Product Description
Tornadoes are funnel-shaped clouds that can cause massive destruction on the ground. Their winds can swirl faster than 260 miles per hour! Using her acclaimed combination of clear text and detailed illustrations, Gibbons explains how tornadoes form, the scale used for classifying them, and what to do in case one should be near you. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Caught 4-year old's interest
My grandsons were mesmerized by the pictures in this book.Much of the information is beyond their comprehension but an introduction to tornadoes and hurricanes is necessary for those of us living in Florida.

This simple, but exquisitely researched book is an excellent resource for young people to learn about tornadoes!
When cumulonimbus storm clouds gather, the lightning starts and rain or hail begin to fall you might want to be prepared just in case a tornado forms.Tornado "comes from the Spanish word tronada, meaning `thunderstorm.'" The interchange between rising warm, humid air and the cooler air in the clouds creates condensation which begins to fall down to Earth.With just the right combination a funnel cloud, or tornado can be formed.Time to take cover!If you think that there is one particular time of the year that your area experiences tornadoes you might have to rethink your theory as the author states that "tornadoes may occur at any time of the year if the weather conditions are right."

Historically there have been some whopper tornadoes, but until 1971 there was no scale with which to measure them.T. Theodore Fujita created the "Fujita Tornado Scale rating tornadoes on a scale from F0 to F5."Although it is not reasonable or possible to rank wind speeds during a tornado, the speeds can be estimated.In this exciting book you will learn about each kind of tornado, their wind speeds and the kind of damage they can create.If you take a close look at the illustrations, which span two pages for each tornado, you can readily see the destructive force of each one.You'll get to take a look at Tornado Alley, check out a couple of very destructive tornadoes, learn about meteorologists and the National Weather Service and, most important of all, learn "what to do when a tornado approaches."

This simple, but exquisitely researched book is an excellent resource for young people to learn about tornadoes.The text and the artwork combine to draw the reader through the book in an easy, nonthreatening manner.This is the perfect book for the reluctant reader because it is exciting and will pull him or her through a tornado learning experience with ease.I read this book a couple of times and my favorite part was reading about what each tornado does based on the Fujita Tornado Scale and then pore over the illustrations looking for the damage.Every child should read this book weather (or is it whether?) or not they live in tornado country!

An excellent, informative picturebook
Tornadoes! is a hardcover picturebook that teaches young readers all about tornadoes - swirling funnel-shaped clouds spun by violent winds, that can cause extreme destruction when they connect with the ground. Yet most tornadoes dissipate in less than ten minutes. Tornadoes! tells young people how tornadoes come to be, how they are classified, and perhaps most important, what to do when one learns a tornado is approaching. "If you are in a car, get out immediately! Try to find a low spot, such as a ditch, to lie in. Lie flat on your stomach and cover your head with your hands." An excellent, informative picturebook with simple color illustrations, highly recommended for public library children's collections.

Tornadoes by Gail Gibbons
This book is an excellent way to show the true force of tornadoes.Every classroom should have this book. My grandchildren enjoy this book and the beautiful pictures.Thank you, Gail Gibbons ,for a great book . G.S.P. ... Read more

Product Description
Randi Davenport’s story is a testament to human fortitude, to hope, and to a mother’s uncompromising love for her children. 

She had always worked hard to provide her family with a sense of stability and strength, despite the challenges of having a son with autism and a husband whose erratic behavior sometimes puzzled and confused her.

But eventually, Randi’s husband slipped into his own world and permanently out of her family’s. And at fifteen, her son Chase entered an unremitting psychosis—pursued by terrifying images, unable to recognize his own mother, unwilling to eat or even talk—becoming ever more tortured and unreachable.

Beautifully written and profoundly moving, this is the heartbreaking yet triumphant story of how Randi Davenport navigated the byzantine and broken health care system and managed not just to save her son from the brink of suicide but to bring him back to her again, and make her family whole.  In The Boy Who Loved Tornadoes, she gives voice to the experiences of countless families whose struggles with mental illness are likewise invisible to the larger world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

More than just a recollection of difficult times
I can't truthfully say that I've read all that many memoirs in my life; I've read fewer still about families coping with mental illness. That said, Davenport's book stands tall not just as an historical record of her family's nearly unimaginable struggles, but as a creative work written with an ability to construct an almost literary structure, framing the events in an emotional and chronological span that encompasses multiple lives, decades, and locations.

