Apps With Sass

Al Gore's "Our Choice: A Plan to Solve the Climate Crisis" was originally released by Rodale Inc. in 2009. It received the app treatment earlier this year, winning praise for its sophisticated interactive and multimedia features designed to bring key concepts of the book to life.

In addition to narration from the former vice president and cool interactive features—such as making windmills go 'round by blowing into the device's microphone—the app features an hour of documentary footage, numerous photographs, and interactive charts, graphics and animation. A visual table of contents allows for easy navigation through the book's 19 chapters and lets users quickly zoom in on specific sections.

"The Our Choice app lets the reader visualize and absorb information in a completely new way," Charles Melcher, president of Melcher Media, said in a press release. Melcher believes that the merging of form and content to create an "interactive, kinetic learning experience" brings an unprecedented level of sophistication to the app. Others seem to agree: Our Choice won a 2011 Apple Design Award, which recognizes products the company believes "set new standards for the developer community to follow."

For anyone looking for an accessible guide to climate research and practical solutions to help solve the crisis, Our Choice fits the bill.

Takeaway Tip: Heavy books need app love, too. BB