With continuing reports of the decline of Arctic sea ice and concerns over the susceptibility of high-latitude environments to climatic change, this is a timely volume and one to be welcomed by anyone with an interest in polar science. It is a compilation of 15 chapters, mainly from Canadian scientists and others with extensive experience in the high-latitude environments of North America.

As befits a contribution from geographers, CHANGING COLD ENVIRONMENTS has a broad scope, both spatially and temporally. Its contents are grouped in three parts covering the present variability of Canada's cold environments; the changing cryosphere, and the changing scenery of the North. The first of these includes an introductory, scene-setting chapter from the editors. From that it proceeds to reviews of late Quaternary glaciation in Canada, the history of tundra and polar desert ecosystems, and snow climatology and remote sensing. The second section of the book includes 5 chapters which review successively the changing climate; hydrologic responses and sensitivity to environmental change; the nature of permafrost and its stability in northern Canada; sea ice; and, finally, lake and river ice in Canadian environments. The third part of the volume comprises 6 chapters concerning environmental and social implications of climatic change. These include reviews of the changing polar tree line; geomorphic changes in polar and mountain environments; cold-climate hazards; and societal concerns regarding the implications of environmental changes. The section, and the volume, concludes with a chapter on the changing Canadian cryosphere in a global context from the editors. For me, the last was the most thought provoking and stimulating chapter in the book since it goes beyond a review of previously published material.

As well as providing a review of recent literature, the volume is intended as an undergraduate/graduate level textbook. Thus, each chapter includes an extensive list of up-to-date references (which will also be useful to research scientists), some internet sources and a short set of potential discussion topics on the material of the chapter. As a text, the compilation will probably be a success in the Canadian market for which it is intended.

As a collection of contributions from many authors, the production of CHANGING COLD ENVIRONMENTS is better than most; it has a clearly defined focus, often includes cross-referencing between its component parts, and typographic errors in the text and missing references are relatively rare. The most serious concern is that the gray tones in the text figures lack definition and are often ambiguous because they have been produced from color originals. Many of them, but not all, are reproduced in an insert of color plates but that separates them from the text they are meant to support. However, this is nit-picking. For its purpose as a textbook, the volume should be successful. It will also be useful to North American scientists working in the North for its comprehensive coverage and its references. The editors and authors deserve thanks for a useful contribution.