NEW BOOKS

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Since the launch of Sputnik in 1957, satellites have become the silent sentinels of our planet and the cosmos. In Sentinels in the Sky, geologist James Lawrence Powell tells the remarkable story of how satellites have revolutionized science—from tracking hurricanes and wildfires to discovering distant galaxies and mapping the afterglow of the Big Bang. With clarity and a storyteller's touch, Powell brings to life the science, people, and technology behind one of the most transformative innovations of the modern age. Click image to pre-order.

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This gripping and remarkable synthesis documents the increase in fraudulent science, predatory journals, instant communication of misinformation, compromised peer review, and deliberate deception. Powell presents a powerful case that all scientists and societies based on truth need to wake up and face these escalating issues that threaten the credibility of science Itself. Every scientist and editor should read it. James Kennett, Member NAS

RECENT BOOKS

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A totally engaging and scientifically accurate story of the knowledge gained in the last 150 years about the geologic history of Earth’s oceans. —Marcia K. McNutt, President, National Academy of Sciences

Finalist for the Prose Award of the Association of American Publishers. Shortlisted for the 2026 MIT Press Alumni Book Award.

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Updated to early 2026
341 Amazon reviews average 4.4/5 stars.
181 ratings on Goodreads average 4.3/5

Reviews
  • If the hypothesis of the impact is correct (and I am very impressed with the data) it is perhaps the most important hypothesis in the Earth Sciences, with ramifications in other fields, since plate tectonics. This is particularly so for its consequences on the history of peoples over the last 12,800 years. Prof. Ed Keller, UCSB
  • I recommend the book — it is a fascinating read. The evidence is overwhelming and nicely collected and summarized by Powell.Prof. Marc Defant, Uni. S. Florida
  • This book was long overdue, and James Powell deserves a thank you from the planet for writing it. Read this book and join the enlightenment.. George Howard
  • Describes the history of the YDIH masterfully [and] shines a light on the dark side of science. If the YDIH is a paradigm shift, then this book will be a very important contribution to the advancement of science.Allen West
  • Not a review, but a conclusion by the acknowledged expert on the Pleistocene: "The Greenland platinum peak makes clear that an ET impact occurred close to the onset of the YD." Wallace Broecker (1931 - 2019)
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A wonderful, well-ordered history of our human attempts to understand the Moon--Wm. K. Hartmann

Unlocking the Moon's Secrets: From Galileo to Giant Impact
Oxford University Press. Click here to order.
See OUP blog entry here.

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A tale of jaw-dropping and dangerous folly up to and including today’s still widespread climate denial. A cautionary tale, highly recommended.—Gus Speth, former Dean, Yale School of the Environment

Faith in Fallacy: A Century of State-Sanctioned Science Denial
Oxford University Press
Click here to order.
Cover information
Sample: Introductory Chapter

Other Books

Seven States in Jeopardy as Prolonged Drought Threatens Power Generation: A new report from the federal government brings urgency to a veteran geologist’s longtime warnings about the crippling of the Colorado River. Read here. 10/3/2021

In second printing by UC Press.

Review
  • Dead Pool is the best book I know about the current state of the Colorado River and the policy issues facing itDonald Worster. In this 2009 book, I predicted exactly what is happening on the Colorado River today. This did not take a genius, only a scientist who accepted global warming, which the Bureau of Reclamation and western water managers did not. Click the image to order.
Reviews
  • Probably the most important literary work on climate change.Neil Mackay, Glasgow Herald
  • A sobering and scary (and fascinating) book--a look at where we're going if we don't quickly get our act together. And it's replete with clues about how we could indeed make the changes that would make this fiction, not prophecy. Bill McKibben
  • Powell debuts with an alarming, somber vision of catastrophic climate change over the course of the 21st century in this speculative oral history. Powell lays out an intriguing level of detail about the cascading effects of climate change. Fans of climate apocalypse fiction will be chilled by this convincing work. Publisher's Weekly
  • If the existential threat of climate change keeps you up at night, James Lawrence Powell's The 2084 Report will make you want to do everything in your power to elect leaders who will combat global warming and save our planet. MarieClaire.com
  • Postcards from the future—dozens of them, as told to James Powell in 2084 by scientists, a doctor, a priest, an ambassador, several politicians, a general, the last person ever born on Tuvalu, and others—found their way to me, demanding my full attention. They reminded me that every day counts. We have much to accomplish.Ed Maibach, GMU
Journal Articles
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Total views and downloads as of 11/21/2025: 72000 making this article one of the most read from Science Progress.

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The Younger Dryas Impact Hypothesis as Seen in 2020
James Lawrence Powell
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