Lawrence E. Joseph makes no apologies for his book

The book is called "Apocalypse 2012: A Scientific Investigation into Civilization’s End", and his non-apology says in part:

But fear, though unpleasant, is not always a bad thing. It is downright helpful if it alerts one to the significant possibility of danger. That ancient Mayan prophecy and contemporary solar physics both point to the year 2012 as a potentially catastrophic year, is, by my lights, a significant possibility of danger. Better that we should be goaded now into preparing and defending ourselves than remain blissfully oblivious and get cosmic sucker-punched five short years from now.

I figure he is a pessimist, given that it actually just 4 weeks short of being 6 years away, but he chooses to say 5 years...