The Great Transformation
Die große Transformation

hamann zea schmidt leinfelder die große transformation
Jacoby & Stuart
February 2013 / 144pp
Children’s & Young Adults’

This book is outside of the five-year window for guaranteed assistance with English language translation. We suggest getting in touch with the relevant funding body for an informal conversation about the possibility of support. Please refer to to our  recommendations page for books that are currently covered by our funding guarantee.

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review

This highly original book uses cartoon illustrations to present scientific facts alongside a broad range of actions that we can take against climate change. This is an inspirational call for action which directly addresses young readers as the future adult generation.

The Great Transformation sets out the key issues that are having an impact on the environment today, including the use of fossil fuels, the global challenges caused by population growth, increasing food production, lack of water resources and predictions of rising sea levels, freak and extreme weather. It also sets out important solutions in terms of renewable resources, energy efficiency in housing and industry, alternative ways of travelling such as magnetic high speed trains and cars, carbon trading and new technologies. The authors advocate a new ‘age of enlightenment’, a time when humankind is forced to rethink old beliefs and structures in favour of a sustainable society.

Readers are presented with a wealth of reasons as to why we should take responsibility as individuals and decisionmakers across the world. There are things we can all do – reviewing our energy consumption, eating less meat, looking for sustainable food labelling, urban gardening – in addition to duties required of governments – taking account of the latest research, promoting technological innovation, managing pressure groups. The science of climate change is explained in a clear, concise way, and predictions about the future are backed up by tight scientific argument. Among many surprising facts, we learn why investing in green energy works out cheaper in the long run than conventional energy resources, and that China is actually leading the world with the level of its investments in renewable energy resources (followed by Germany and the USA).

Facts and figures, scientific data and new technologies are brought to life in the style of a comic magazine. The text is straightforward and easy to understand. Because information is presented in a pithy, cartoon style, it has an immediate and poignant impact. The narrative has been stripped bare, and leaves readers with a strong sense both of the gravity of the situation and of the encouraging potential for us to make a lasting difference.

press quotes

‘High calibre science, made understandable!’– Lovelybooks

about the authors

Alexandra Hamann, a media designer, and Claudia Zea-Schmidt, a communications scientist, came up with the idea for this book. Together with geologist and geobiologist Prof. Dr. Reinhold Leinfelder from the German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU), they developed the concept and wrote the comic-strip versions of interviews with nine expert scientists from the WBGU.

Alexandra Hamann, a media designer, and Claudia Zea-Schmidt, a communications scientist, came up with the idea for this book. Together with geologist and geobiologist Prof. Dr. Reinhold Leinfelder from the German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU), they developed the concept and wrote the comic-strip versions of interviews with nine expert scientists from the WBGU.

Alexandra Hamann, a media designer, and Claudia Zea-Schmidt, a communications scientist, came up with the idea for this book. Together with geologist and geobiologist Prof. Dr. Reinhold Leinfelder from the German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU), they developed the concept and wrote the comic-strip versions of interviews with nine expert scientists from the WBGU.

rights information

Verlagshaus Jacoby & Stuart GmbH
Straßburger Str. 11
10405 Berlin, Germany
Tel: +49 (0)30-47 37 47 920
Email: ina.feist@jacobystuart.de
Contact: Ina Feist 
www.jacobystuart.de 

Jacoby & Stuart was founded in March 2008. Jacoby & Stuart’s list consists of ambitious children’s books, non-fiction for adults, coffeetable books, as well as inventive and exquisite cookbooks. All books are illustrated by brilliant artists, contain texts penned by well-known authors, and are carefully designed and produced. The symbiosis of highly informed texts and excellent design and quality is a trademark of Jacoby & Stuart’s books.

translation assistance

Pro Helvetia covers up to 100% of the effective translation costs for literary works by Swiss authors.

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All recommendations from Spring 2013