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It would be nice to be able to say that David Millar has lived an exciting life, that he worked a season on a whaler in the arctic, searched for lost cities in Arabia, and made and lost a fortune as a gold trader in Singapore, but sadly only one of those things is true--although to be fair it did result in his first book Beyond Dubai: Seeking Lost Cities in the Emirates. Otherwise he’s just a guy who studied glaciers and climate change and is still surprised how quickly we’ve managed to mess up the planet. His novel The Ministry for Ignoring Climate Change is a satire about a government department which doesn’t really believe in climate change yet ends up thinking it can control the weather. Serious yet optimistic and above all very entertaining.
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The Ministry for Ignoring Climate Change
by David Millar At the Ministry for Climate Change the climate crisis is seen mostly as a political challenge, to be solved by obfuscation and delay—and unrelated to the reality of life on the mist-shrouded Echelon Islands, where warming seas are decimating the salmon and destroying the islander’s traditional way of life. When the politicians try to fob off the frustrated islanders with brochures on loft insulation and solar panels, the islanders come up with a potential solution—a risky ocean ‘experiment’. It goes so well that the Ministry—under pressure due to their own lack of results—threatens to sue them for ‘attempting to interfere with the climate’, claiming that’s their job … The Ministry for Ignoring Climate Change is a satire about a government department that starts to believe it really can control the weather. ISBN 978-0-9938321-2-3 (paperback) £8.99 US$10.99 ISBN 978-0-9938321-3-0 (e-book) £1.99 US$2.99 Read the first 3 chapters for free here Buy the book here on Amazon or Kindle |
Reviews for The Ministry for Ignoring Climate Change
"This book was bloody brilliant ... It is a fantastic, intelligent and accessible read that will draw readers in and keep them informed and entertained throughout." "...the satirical take-down of the government's approach to responding to climate change is a joy. If you want a light story that packs a punch about the climate then you will enjoy this. A very enjoyable read." "Really enjoyed the political satire in this book. David Millar has done a great job in satirizing the absurdity surrounding carbon reduction policy." "Thoroughly enjoyed it and thought it was very well written... This is a book I will not forget and it will keep me thinking for years to come." "A great read! The backdrop is a community trying to do something about how climate change affected them. And I learned something about climate change in the process." More reviews on Amazon |
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Beyond Dubai: Seeking Lost Cities in the Emirates
by David Millar Beyond Dubai is a journey around the Emirates in search of its past—encountering smugglers, fire-starting genies, loved-up camels, and a mysterious mountain tribe along the way. Hidden in the southern Arabian desert are lost cities which tell the story of its past—including Hili dating from before Stonehenge, Ubar the ‘Atlantis of the Sands’, Mleiha capital of the ancient Land of Magan, and the mystical Julfar, a port larger and more important than London in the 10th to 14th centuries. In the Empty Quarter we find the harsh Sabkha Matti, the last ghostly trace of what was once the Great River in the West of Bedouin legend, and on the coast the enigmatic Jebel Barakah, home of the earliest Arabians who came out of Africa 100,000 years ago. On the remote Gulf islands the author describes the compelling evidence that less than ten thousand years ago the Gulf was a fertile valley—the original Garden of Eden—and how climate change created the starkly beautiful Arabian desert landscape. ISBN 978-0-9938321-0-9 (paperback) £9.99 US$12.99 ISBN 978-0-9938321-1-6 (e-book) £2.99 US$3.99 Buy the book here on Amazon or Kindle |
Reviews for Beyond Dubai
"Beyond Dubai is an excellent introduction to the country. I hope it will be well and widely read." Peter Hellyer, Tribulus "This is the book that has been missing from the Dubai travel literature." Gazelle "A compelling read showing a surprising side of Dubai" Current World Archaeology "Part travel memoir, part history book... littered with anecdotes and observations about modern life in the Emirates." The National "This is a book that will appeal hugely to expats in the UAE or holiday makers interested in going beyond the beaches and taking a look at the rich heritage and culture the country has to offer. Beyond Dubai is a light read that makes its subject accessible and enjoyable." Alexander McNabb, Fake Plastic Souks "A lighthearted and accessible read ... Millar's fascination for the archaeology of the Emirates is genuine and palpable." Ancient History More reviews on Amazon and Goodreads |
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