Because of Davenport's skill as a writer, "The Boy Who Loved Tornadoes" encompasses not just the primary story at hand, but Davenport's own experiences growing up as an aspiring poet (including the common tendency among poets to glorify mental illness as a divine state), her perceptions of mental illness, and the struggle to make sense of the chemical and psychological tethers that bind her son, Chase, and baffle caregivers at all levels of the medical community. Her cross-country travels as a professor, the dissolution of a failed marriage, and her attempts to simulate a normal life (even when none seemed possible) with her daughter, Haley, as well as her struggles against a health care system that constant seeks loopholes in order to push the most difficult patients (who are, by default, those also in the most need of care) out into a nearby alley imbues the true-life story with rich, complex emotions and situations. At times, the book reads like an especially intense one-act play between two players; at other times, gentle memories or sly asides evoke not just the low moments, but also the flickering moments of relief and clarity. Far from maudlin, the book is written by an author with a gift for (and love of) language that dissects fleeting, intangible emotions and delivers them to the reader in a very comprehensible way.

If you are a parent who has traveled down this same difficult path, you will no doubt find solace in aspects of this book. However, readers with no comparable experiences would still be advised to immerse themselves in this intense, harrowing, and ultimately transformative memoir.

Beautiful and Heartbreaking
When I picked up this book, intending to simply glance through the first few pages, I found myself instantly drawn into Dr. Randi Davenport's finely spun world, and was unable to put the book down until I had finished it. Riveting, painful, and, ultimately, inspiring, this is an incredible book. It is a story worth telling, as well as a story well told.
Davenport has found the courage to chronicle her son's illness without any melodramatic embellishments or overwrought appeals to the reader. Her story is told in a frank, stark, and oddly beautiful style that at once makes her overwhelming love for her children plain, though she does not attempt to paint herself as a heroine or as anything other than a mother struggling to do the best for her kids in an impossible situation.
I have read many memoirs in which forgettable writing is made up for by an interesting story, and others in which a rather boring, ordinary narrative is rendered memorable through the use of skilled writing. This falls into neither of those categories.
The Boy Who Loves Tornadoes is one of those rare memoirs in which a truly captivating story is brought to life by a talented writer. Davenport's prose is spare, gorgeous, and incredibly affecting. This moving story of her son's illness, her daughter's sadness, and the desintegration of their family plays out like a feature film, with characters so well drawn that they appear in the reader's head.
The structure of the book pulls the reader along like a pair of speeding trains, with scenes from the present interspersed with memories from the past, until the two timelines crash together and create one heartbreakingly clear picture of a child in crisis.
This is a book written by a mother about her children and her attempts to do her best for both of them, especially her son, who is diagnosed with developmental disabilities and mental illness. Yet this book will not appeal merely to the parents of children with special needs, or the parents of any children, or to people who love someone with a disability. This book speaks to the humanity and the ability to love that is inside all of us. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has ever loved anyone else. Period.

Be prepared to be truly moved by this story
This is truly a riveting book. Once I started it, I could not put it down.Everyone has a story to tell or so the saying goes, but none like the story that Randi Davenport tells in her new book, The Boy Who Loved Tornadoes.This author's journey through life as a wife and mother of two children who is forced to face the devastating impact of mental illness in her own family when her husband abandons them due to his own mental incapacity and leaves her alone to raise and care for a daughter and son who has debilitating mental health issues of his own.This beautifully written story is a true testament, in the face of almost insurmountable obstacles, of perseverance, persistence, and positive possibilities for the future.Readers will ride a tidal wave of emotion ranging from love and optimism, to anger and despair, back to triumph and hope for our society.Mental illness can no longer be kept behind closed doors nor can it be the responsibility of the parent alone to care for their family members or maneuver through our health care system.If this book does one thing it reinforces that every child is truly a gift in their own unique way.Each child offers value and worth to the human experience.

A captivating read
The writing is beautiful and exquisite. Davenport's honesty enables the reader to find herself in the story, even though the story she tells is uniquely her own. I expected to be drawn in by the story, but the writing has captivated me. She has a gift.

