Most Popular Books by Tim Flannery

A comprehensive history of the continent, "full of engaging and attention-catching information about North America''s geology, climate, and paleontology" ( The Washington Post Book World). Here, "the rock star of modern science" tells the unforgettable story of the geological and biological evolution of the North American continent, from the time of the asteroid strike that wiped out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago to the present day (Jared Diamond, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Guns, Germs, and Steel). Flannery describes the development of North America''s deciduous forests and other flora, and tracks the migrations of various animals to and from Europe, Asia, and South America, showing how plant and animal species have either adapted or become extinct. The story spans the massive changes wrought by the ice ages and the coming of the Native Americans. It continues right up to the present, covering the deforestation of the Northeast, the decimation of the buffalo, and other consequences of frontier settlement and the industrial development of the United States. This is science writing at its very best—both an engrossing narrative and a scholarly trove of information that "will forever change your perspective on the North American continent" ( The New York Review of Books).

Ten years after his internationally bestselling The Weather Makers, acclaimed scientist and author Tim Flannery argues that Earth’s climate system is approaching a crisis. Catastrophe is not inevitable, but time is fast running out. In the lead-up to the United Nations Climate Change Summit to be held in Paris in December, Atmosphere of Hope provides both a snapshot of the trouble we are in and an up-to-the-minute analysis of some of the new possibilities for mitigating climate change that are emerging now. From atmospheric carbon capture through extensive seaweed farming, CO2 snow production in Antarctica and the manufacture of carbon-rich biochar to reflecting the sun’s rays by releasing sulphur into the atmosphere and painting landscapes and cities white, Flannery outlines an array of innovative technologies that give cause for hope. Tim Flannery has published over thirty books including the award-winning The Future Eaters, The Weather Makers and Here on Earth and the novel The Mystery of the Venus Island Fetish. In 2005 he was named Australian Humanist of the Year, and in 2007 Australian of the Year. In 2007 he co-founded and was appointed Chair of the Copenhagen Climate Council. In 2011 he became Australia’s Chief Climate Commissioner, and in 2013 he founded and heads the Australian Climate Council. His latest book is Atmosphere of Hope: Searching for Solutions to the Climate Crisis. ‘This man is a national treasure, and we should heed his every word.’ Sunday Telegraph ‘Thoughtful, candid and—yes—ultimately upbeat, Atmosphere of Hope could not be more timely. It is just the book the world needs right now.’ Elizabeth Kolbert, author of The Sixth Extinction ‘An important and timely book...The eloquent clarity of this book is a delight. It makes a grim subject exciting. It does fill me with practical hope as well as an enabling sense of urgency. I am also moved by what can be achieved.’ Australian Book Review ‘A significant statement from a great Australian.’ Tom Griffiths, Australian Book Review, Books of the Year 2015 ‘Flannery cleverly offers practical solutions rather than another jeremiad about climate change.’ Australian Financial Review, Best Books of 2015

With this awe-inspiring account of earth’s evolution, “you’ll discover why Tim Flannery’s books have made him the rock star of modern science” (Jared Diamond, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Guns, Germs, and Steel). Beginning at the Big Bang, Here on Earth explores the evolution of Earth from a galactic cloud of dust and gas to a planet with a metallic core and early signs of life within a billion years of being created. In a compelling narrative, internationally-acclaimed scientist, explorer, conservationist, and “crackerjack storyteller” Tim Flannery describes the formation of the Earth’s crust and atmosphere, as well as the transformation of the planet’s oceans from toxic brews of metals to life-sustaining bodies covering seventy percent of the planet’s surface—which first appeared as ocean-born microscopic plants and bacteria with the metal brew serving as a catalyst for the earliest biological processes known to exist (Publishers Weekly). From this beginning of life on Earth, Flannery tells the fascinating story of the evolution of humanity, exploring several early human species—from the diminutive creatures proclaimed as “hobbits” who lived in Africa around two million years ago to Homo erectus—before turning his attention to Homo sapiens. Drawing on Charles Darwin’s and Alfred Russell Wallace’s theories of evolution and Lovelock’s Gaia hypothesis, Here on Earth is “an educational project worthy of Flannery’s great talents” (TheGuardian).

