Featuring an indelible cast of heroes, villains, mavericks, and rogues, “The Parrot and the Igloo” presents a realistic tragicomedy – depicting an extraordinary dance of American science, money, and character.

Zoe Schlanger, reviewing for The New York Times, says that journalist David Lipsky’s new book is the most ambitious project.

In the introduction, Lipsky admits he considered opening it with a menacing line: “This story has punched a hole in my life.” Now it’s your turn.’ You can see why. Reading it is like watching a car crash in slow motion. You know where this is going,” Schlanger says.

Lipsky retells the entire story of climate, from the dawn of electricity to the dire straits of the present day. It’s good ground, but Lipsky—a climate newcomer—makes it page-turning and appropriately infuriating. He says it up front: He wants this to be like the Netflix series Collapsible, says the review.

Lipsky’s writing style makes this a more enjoyable read, for what can often be a really bleak subject matter.

Lipsky acknowledges that “The Parrot and the Igloo” draws heavily from a few historical climate books, including Naomi Oreskes and Eric Conway’s “Merchants of Doubt” and Elizabeth Colbert’s “Field Notes From a Carnastrophe.”