A Moving Story of a Family
"The Boy Who Loved Tornadoes" is about a family trying to deal with doctors who are baffled by a boy whose illness doesn't fit any known medical category (he's not quite autistic and not quite psychotic and not quite mentally deficient) and struggling with government and insurance company bureaucracies that range from merely indifferent to downright cruel.Yet, for all that, it's an upbeat story about how sheer doggedness and love, even when it does not quite triumph, creates a life worth affirming, both for the mother and her children.This is a great book: well-written, moving, and about how the ways we care about each other are the true markers of our humanity (or lack of it). ... Read more

Product Description
With winds that can reach speeds of three hundred miles an hour and funnel clouds that can measure a mile in diameter, tornadoes leave enormous damage in their wake.

Now award-winning author Seymour Simon examines these twisting columns of air and destruction.With the clear, concise style he is noted for, Simon explains how tornadoes are formed, why and when they are most likely to occur, how scientists classify and track them -- and what to do if one touches down.Spectacular full-color photographs show this powerful phenomenon in action.

Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children 2000--selected by Natn'l Science Tchrs Assoc. & Child. Bk Cncl.

Customer Reviews (4)

Much Better Tornado Books Out There!
So dissapointed!My 4-year old loves tornadoes and we have gone through every tornado book our library has.I decided it was time to buy him a couple to keep and went with this since it had decent reviews.Are you kidding me?Ugh.The page set-up makes it difficult to read or even teach from (no paragraph brakes, spacing, etc), and there are more pictures of damage done by tornados and people looking at old computer screens than of actual tornados.If you have a kid who'd like to actually learn something about tornadoes may I recommend:

Tornado Alert (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2)

It has drawings instead of actual photos, but a much better book.

Good explanations, nice pictures.Good, but not excellent book.
This is a good book to explain tornadoes to your early elementary age children.There are good explanations of how tornadoes form, the "typical" tornado, where they most commonly occur, the classification of tornadoes, warning signs, safety measures, etc.Also, there are a few examples of specific tornadoes given.And, there are some nice photos.This is a good book to cover this topic.

As for why I rated it a 4-star instead of 5, the book just lacked that "wow factor" for me that makes a book go from good to outstanding.It also might have been nice to see a timeline for a specific tornado, or a photo progression of one specific tornado to see how they develop.

Great book, great pictures
Though this book is definitely for older kids, above 1st grade, it has some awesome pictures. The descriptions were very nice and as with most books about tornadoes has great information about what to do and not to do if you are in the path of a tornado.

Tornadoes
This book was very interesting. It is filled with lots of facts and great pictures. Seymore Simon is a great writer. If you want to learn about Tornadoes definitly pick up this book. It is a GREAT book. ... Read more

Product Description
Each year, at least 1,200 tornadoes batter the United States. While most occur in Tornado Alley a vast, weather-beaten swath of middle America in truth, tornadoes can occur almost anywhere. And where there are tornadoes, there are storm chasers. They come in all shapes and sizes, from hobbyists to researchers to professional chasers. There is one, however, who stands well above the rest: Roger Hill.

Hunting Nature's Fury tells the story of Roger Hill and his love affair with storm chasing, taking you on a suspenseful and dramatic ride across the Great Plains, into the Deep South, even into the eyes of such recent hurricanes as Katrina. You'll accompany Hill as he braves close calls, makes history, and gains insight into the science of severe weather. This is a story of a storm chaser obsessed with the storms that almost killed him; of resiliency in the face of disaster; and of humility in the presence of the awesome power of nature.

Includes eight color pages of jaw-dropping photos taken by Hill showing many of the storms chronicled in the book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

A Great Read! Suspenseful Stormchasing Storytelling coupled with the Science and History of Tornadoes and Forecasting
After asking Roger Hill about his favorite storm chases one night at dinner, I, along with the rest of our diners, sat mesmerized as he vividly recounted his June 23, 2003 chase in South Dakota. It wasn't just that the Roger Hill led tour group recorded 16 tornadoes, or that they saw several multivotex tornadoes or even that it included the largest tornado he'd ever seen - the Manchester, South Dakota F4 with winds over 200 mph - that made his recounting so memorable, but it was the passion and excitement he embodied as he recounted that chase day. Listening to him made you feel as if you were right there in that van along for the ride. Having witness over 400 tornadoes, if Roger's greatest skill is finding the elusive twister in a sea of storms, then mastering the art of storytelling would be not far behind.