Accompanying the release of his new book Life: Selected Writings, this new format of Europe presents one of Tim Flannery''s most exciting works of non-fiction.

From the authors of A Gap in Nature, a breathtaking visual adventure showcasing ninety of the world’s most astounding creatures. Sumptuous birds of paradise, amazing soft-shell turtles, frogs that look like tomatoes, and terrifying fish (including the deep-water angler fish from Finding Nemo) are just some of the extraordinary creatures that can be found in Tim Flannery and Peter Schouten’s new book, Astonishing Animals. Superbly illustrated with lifelike full-color paintings, Astonishing Animals details ninety of the world’s most amazing animals from around the world. In this book you will find the hairy seadevil; the spectacular Sulawesi naked bat; and in the depths of the limestone caves in Slovenia, the olm, a pink, four-legged, sightless salamander that lives for a hundred years. In fascinating vignettes, Flannery offers the true evolutionary tale of how each of these bizarre creatures came to look the way they do. Alongside each historical account is a stunning hand-painted color reproduction (life-size in the original painting) by Schouten. Filled with purple-faced apes, jagged-toothed dolphins, and antlered lizards, Astonishing Animals is a remarkable collection of the world’s most incredible creatures and the stories behind their remarkable survival into a modern age. “An elegant paean to some of the world’s strangest and/or most beautiful creatures.” —Mary Ann Gwinn, The Seattle Times “As beautiful as it is fascinating, this book will be relished by animal lovers of all stripes.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

An urgent and essential call to arms from one of Australia’s most respected climate scientists, Tim Flannery. A compelling and solution-focused declaration of the action required to win the climate battle, and how change must start in our board rooms and parliaments.

A story of science and discovery that’s “part travel diary and part field notebook . . . like what you’d get if Charles Darwin starred in an Indiana Jones flick” (Audubon Magazine). Credited with discovering more species than Charles Darwin, Tim Flannery has been hailed as “the rock star of modern science.” Here, he recounts a series of expeditions he made early in his career to the islands of the South Pacific, a great arc stretching nearly 4,000 miles from the postcard perfection of Polynesia to some of the largest, highest, and most rugged islands on earth (Jared Diamond, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Guns, Germs, and Steel). Originally traveling in search of rare and undiscovered mammal species, Flannery found much more: fascinating places where local taboos, foul weather, dense jungle, and sheer remoteness made for dramatic exploration; strange creatures such as monkey faced bats, giant rats, gazelle-faced black wallabies; and human cultures far removed from our own. This “rollicking good adventure-science read” is a must-have for anyone who has ever imagined voyaging to the ends of the earth to uncover and study the rare and the wonderful (Audubon Magazine).

Life On Us is a first-of-its-kind exploration of everything that lives ON and IN us, but is NOT us, from one of the world’s greatest living explorers and scientists! Welcome to the fascinating world of Life On Us! Our bodies are home to tens of thousands of species that aren''t at all human – on our skin, inside our gut and even in our brain, and they can have an extraordinary impact on how we feel, act and live. Many organisms are microscopic, but some are far longer than we are. Some make frequent but temporary visits, while others stay for a very long time! Get ready to learn all about our amazing microbiome and the trouble-making germs and parasites you won''t like to host. Scientist-extraordinaire Tim Flannery and his daughter Emma Flannery come together in this incredible exploration of a rapidly growing and enormously exciting area of science. Together, they''ve assembled possibly the weirdest collection of knowledge about the human body, from poo transfusions to research into how parasites can help us. Find out what''s living on you! Did you know: - that your gut microbiome makes up three-quarters of the weight of your poo? - that COVID-19 can enter your body through your eyeballs? - that botox is more poisonous than any snake, spider or jellyfish? - that your pet cat could pass on a mind-controlling parasite? Perfect for: Kids who love knowing everything about anything! Fans of books such as Guinness Book of World Records and 100 Things To Know About the Human Body Educators and literacy specialists seeking hybrid texts to use in the classroom

