. Because "scientist" is, as everyone knows, a derivation of the Olde English word for plaintiff ("suentist"). Which reminds me: that "Climate Science Legal Defense Fund" that's backing Mann is somewhat misnamed. He's never the defendant; he's always the guy that sues. So it ought to be the Climate Science Serial Litigants' Fund.
As for Steyn:
He's also setting out to make himself an enemy of the court and the entire US judicial system, calling it a "septic tank".
Actually I think I called it a "choked septic tank". A non-choked one would be a great improvement.
But fortunately even the grimmest tale has a hero:
The personal cost to Professor Mann is great. He is undeterred. He knows that he is not just standing up for himself, he has become a symbol of climate scientists and science everywhere. A true hero.
Did you ever know that you're her he-e-e-e-e-ro? Brings a tear to your eye. Meanwhile, back in the real world: Opposing Mann and his attempt to slice'n'dice the First Amendment are, among others, the American Civil Liberties Union and almost every major media organization from The Washington Post to NBC News. Whereas not a single amicus brief was filed in support of Mann by any scientist or any scientific body. As I say in the book, Mann claims to be taking a stand for science, but science is disinclined to take a stand for him. A handful of impressionable rubes like Sou may regard Mann as "a symbol of climate scientists and science everywhere", but most scientists want to steer well clear.
If, unlike Sou, you'd like to read the actual book, please click here.
~Later today, Thursday, I'll be keeping my weekly date with Hugh Hewitt, live across America at 6pm Eastern/3pm Pacific. Hope you can tune in.
~There are other ways to support Mark's pushback against Big Climate, if you're so inclined:
1) STEYNONLINE GIFT CERTIFICATES
You can buy a gift certificate starting at $25 (and soaring way up from there), for yourself or your friends and family. The gift certificates have no expiration date, so if, in ten years' time, your favorite nephew has a sudden burning desire for $100 worth of Mark's disco CD, it'll still be valid. Alternatively, if you want to buy a certificate and sit on it until Mark wins the case, that works, too.
The gift certificates are available online here. Alternatively, US and Canadian customers can make a telephone purchase by calling (866) 799-4500 toll free from 8am to 3pm Eastern time on weekdays.
Aside from "A Disgrace To The Profession", he's written lots of other books, on free speech and much more. They're available individually or as part of various special offers.
3) EXCLUSIVE STEYN vs THE STICK TRIAL MERCHANDISE
Our "Steyn vs the Stick" and "Clash of Sticks" designs are available both on mousepads and coffee mugs and as T-shirts and sweat shirts.