How wonderful it is now to be able to read about that chase along with so many others in his book, "Hunting Nature's Fury".I found this book, co-written by Peter Bronski, to be a perfect blend of great storytelling and knowledge sharing about the science and history of thunderstorms, tornadoes, forecasting, and chasing. The stories are exciting and the science is delivered in an easily comprehendable form, including a useful glossary of weather terms and chasing slang.

Whether you want to know what ingredients and processes are required for tornadoes to form, or learn fascinating facts about things like the largest hailstone ever recorded (1.67 pounds) or why the word tornado was offically banned from public broadcasts for 65 years, or be able to separate tornado myths (opening windows alleviates tornado pressure) from reality (fish have fallen from the sky), or to imagine what it's like to chase storms with a stormchasing guru, then you'll really enjoy reading this book....likely more than once.

storm lover
I went storm chasing with roger in may of 2001. Unfortunately, that was a dull year to storm chase. I was surprised when he took over the silver lining tours, but it sounds like he's done very well. This book has a nice flow to it as he describes the many storms,which makes it very easy read. My only criticism would be the writing is not very interesting or thoughtful. It seems to be written for children. I realize he is not a professional writer and I assume that's why he had someone assist him in writing the book. There are other more interesting books out that on the same subject. For example, Mark Svenvold wrote a great book called "Big Weather".

The Thrill of the Chase
Like other storm chasers, I have been eagerly waiting for Roger's book for a long time.My copy arrived last week.Normally, I am a very slow reader but was so taken by this book that I completed it in a matter of hours.It was a thrill to read the many stories I've heard Roger tell over the years.Tears came to my eyes as I read chapter 9, for I was a part of that story.Anyone who wishes to read the book but has never chased will come away with a desire to hit the Plains with Roger.I recommend this book to anyone who is interested a) in chasing and/or b) tales of great adventures.You will not be sorry!

Marie

A Must for Storm Chasers!
Those interested in tornadoes, and who have already seen some of the various video documentaries about storm chasers in the American prairies, have certainly heard of this author!
Roger Hill is one of the best (if not the best) in his field, and in this very exciting bookhe tells us how he became who he is now: a storm chaser.
The traumatic experience of the devastation of his parent's home by an F5 tornado when he was 9 years old left a lasting impression on him. As a young adult it breaks through again and makes him begin to search for the storms, to drive towards them, to chase them.
It is not only exciting but also fascinating to read how he describes his ever increasing obsession, which eventually causes complications in his personal and professional life.
And naturally the storms, the tornadoes, are again and again in the center of his fast paced depiction.
The needto share with others the incredible experience of untamed (and potentially very dangerous) nature, makes him turn his passion into his main occupation: for many years now he has been taking photographers and tourists like me to "Tornado Alley" from April to July and has now seen far more than 400 tornadoes.
All this is the subject of his book, complete with some of his many thousand photos, which document the extraordinary beauty of the spectacle.
An absolute must for everyone interested in untamed nature and in weather!

Chase this book!
As someone who has chased with Roger many times, I wanted to read his book to learn even more than he has already taught me.As an avid reader, I was looking forward to a book about a topic that interests me.Hunting Nature's Fury provides both beyond my expectations.The action described in these chapters will put the reader on the plains, waiting to see what the storm will offer up next and wanting more.Hunting Nature's Fury both educates and entertains.I've been reading this book at work and on the train.I've already missed the end of my lunch hour, my train stop on the way home and I'm only half way through! ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (3)

Great resource
This book has many small practical suggestions. We are using this book as for our professional book club. Well worth it!

a nice, easy read...
this book had lots of great ideas that were presented in an easy to understand manner.this is a good partner to the SIOP model book.

