Six Degrees wins prestigious Royal Society prize 18 June 08

Much to the surprise of its author, Six Degrees has scooped the prestigious Royal Society Science Books Prize, triumphing over such strong contenders as Steve Jones's 'Coral: A pessimist in paradise', and J. Craig Venter's 'A Life Decoded'.

The Royal Society’s official press release is here, but for the record, here’s my reaction on the night: “I am delighted to be receiving a science writing prize from one of the most pre-eminent scientific institutions in the world. With climate change such a politicised issue, recognition from the Royal Society is hugely welcome and a tremendous honour for me.” Winning the prize was a particular suprise for me because Six Degrees was judged least likely to win by the bookmakers William Hill, at 6 to 1.

I’m thrilled to receive this award, and now it’s had a little time to sink in, I’d also like to dedicate it in particular to the hundreds of scientists around the world working on various aspects of climate change, on whose shoulders Six Degrees entirely stands. This is their award as much as mine, and I also hope that it reinforces the public message that this is an increasingly critical problem which we must do more to address.

Some media coverage of the award: Guardian, BBC News, The Times. There is a more detailed summary of all the books on the short list here, courtesy of the Independent.