Friday
Dec172010
by 
Bishop Hill
Bishop Hill Amazon green bestsellers 2010
Dec 17, 2010 Climate: HSI Via the Guardian, The Hockey Stick Illusion was number 2 on the green bestsellers list for 2010. There are also several other well known names on the list, but these have release dates in earlier years, so it's perhaps not quite as amazing as it looks. Nevertheless, in view of the failure of most MSM outlets to review the book at all, HSI's performance says something about the power of the blogosphere and the failure of the MSM.
Guardian coverage here.
Reader Comments (45)
Congrats. I've yet to read it, but then again, I've read no book whatsoever about climate the past 10 years or so. I doubt I'll make an exception on your case... it's not as if I don't "know" what's in there anyway.
Well done, Bish! :)
Another illusion gets demolished here.
http://thepointman.wordpress.com/2010/12/17/why-climategate-was-not-a-computer-hack/
"Overall I am struck by how well the sceptic books sell, given that their premise is a fringe one: every nation on Earth just signed up to doing something to tackle climate change in Cancún. Are conspiracy tales simply a more gripping read?"
"Are conspiracy tales simply a more gripping read?"
Whilst it maybe an old fashioned concept, I find that the truth does have a certain endearing quality.
Fame at last Bish, a conspiracy theorist from the fringe! May we catch you in Edinburgh come August?
Green Sand
If you are one of the dwindling number of my readers who has not been banned by the Graun, maybe you should tell them. I'm still premoderated.
I'm still pre-moderated out of existance at the Guardian
....and they still go in for a bit of restrospective stuff as well. ie anything tha makes George look a touch hypocritical, especially if it is immediately after George's comment AND has more recommends ;)
http://www.realclimategate.org/2010/12/george-monbiot-complains-about-astroturfing/
I've just ordered it today and, when I've finished it, I'll certainly stick a review up on my blog. Have a nice Christmas Bishop, just look out the window and chuckle.
Bish, it would appear that I have not been banned, yet.
Well done, Bish.
The grauniad's Moonbat is getting a real kicking here.
Congratulations your Grace, long may it continue. It's quite interesting that the pro AGW media types are incapable of understanding the very simple poll results that have been widely publicised and confirmed - The majority of the population are skeptical of the whole AGW narrative.
Bit like all the received wisdom I suppose.
Well deserved. You are getting a large nunber of supportive posts and recommends at the Graun (unilt moderated).
Bought it ages ago. When is the sequel coming out?
Congratulations!
I'm proud that I was banned by the Guardian some months ago after very politely protesting at your proscription. My (very moderate) comment today has been removed, so I have revalidated my ban. It demonstrates the Guardian's complete intolerance of dissent.
I hope you are making income from your book's success, after all your efforts. I don't know how you find the time for your day job. What happened to the tip jar?
I haven't yet fallen foul of the moderators at the Graun (though I'm sure there are a few regulars that would like to string me up) - I've had the odd post deleted, but I think that's more of a tit-for-tat thing when I've used the "report abuse" button myself.
I've been premoderated and had posts deleted. I can't think why based on tone and language, so it can only be content - they don't like people who patiently and logically expose the absurdity of their view. Meanwhile obnoxious ranting nutters never get banned as long as they are slavishly pushing the line.
According to Damian, "to my knowledge we don't do that [pre-moderating and banning] here at the Guardian".
I mentioned this the other day on Unthreaded, but since it's now on-topic I''ll mention it here as well--
I recently got an email from Amazon asking me to sell back the copy of HSI that I'd bought several months ago. Is demand outstripping supply? Or do they just want to burn it? ;)
Bish, I hope you don't mind me reposting this here - since we now know Damien Carrington is an avid reader, and I'm being moderated out of existence (again) over there...........
Oh - the pure irony, Damien.
I'm typing this in a box with a red legend across the top of it "Your comments are being premoderated".
That's after having two separate identities banned from CIF this week already.
Your knowledge about your own journal's procedures is obviously as lacking as your knowledge of the content of Montford's book.
Doubtless this post will never see the light of day so, with the Bishop's hopefully kind forbearance, I'll repost it over there where you appear to lurk.