Awesome Book!
This book is great because it addresses collaboration between the classroom teacher and the library media specialist. As a high school library media specialist I feel that the inquiry-based learning that is described in this book should be used at all levels. It really shows the power of thinking, and it is impressive to see the confidence and the excitement of the students' learning and teaching. This book is a "must read" for all teachers, parents, politicians, and especially for anybody pursing a career in education. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

A real twist
I really enjoyed reading this book with my class for information about tornadoes and hurricanes.The book presents many facts about these storms in a very kid friendly way.the format for the book is questions and answers.The book provides just enough information to keep it interesting for student readers.The pictures are not real, but are realistic.I like how the authors write a note in the beginning of the story inviting the reader to read their book.This book will be appealing for students in the upper elementary grades.It is a good beginning book for research. ... Read more

Product Description
Green skies and suddenly still trees spell trouble. A twister's coming. It's time to take shelter! Learn about these amazingly strong windstorms in this action packed book about tornados. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great Fun Facts
This book is really good it has great fun facts about tornadoes and how they form ... Read more

Product Description
A fascinating and easy-to-understand exploration of hurricanes, tsunamis, tornadoes, heat waves, and more, complete with hundreds of full-color photographs and descriptive illustrations, charts, and graphs.

Category 5 hurricanes, deadly tsunamis, record-high winds; now more than ever it seems that "extreme weather" has become a reality and a concern throughout the world—and in our own backyard. While these natural events are frightening, few of us really understand what causes them—and we're left to wonder how and where disaster might strike next, what we can do to protect ourselves, and whether such things can be prevented.

Extreme Weather answers these questions and many more in a thorough, scientific, yet absolutely clear and easy-to-understand manner. Along with numerous color photos and illustrations, each weather phenomenon is accompanied by comprehensive visual aids that make learning about the subject as easy as it is fun. Organized by weather-related events including hurricanes, winter storms, lightning, tsunamis, tornadoes, floods, and heat waves, the book explores weather patterns and other factors that contribute to extreme climate conditions. It offers an unprecedented, comprehensive picture of where our weather is headed tomorrow and in the future. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

good graphics, biased presentation on climate change
Mogil's graphics and photos are very good, as are his explanations of atmospheric phenomena. My main gripe with this book is his quite obvious bias that the concern over the human impact on climate change is overdone. He acknowledges his skepticism about the human impact on climate and then seeks to present a presumably objective analysis of weather extremes. However, in several chapters, he uses quotes from his own writing or comments to support chapter themes. In the space of 4 paragraphs [p. 83 and 84] on the relative incidence of hurricanes, he uses the phrase "flies in the face of" claims of increased hurricane danger. His satisfaction in finding a counter argument is quite obvious. This is not good objective scientific writing. Rather than objectively evaluate the IPCC [Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change]report or the IPCC analysis, Mogil uses counter arguments about the relative frequency extreme weather incidents to downplay the importance of human impact on climate. On page 33, Mogil writes "...people think climate change can be determined by recent extreme events." However, much of the book is devoted to just that--an analysis of extreme events, as is evident in the title.

For a far better analysis of climate change, I recommend Richard Somerville's "The Forgiving Air."[[ASIN:1878220853 The Forgiving Air: Understanding Environmental Change, Second Edition]

Extreme Weather, Extremely Interesting!
I just finished reading a new book by H. Michael Mogil titled "Extreme Weather".Unlike many weather books which focus on a dynamic approach (highs, lows, jet streams) to explain weather this book looks at extreme weather by event type and discusses the processes and history behind them.By "extreme" I'm talking about tornadoes, ice storms, flooding, lightning, droughts and so on.The book includes stunning photographs and clear illustrations.Some of the events mentioned are as recent as this year --which for me made the book even more relevant and fun to read.
What I really found interesting about the book is the way Mogil looks at weather extremes within the context of today's global warming discussion--something in the news every day and now even more controversial due to Al Gore's announced Nobel Prize.He doesn't outright deny the existence of global warming and our impact on the environment but rather he illustrates how factors such as long-term climate changes (our coming out of a mini ice age), relatively short weather record-keeping history, the media's preoccupation with hype and sensationalism, and people's selective memory of significant events all conspireto influence our perception.This can lead some people to believe we are in an immediate "crisis".Mogil shows how the media likes to say things like "this is the heaviest snowfall in 10 years"--something which certainly sounds extreme in the short-term but in terms of long-term weather it's probably a relatively common event.He also shows how factors such as the media's incorrect use of the term "normal" (as opposed to the more correct term "average")make extremes (which are in fact a natural range of conditions) seem even more extreme and unusual.For instance, when we say the "normal" high for today is 60 degrees and the actual high reaches 80 there's a tendency for people to say "wow, something is really wrong!"Yet in fact though this book we discover that the high temperature on this day, throughout recorded history, may have ranged from 40 to 100 degrees!Thus the average figure of 60 degrees is meaningless and misleading and the figure of 80 degrees may not be as extreme as we think.