A forceful call to climate change action and a pragmatic roadmap toward sustainability from the internationally acclaimed author of The Weather Makers. Utilizing the most up-to-the-minute data available, Tim Flannery offers a guided tour of the environmental challenges we face and their potential solutions in both the big picture and in specific detail. He explores everything from techniques for storing the carbon that dead plants release into the earth to the fragile balancing act between energy demands and food supply in India and China, from carbon-trading schemes in South America to a collaboration between a Danish wind-energy company and an automobile manufacturer that may produce a viable electric car and end the reign of big oil. Now or Never is a powerful, thought-provoking, and essential book about the most urgent issue of our time. It burns with Flannery’s characteristic mix of passion, scientific precision, and “offhand interdisciplinary brilliance” (Entertainment Weekly). “Shocking . . . [Flannery] writes for a general audience with passion and clarity.” —Jim Hansen

The internationally acclaimed author of The Weather Makers crafts a love letter to his native land and one of its most unique inhabitants: the kangaroo. Drawing on three decades of travel, research, and field work, Tim Flannery shows us how the destiny of the extraordinary kangaroo is inseparable from the environment that created it. Along the way he uses encounters with ancient aboriginal cultures, eccentric fossil hunters, farmers, scientists, kangaroo advocates, and kangaroo hunters, to explore how Australia’s deserts and rain forests have shaped human responses to the continent—and how kangaroos have evolved to handle the resulting challenges. Ultimately, Chasing Kangaroos is a captivating blend of memoir, travel, natural history, and evolutionary science—and further proof of Flannery’s “offhand interdisciplinary brilliance” (Entertainment Weekly). “Absorbing, funny, and wonderfully learned.” —Bill Bryson, New York Times–bestselling author of A Walk in the Woods

Tim Flannery dedicated the first edition of The Weather Makers to children: ''to all of their generation who will have to live with the consequences of our decisions.'' Seventy percent of the people who are alive now will be alive in 2050. This is the date, many scientists agree, by which we have to cut our carbon emissions by 70%. Since its publication in September 2005, The Weather Makers has had a huge impact on our consciousness of climate change. It has changed minds and hearts. This book now demands a younger audience: the school children who will inherit the new climate which their parents and grandparents have helped to create. These new readers will have a chance to act on Tim Flannery''s advice about the dangers of profligate use of fossil fuels and to find the solutions to save our planet. Today''s teenagers are the vital audience for a book about the most urgent issue of our time and of their future. This revised and updated Young Adult edition is written in a style that is accessible and engaging.

Details the author''s friendship with a New Guinea warrior and the fate of the indigenous peoples in the course of discovering species of mammals that science had yet to discover or classify.

Discover the world of snakes with explorer and scientist Tim Flannery!

Are zombie jellyfish real? Do seahorses have stomachs? What’s it like to wrestle a python? Tim Flannery has the answers. Introducing some of the most spectacular and unusual creatures on Earth, from water to sky and the forests and deserts in between, he offers in-depth and often bizarre facts about extraordinary animals that live in each habitat. Flannery ties concepts of climate change, evolution, conservation, and taxonomy to each animal’s profile, firmly connecting the animal and its environment while sparking wonder at its role in the natural world. Did you know that lions once roamed North America, or that albatrosses sleep-fly? Have you ever heard a piranha bark, or wondered how the sloth got its name? Packed with vibrant illustrations and guided by real-life anecdotes from one of our greatest science communicators, Weird, Wild, Amazing! teaches readers to cherish and delight in our planet’s ecosystems with Tim Flannery’s signature mix of humor and wisdom.