Foxgoose - why not take a snapshot of the premoderation box (Alt-Prnt Scrn)? It would make a useful graphic to accompany an article on The Guardian's progressive and liberal policies.
The choice of words is amusing:
Now that careful phrase has a long and chequered history.
A magnificent cateract of support seems to be unleashed on that Guardian blog at the moment. Justly deserved.
In the US, we would all be wearing a tee shirt (or perhaps a pull over in winter) declaring
"I've been BAND BY GRUAN!"
Perhaps you might pick up on the quaint old custom we have on this side of the pond. It would look smashing the next time you pop by the MacDonalds for a Happy Meal with chips.
Well done Bishop, many congratulations. Luis, although I'm sure you've a good handle on the basic material, the HSI will reward your attentions. It is a very very well written description of Mc&Mc's epic tour around the ineffable casuistry of climate science. Settle yourself down with a bottle of your favourite tipple, a box of Carr's Melts, a good cheeseboard, and His Lordship's book - the perfect evening.
Could everyone please show appropriate sympathy for Grauniad journalists. They do not know about snow, as it does not exist in the UK. They are going through the early stages of denial. Snow in the UK does not happen! Doh! What is this white stuff? Cant't be snow.
This third cold spell of 2010 has been caused by oil funded denying sceptics. This is a fact, because someone from the UEA Junior Common Room said so. So there, with knobs on.
Why has the range of battery cars reduced so suddenly? Can't be cold. Cold does not exist. Keep repeating this mantra, and it will go away.
Global warming happens every year in spring, just like the rapid melting of arctic sea ice
Interesting point BBD, but the word order changes it from a political evasion to a lie. "We don't to my knowledge" would mean that he has chosen not to be aware, but "to my knowledge we don't" means that he is claiming to know that they don't when of course they do.
Dave S
The devil is in the detail ;-)
Now that careful phrase has a long and chequered history.
Oh come on, what else should he say? Of course that he cannot commit himself to know what goes on in the site at 100%.
Luis Dias
Oh come on ;-)
Luis - sorry if I'm being cryptic. I mean to say that the statement was blatantly disingenuous.
Fantastic achievement sir! Worth also confirming a comment above, you have a talent for writing, not just about climate. Compared to say Plimer's "heaven and earth" your book was as readable as Frederick Forsyth to Plimer's Encyclopedia Britanica. It is full of information but you would not really want to sit down and read it.
My copy is signed by Mr McIntyre but I would dearly love to add your signature after my doctor finishes reading it?
congrats bish...
Is there any point in assembling a list of those contributors who have been banned from the Grauniad, and then getting some so far unbanned person to post this list on CiF? It might last a few minutes and serve to illustrate the point.
I'd be happy for my name to be included.
Nice one dear Bishop. For one whose tried to dodge the limelight, you've clearly being caught in the full beam.
I have zero doubts about your honesty. I'm less certain about some of your pretend supporters . DP et al?
Caw canny.
Carrington does give rise to a chuckle. His argument from ignorance - that to his knowledge nobody is pre-moderated or banned from CiF - is another good example of a lack of appreciation for logical fallacies, but does lend a hint as to why he finds himself able so easily to accept another popular AGW argument from ignorance: "the rise in temperature is definitely anthropogenic because we can't think of anything else that could be causing it".
Not really a scientific thinker, all said. In fact not really a deep thinker. Let's look at another Carrington logical fail: He's somehow baffled by the popularity of sceptical literature which he believes to be "fringe". Let's hammer it out with a bit of scientific reasoning. First, the hypothesis: "Climate scepticism is a fringe premise". Now examine observational data. Lo, the data does not support the hypothesis. Now, normally, the hypothesis is discarded at this point, or is revised. Carrington doesn't get this far. Carrington is able to have these two mutually exclusive notions in merry coexistence in his head. Despite observational evidence to the contrary, Carrington retains the notion that climate scepticism is a fringe premise.