While extreme deviations from the climatic average may be rare they don't all necessarily occur because of human influence.Factors such as improved real-time TV reporting of things like as tornadoes, brush fires, and hurricanes all bring these naturally occurring events to the forefront.The book shows how recent events such as California's brush fires, hurricanes like Katrina, and the drought in the southeast aren't necessarily more intense (in a physical sense) than past "extreme" events but rather it's their impact on people which is greater as a result of where we choose to live, how we construct our homes, and how densely we are populated.This subtle point can lead people to confuse the effects of an event with the physical intensity of an event.Mogil illustrates how easy it is to claim everything is the result of global warming when in fact many of the extreme variations can be explained by other factors --many which predate the industrial revolution.

The last chapter of the book really summed things up foe me.In fact I thought it might have made a better introduction than a conclusion.While I personally believe we humans are warming the planet I agree with Mogil that the dire predictions are probably overdone.Although our study of hyper-long climate histories through techniques such as ice core drilling and fossil stratification gives us general information about average temperature, precipitation, atmospheric gas content, and plant life, these records cannot speak for individual record events such as tornadoes, floods, droughts, and heat waves--the extreme weather--which may have occurred throughout history.For all we know the massive EF5 tornadoes we have today may pale in comparison with tornadoes that occurred 50,000 years ago.We just don't know.In short, Mogil cautions readers not to automatically attribute extremes in weather to man-made global warming and encourages them to continue seeking and evaluating new information.

After reading this book I haven't changed my mind about our need to cut down on pollution.I haven't changed my mind that we are affecting our environment in a negative way.I also haven't changed my mind about the need for our country move away from foreign oil and our seemingly endless desire to use guns to solve problems rather than our brains.I do feel however, that I am in a better position to analyze what I'm being fed by the media and to consider that my short time on this planet is just a blink of an eye in terms of geologic time and weather history.While I still plan to purchase an electric car in 2009 I no longer feel compelled to sell my house in Oklahoma under the looming threat that it will soon be under water when the polar ice caps melt! ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (8)

Want To Learn About Tornadoes, Look No Further!!
I have been an active Storm Chaser for over 10 years and have read just about every book on storms and tornadoes that I can get my hands on, including text books, and this book was easily one the best and most pleasant to read. A lot of these types of books can feel detached. In other words they may give you great information but it just seems devoid of any real enthusiasm or emotion. That is simply not the case with this book. The authors, Jerrine & Arjen Verkaik, have a real passion for this subject matter and this passion and excitement gets transferred to the written page making the reading far more enjoyable and imo that much easier to remember.

On top of how well its written, it also has a lot of fantastic pictures, illustrations and diagrams which really add to the depth of the writing. The personal experience and expertise that the Verkaik's bring to the table is impressive by any standards and again it just adds a quality and depth to the writing that simply isn't present with a lot of other books. The fact that they are not meteorologists just makes the entire book that much more impressive.

The bottom line - If your interested in storms and tornadoes then this book should be at the top of your to read list. Once finished you will never look at a tornado or storm the same way again. If your an active storm chaser or thinking about getting into storm chasing then this book should be a mandatory addition to your library. Even if you dislike technical books you should give this book a go. The manner in which its written really lifts this book above its competition and ultimately makes it accessible to practically everyone, including those who have a hard time with technical books.

An absolutely brilliant read!

The best book ever written about tornadoes
Interesting, enlightening and useful are only a few of the adjectives that describe this book. It has everything from exciting stories to amazing facts. While the book includes many incredible photographs, they are intended to educate rather than just inspire awe. Whether you are interested in storm chasing or just want to recognize and protect your family from dangerous weather formations, this is the book for you. It truly has truly something for just about everyone from the light browser to the seasoned chaser. This is a book that everyone in tornado-prone areas should have as a reference!

Great for beginner storm chasers or Midwest residents.
Well, it's not quite everything, but if you live in the Midwest you should really consider getting this book, whether it be used or new.It offers many different images as far as storm structures, tornado structures and clouds.