Internationally renowned author and scientist Tim Flannery explores our planet’s rivers and oceans and the extraordinary animals that live in them. Can jellyfish become zombies? Are narwhals unicorns? Can a turtle live in a tree? Tim Flannery has the answers. In this informed and accessible book, he introduces some of the most spectacular and unusual creatures in Earth’s waters with in-depth and often bizarre facts. Flannery ties together concepts of climate change, evolution, conservation, and taxonomy throughout each animal’s profile, firmly connecting it to its environment while sparking wonder at its role in the natural world. Packed with vibrant illustrations and guided by real-life anecdotes from one of our greatest science communicators, Weird, Wild, Amazing! Water teaches readers to cherish and delight in our planet’s ecosystems with Tim Flannery’s signature mix of humor and wisdom.

In this illustrated ecological history, acclaimed scientist and historian Flannery follows the environment of the islands through the age of dinosaurs to the age of mammals and the arrival of humans, to the European colonizers and industrial society. Penetrating, gripping, and provocative, this book combines natural history, anthropology, and ecology on an epic scale. Illustrations.

Explore the extraordinary world of elephants with explorer and scientist Tim Flannery and his daughter, Emma, as they shine the spotlight on one of the world''s most beloved and surprising creatures! There''s so much more to elephants than their enormous size! Have you heard about their excellent memory or their adorable sense of humour? Did you know that they actually walk on their tippy toes? And wait till you see who their cousins are – you''re in for a surprise! Elephants can live until the age of 70 and are Earth''s most intelligent giants, with incredible communication and relationship-building abilities. Come along on an exciting expedition with the world-renowned scientist and explorer Tim Flannery and his daughter Emma as they spotlight these wonderful creatures, their closest relatives (the woolly mammoth!), and discover what humans can do to protect this beloved species. This gorgeous large format picture book comes with lush, full-colour illustrations from renowned illustrator Katie Melrose, cherry-red foil and tactile grain lamination on the cover – making it the perfect gift for animal lovers and elephantophiles alike! Discover more fascinating creatures in Tim Flannery''s other picture books: Sensational Sharks Extraordinary Elephants Jiggliest Jellyfish Spectacular Snakes

Internationally renowned author and scientist Tim Flannery explores Earth’s deserts and grasslands and the extraordinary animals that live in them. Are zombie ants real? How high can an armadillo jump? What’s it like to wrestle a python? Tim Flannery has the answers. In this informed and accessible book, he introduces some of the most spectacular and unusual creatures in our planet’s deserts and grasslands with in-depth and often-bizarre facts. Flannery ties together concepts of climate change, evolution, conservation, and taxonomy throughout each animal’s profile, firmly connecting it to its environment while sparking wonder at its role in the natural world. Packed with vibrant illustrations and guided by real-life anecdotes from one of our greatest science communicators, Weird, Wild, Amazing! Desert teaches readers to cherish and delight in our planet’s ecosystems with Flannery’s signature mix of humor and wisdom.

Islands are special because they promote unique forms of life, and large proportions of the species they hold are found nowhere else on Earth. The mammals of the South-west Pacific are no exception, with many distributed only across single islands or archipelagos. Mammals of the South-west Pacific details the natural history for more than 180 species of marsupials, bats and rodents from 24 Pacific nations and territories. Species profiles are accompanied by distribution maps, illustrations and photographs – many being the first images ever captured for the species. By combining available knowledge with unpublished data collected over years of field work, Mammals of the South-west Pacific forms a definitive guide to the mammals from this region.

