He Knew He Was Right, By John & Mary Gribbin

James Lovelock, architect of the "Gaia" theory and climate-change pioneer, has enjoyed a long life of scientific rebellion that cries out for a strong biography.

In the Gribbins, supreme explicators, he has the chroniclers he needs. From a poor London boyhood through the growth of global-warming models to the maverick later years (nuclear power? Yes, please), they match science and events with a flair for the deep context behind big ideas. Whatever happens in Copenhagen, this story has heat and light to spare.