Earlier today I joined Glenn Beck for a lively hour on "A Disgrace to the Profession" plus climate change, the implosion of the Middle East, the invasion of Europe, and Donald Trump's upturning of the Republican primary. Here's a taster:
And, if you enjoyed that, you can listen to the whole thing right here. I turn up about 40 minutes in, but don't miss Glenn's other guests: presidential candidate Rand Paul on ISIS and Bishop James Lowe on the National Day of Prayer. Click below and settle back:
~As attentive viewers and listeners will know, I've been trying to plant the phrase "cartoon climatology" out there on the book-plug circuit this week. It seems to have done the trick over at Barnes & Noble. "A Disgrace to the Profession" is Number One in both Climate & Climatology and in General & Miscellaneous Humor. So it's official: Michael Mann's science is a joke.
(Speaking of cartoons, by the way, this book has some great ones by Josh. Worth the price of purchase all by themselves.)
~Thank you to readers around the world for a great first week for "A Disgrace to the Profession". On Tuesday thousands upon thousands of pre-order customers around the world woke up to the Kindle edition auto-delivered to their breakfast table while they slept, but, if you're one of those Kindlephobic types, the good news is that the book is also available in Nook and (any day now) Kobo. As for the old-fashioned hard copy, I'm pleased to say we're already in our fourth printing. We're in the Top 200 at Amazon US, which isn't bad after four days - and at Amazon Canada we're bubbling under the Hot 100. Oz is lagging a little, but we're just outside the Top 1,000. And we're the Number One climatology bestseller, with our companion volume Climate Change: The Facts at Number Nine, and both books kicking the butt of Michael E Mann's Dreary Predictions, down at Number 18. And don't forget, if you can't wait for the print edition, it can be yours instantly via Nook or Kindle.
~This may be as close as I get to a review in The Wall Street Journal. Commenter Anthony Swenson
Mark Steyn quotes MIT's Richard Lindzen in his book "A Disgrace To The Profession":
"This is the problem. These guys think saying 'climate changes', saying it gets warmer or colder by a few tenths of a degree, should be taken as evidence that the end of the world is coming. And it completely ignores the fact that until this hysteria, climate scientists used to refer to the warm periods in our history as 'optima'."
Indeed. If you say "Medieval Climate Optimum" to Mann groupies, they flee in terror. What could be worse than an optimum? Incidentally, later in the book, Professor Lindzen's analysis of Climategate is both trenchant and damning.
~A few observations from readers. I liked this review at Amazon:
An excellent read. Mark Steyn keeps a flowing commentary going while addressing a wealth of telling quotes with references and citations from genuine scientists including those true scientists who just happen to be honest climate researchers stuck along in the morass of climate fakers and witch doctors.
Make sure that you start reading before the foreword as Steyn's insights and sharp witticisms start immediately.
Over at the SteynOnline bookstore, I autographed a book for a mathematics guy buying it for a science gal, and he'd appended to the autograph request the following:
It's hard for us out in the world of science and mathematics, with so much of politics poisoning the search for the reliable, if not the true. I admire your courage in perpetually confronting the agents of this poison.
The politicization of science is now so ingrained that Mann-pal Gavin Schmidt is complaining about the "scientization" of debate - which this field could actually use more of.
My fellow Torontonian Jeff Brandwein writes:
Dear Mark,
After reading A Disgrace to the Profession, I fear you're never going to get your day in court. More likely Mr. Mann will withdraw the suit and pay you a bundle for your costs.
Jeff Brandwein
Toronto
Oh, it's not going to be that easy for him, Jeff. Way back at the beginning of last year, I countersued him. His strategy with Tim Ball and others has always been to ensnare you in the legal process with no intention of ever letting you get him into the court. That won't work with me because, even if he withdraws, my countersuit will remain on the table. He and his lawyer claimed that they don't bluff and that all they want is their day in court. Well, this time, unlike the others, they're gonna get it.
Reader Bill Hough writes:
Mark:
I'm glad to hear that "A Disgrace to the Profession" is doing well. I'd like to suggest a way of getting the message out to folks who might not want to buy it but might read it if they find it on the "new books" shelf at the library. Most libraries have a "suggest a purchase" feature on their websites, all someone has to do is fill out a brief online form.
Regards,
Bill Hough
I don't have much luck in public libraries. In my aforementioned hometown of Toronto, they ordered one copy of After America and a week after it came out there was an 18-month wait to borrow it. But they still wouldn't spring for a second copy... Still, if you think it'll help, go for it.
~That's it for the first week of "Disgrace". We'll pick it up with more TV and radio after Labor Day and Labour Day. I wish a grand fin de l'été weekend to our North American readers - and thank you again for your very generous response to this new book.
~There are other ways to support Mark's side in the upcoming Mann vs Steyn trial of the century, 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. On the other hand, 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.