‘Sunlight and Seaweed is the beginning of a new way of helping the planet we live on.’ AU Review Acclaimed scientist Tim Flannery investigates exciting new technologies currently being developed to address our most pressing environmental threats in a book that presents a positive future for us and our planet. Climate change, food production and toxic pollution present huge challenges, but, as Flannery shows, we already have innovative, practical and inspiring solutions. Solar energy has, until now, been limited to supplying power only when the sun is shining. But new technology using concentrated sunlight to provide intense heat energy that can be effectively stored overcomes this problem, providing clean renewable power around the clock. Further, the large amounts of power produced can be used to tackle the issue of feeding the world’s growing population—by enabling energy-intense methods of purifying polluted land for agricultural production. Drawing carbon out of the atmosphere is an essential component in limiting climate change. Flannery explores the potential of kelp, a fast-growing sea algae, to be used on a large scale to convert carbon from the air to a non-gaseous form, reducing levels of atmospheric carbon. With accessible and engaging explanations of the fascinating science behind these technologies, as well as accounts of the systems already in operation around the world, Sunlight and Seaweed is an enlightening and uplifting view of the future. Tim Flannery has published over thirty books including the award-winning The Future Eaters, The Weather Makers and Here on Earth and the novel The Mystery of the Venus Island Fetish. In 2005 he was named Australian Humanist of the Year and in 2007 Australian of the Year. In 2007 he co-founded and was appointed Chair of the Copenhagen Climate Council. In 2011 he became Australia’s Chief Climate Commissioner, and in 2013 he founded the Australian Climate Council. His previous book is Atmosphere of Hope: Searching for Solutions to the Climate Crisis. ‘Sunlight and Seaweed also offers an excellent model for how best to communicate the challenges posed by climate change without turning readers off with unrelieved messages of doom.’ Sydney Morning Herald ‘This new book is among [Flannery’s] best...Wonderfully thought provoking...Well informed and sobering.’ Australian ‘This man is a national treasure, and we should heed his every word.’ Sunday Telegraph ‘It is difficult to overstate the importance of this concise, convincingly argued view of our world’s prospects for its survival and improvement over the next 33 years...Every one of this slim treatise’s 127 pages packs a punch, and its timely content deserves to be read by all of us.’ Books+Publishing ‘Accessible and engaging..An enlightening and uplifting view of the future.’ Readings ‘Tim Flannery addresses complex issues and make them clear and accessible. His compelling book both seriously informs and entertains...This is a fascinating, exciting and inspirational read.’ Toowoomba Chronicle ‘Flannery is optimistic, presenting a well-researched range of clearly explained technologies and strategies, and many of them are compelling reasons to be hopeful.’ SA Weekend ‘A small book full of big ideas...This book doesn’t just wow the reader with nifty ideas; Flannery explains how they actually work, with his signature fluency and clarity.’ Australian Book Review ‘It is a joy to be guided through the science by someone who understands it and can explain it...Flannery commands his subject, but he can also be read for style alone...Flannery’s message in Sunlight and Seaweed is urgent and his spare prose reflects this.’ Newtown Review of Books ‘Flannery has written in easy-to-understand language and he sets out a positive path for this planet’s future.’ Weekly Times ‘In a summer in which heat records are sure to be broken, Tim Flannery dives into the clean technologies that just might sustain the world of our children and grandchildren: giant kelp farms that can do the work of forests, taking carbon dioxide out and deacidifying seawater,and concentrated sunlight stored to power homes and cities. Flannery offers some kernel of hope for us hopeless humans.’ Sydney Morning Herald ‘A focused, clear and optimistic read.’ Best Books of 2017, Adelaide Advertiser ‘While global environmental challenges are immense, he [Flannery] argues here, they are not insurmountable...Flannery has a great ability to distil complex subject matter into something you can wrap your head around.’ North & South ‘This book offers a welcome ray of hope.’ Organic Grocer

Internationally renowned author and scientist Tim Flannery explores the most remote and mysterious levels of Earth’s oceans. Who is the giant squid’s mortal enemy? Can you see ghosts in the deep sea? What in the world is a headless chicken monster? Tim Flannery has the answers. In this informed and accessible book, he takes readers on a journey into the darkest depths of this unchartered realm to learn about the incredible creatures living there. Divided into sections that focus on the various depths of the ocean, readers can navigate their way through the sea while being guided by anecdotes from Tim’s own personal experiences. From hairy sea devils and goblin sharks to entire ecosystems within whale carcasses, he uncovers fascinating and bizarre facts about this enchanting place and the slippery, scaly, and strange creatures that live there. Packed with vibrant illustrations and snappy engaging text, Deep Dive into Deep Sea will enthrall, enlighten, and capture the imaginations and passions of young oceanographers.