It's quite remarkable, on the one hand, that someone can have these two contradictory ideas inhabiting his head as Carrington does. On the other hand, however, given that he IS able to happily exist with this resident illogic, it should perhaps come as no surprise that Carrington is not fazed by so many other AGW-related sucker-punches.. like, for example, the Oxburgh enquiry that didn't examine the science at the CRU but was able to assert, authoritatively, that there is no fault to be found with the science at the CRU. Or, perhaps, that a "trick" to "hide the decline" is not nefarious at all but is, instead, just a clever way to trick people into believing that data which is useless as a temperature proxy is actually a good temperature proxy.
And Damian - because I know you're visiting here - from a personal perspective, Montford's credibility is significantly more in abundance than CiF's. Having witnessed first-hand the inappropriate preferential treatment afforded David Ward on Montford's right to reply, I trust Montford when he says he's perpetually pre-moderated at the Guardian and I don't trust your argument from ignorance that the Guardian doesn't practice pre-moderation or banning.
Simon - cognative dissonance is a well know psychological description of the behavour that you comment on.
When evidence conflicts with a person's beliefs, he either changes these (e.g John Maynard Keynes - "when the facts change - I change my mind - what do you do?") or he denies the existance or validity of the evidence. This however causes an internal emotional arousal as it takes energy to keep holding observed facts seperate from existing beliefs.
That explains why there is so much rudeness and disdain shown by warmists as they struggle to reconcile the irreconciliable.
I think Dung's being a bit hard on my favourite Oz geologist, Ian Plimer (he is, after all, a working academic, so his reach has to be broad). I have his book, and Andrew's, and have read both thrice with extreme pleasure.
Much congrats, Bish, I really got a chuckle out of the Guardian comments. Made my evening.
I just sent Andrew an email, with this heading...
Damian Carrington says no pre-moderation at the Guardian.. these 2 screen captures, with his quote visible, says otherwise.
Someone taking my name in vain had his comments on Carrington’s article removed. This person had the temerity to say:
"Some get the Nobel Peace Prize for writing best-selling environment books; some get it for being banned from expressing themselves in their own country. Could Montford score the double?"
Of course, this is not with Carrington’s knowledge, I’m sure he’s got better things to do on a Friday night.
Jack Hughes
"The grauniad's Moonbat is getting a real kicking here"
Where I see that his own first comment (yesterday) has been moderated out of existence! I'm not sure I'd want to write for a newspaper that censored my own attempts to engage with readers...
One has to hope that Carrington is as ignorant of the 'recommends' on his blog as he claims to be of the moderation policy, or he may soon need therapy!
"his own first comment"
Sorry - second comment (at 9:41)
Appalling to see "Silent Spring" in the list. Hasn't green anti-science done enough harm?
BTW if you get "moderated" by the Guardian, all you need to do is switch off the modem for a short time (so your IP number changes) then register with a different moniker and e-mail. It's a badge of honour - if the G censors you then you must be doing something right to upset their hypocritical PC groupthink.
This is one of the comments that have now been deleted by the Grauniad mods.
geoffthechaste 17 December 2010 9:30PM
Carrington says that three books have Guardian connections. In fact, the sceptics Montford, Booker, and North all have a connection with the Guardian, having been falsely criticised in articles on Guardian Environment. Montford and North both complained, and were given the right of reply. Booker, object of Monbiot’s “bullshitter” jibe all last year, didn’t bother.
Harrington says: there's a lot of talk there about people being pre-moderated and banned from commenting on this site - sorry to spoil the conspiracy theory folks, but to my knowledge we don't do that here at the Guardian.
That’s not true, is it Mr Harrington?
Beyond indicating that idiots have a large disposable income, what does this prove?
Everyone knows that fiction sells better then fact, and in this case I think the BIG WRITING and lots of coloring-in pages suited it for the mental-age of people who bought it.
I feel sorry for the trees that were cut down to publish this paranoid guff.
In point of fact all criticism of the Hockey Stick have been comprehensively refuted quite a few times now, most notably by the prestigious National Academy of Sciences, not that this will bother the corruptly fanatics who wrote it, or the gullible idiots who read it.
We've won all the battles this year, next year will be sweeter still.
Macsporan
The NAS panel is discussed in my book (have you read it?) and you are wrong.