An editor and biologist, Alun Anderson draws on his experience in the ice and interviews with researchers and local leaders all over the Arctic for this sharp report on the people, politics and impact of climatic change at the top of the world. He's especially good on the dynamic nature of the ice pack, finally bringing clarity to cutting-edge research on complex phenomena. The "perfect storm" of winds, warmer air and warmer seas triggered the events of 2007, when the summer ice shrank to 1.7 million square miles, 25% less than the year before, and half of what it had been in the 1960s.  (ARC263, $26.99)