Country is about the unique nature of Australia and about Flannery''s own journey toward understanding it. Travelling thousands of kilometres, he encounters Aboriginal cultures and examines Europeans trying to understand this land. He begins to understand how Australia''s deserts and rainforests have shaped human responses to the continent, and how kangaroos have evolved to handle the intricate challenges of the island. Flannery''s remarkable enquiry into the evolution of the kangaroo is the centrepiece of the book.Spanning several decades of Flannery''s life, the book recounts his early discovery of palaeontology, and how he comes to find his home in the world of the museum. Reading Country it''s impossible not to feel the excitement of a passionate researcher. Funny, easy to read and full of interesting information, this is a remarkable book by a wonderful writer.

Internationally bestselling author and renowned scientist Tim Flannery and his daughter, scientist Emma Flannery, delivers an informative-yet-intimate portrait of the megalodon, an extinct shark and the largest predator of all time When Tim Flannery was a boy he found a fossilized tooth of the giant shark megalodon at a beach near his home in Australia. This remarkable find—the tooth was large enough to cover his palm—sparked an interest in paleontology that was to inform his life’s work and a lifelong quest to uncover the secrets of the great shark Otodus megalodon. Tim passed on his love of the natural world and interest in the fossil record to his daughter, Emma, a scientist and writer. And now, together, they have written a fascinating account of this ancient marine creature. Big Meg charts the evolution of megalodon, its super-predator status for about fifteen million years and its decline and extinction. It delves into the fossil record to answer questions about its behavior and role in shaping marine ecosystems as well as its impact on the human psyche. It contains stories of the scientist and amateur fossil hunters who have scoured the seas, and land, for fossil remains, drawn to the beauty and mystique of the great shark, sometimes meeting their death in the process. Deemed “in the league of the all-time great explorers” by David Attenborough, Tim Flannery has come together with Emma Flannery to spin a story of the great natural history of our planet as enthralling as the fossil record itself.

Internationally renowned author and scientist Tim Flannery takes readers to the skies to learn about the extraordinary animals that fly in them. Can owls swim? Do woodpeckers eat wood? Are vampire bats real? Tim Flannery has the answers. In this informed and accessible book, he introduces some of the most spectacular and unusual creatures soaring through Earth’s skies with in-depth and often-bizarre facts. Flannery ties together concepts of climate change, evolution, conservation, and taxonomy throughout each animal’s profile, firmly connecting it to its environment while sparking wonder at its role in the natural world. Packed with vibrant illustrations and guided by real-life anecdotes from one of our greatest science communicators, Weird, Wild, Amazing! Sky teaches readers to cherish and delight in our planet’s ecosystems with Flannery’s signature mix of humor and wisdom.

It’s 1932, and the Great Venus Island Fetish, a ceremonial mask surrounded by thirty-two human skulls, now resides in a museum in Sydney, Australia. But young anthropologist Archie Meek, recently returned from an extended field trip to Venus Island, has noticed something amiss: a strange discoloration on some of the skulls. Has someone tampered with the fetish? Is there a link between it and the mysterious disappearance of Cecil Polkinghorne, curator of archaeology? And how did Eric Sopwith, retired mollusks expert, die in the museum’s storeroom? Could Archie’s life be at risk as well? But these are not the only concerns that weigh upon the assistant curator’s mind. Why hasn’t his beloved Beatrice—registrar, anthropology—accepted his proposal of marriage and the love token he brought back from Venus Island? Has something been lost in translation? Tim Flannery''s The Mystery of the Venus Island Fetish is a delightfully risqué caper, full of eccentric characters, intrigue, and adventure.