Maryland's Office of Undergraduate Studies has chosen Mike Tidwell's The Ravaging Tide as the next installment of the First Year Book Program--a program that attempts to connect new residents with a shared literary experience, clearly not as much fun as a shared drinking experience.

While past books covered pressing topics using The Laramie Project (hate crimes) and War of the Worlds (threat of alien invasion), The Ravaging Tide is Tidwell's attempt of keeping the global warming debate current. It also brings regional issues into perspective, such as the impact of climate change on the Chesapeake Bay.

While the book could serve as an incredible resource, it doesn't seem to be hard-hitting enough to convince the nay-sayers of such an inconvenient truth. Yes, global warming is a big deal, but where's the pizzazz? Where's the fireworks, the lights, the pyrotech display? Expect thousands of freshmen to read a book, and there better be some gore and action.