This book provides an insider account of how researchers unraveled the mystery of the thawing Arctic. In the �90s, researchers in the Arctic noticed that floating summer sea ice had begun receding, accompanied by shifts in ocean circulation and unexpected changes in weather patterns throughout the world. The Arctic permafrost was warming, and treeless tundra was being overtaken by shrubs. What was going on? The author offers a riveting firsthand account of how scientists from around the globe came together to find answers. In a sweeping tale of discovery spanning three decades, he describes how puzzlement turned to concern and astonishment as researchers came to understand that the Arctic of old was quickly disappearing--with potentially devastating implications for the entire planet. A gripping scientific adventure story, this book shows how the Arctic's extraordinary transformation serves as a harbinger of things to come if we fail to meet the challenge posed by a warming Earth.