Diagrams are offered for 1) viewing the inside of a "worst-first" thunderstorm, 2) viewing the inside of a "worst-last" thunderstorm, 3) inside a tornado, 4) two pages of drawings of different "breeds" of tornadoes, 5) damage paths with debris location, etc.

There are small side notes on almost every page including "weird" information, myths, quick reference, highlights and checklists.

As for beginning chasers or settled chasers with bad luck (such as I), this is a great book to get started with.Aside from Arjen and Jerrine talking about one specific storm that spawned two tornadoes, you'll also learn about "The Storm Environment" (p.68).The Storm Environment explains the different types of clouds that are present with storms and what to expect with them.This section lasts two pages.The "Weather Words" section will get you up to date on your vocabulary used throughout the book.Although there are no scientific words that you'll never understand written throughout the book at all, it does contain words like aloft, updraft, downdraft, inflow, outflow and core.If you're unfamiliar with these words (or you simply think you know what they mean) this could come in handy.A small section is given to weather offices, such as SKYWARN and CANWARN.

This book will also describe to you the difference between a tornado, twister, funnel, funnel cloud, wall cloud, etc.Some of them have no differences at all, even though they are thought to have different meanings.

So far, I have only gotten through the two chapters focusing on Severe Storms and Tornadoes.I'll be back to update the review after I've gotten through the entire book.Enjoy!

Pleasantly written, diverse & well-illustrated tornado tome

Although the authors are Canadian, and aim the book at an audience north of the U.S., American weather enthusiasts and anyone wondering about tornadoes will soak this up."Under the Whirlwind" is a solid work overall; and for a self-published book, it is amazingly informative and accurate.Readers may be as surprised at the Verkaiks' insight into severe storms issues, since they are not meteorologists.However, their devotion to learning scientific concepts, combined with their extensive storm observing experience and conversational writing style, allows them to succeed with this book. Although the reading is light in a purely technical sense, I found only a few typos and insignificant errors.More important are the clear messages of practicality, realism, education and compassion in the book -- which includes numerous suvivors' tales as well as segments on insurance coverage and helping children to deal with storm-related tragedy.The authors convey a wise message of safety and responsibility as well, for example:"After damaging tornadoes strike there are usually calls for better alert systems -- more bells and whistles....But the best warning you can have comes from keeping your eye on the sky."

The illustrations are numerous and excellent, without peer in popular severe weather literature.Their deep artistic and educational appreciation for the wonders of a stormy sky pours forth in the form of dozens of full-color photos -- many consisting of spectacular storm structure scenes taken on their forays to the American Great Plains.These aren't presented just to show off the Verkaiks' mastery of storm photography, but to aid in interpreting cloud features.There are also several interesting, high-quality, contributed photos of Canadian tornadoes which never have been published before.The Verkaiks richly endow the volume with drawings, tables and color graphs as well, including numerous inset trivia boxes scattered throughout the book related to debunked tornado myths and tornado oddities.

Because this hasn't been a widely advertised book or peddled by a major publishing house since its 1997 debut, it may go under the radar, so to speak.But it is well worth the cost for students and general audiences curious about the mysteries of tornadoes.

It was the best book I have ever read on the subject.
Under The Whirlwind is, one of the best books about tornadoes available. By reading the book, you will gain an amazing amount of knowledge, and be able to look at the sky with amazement and knowledge about what you seehappening. It explains everything you ever wanted or need to know aboutsevere weather and tornadoes, and it is written in understandable terms.Buy this book, and impress your friends with your knowledge of the stormysky! ... Read more

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An exciting new Adventures in Reading series designed to capture the reluctant reader's attention with captivating photos and descriptions of nature's raw fury.

This book showcases and explains tornadoes that have made headlines in recent years. Kids' natural fascination with destructive natural phenomena keeps their interest high while reading this series. ... Read more

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Journey just west of America's infamous Tornado Alley to Alabama, home to some of the deadliest tornadoes of the past century. These twisters remain etched in the collective memory of the people, from the 1908 Dixie tornado, regarded as one of the most brutal tornadoes in U.S. history, to the 1998 Birmingham tornado, the most expensive twister in Alabama's history. Discover how the 1932 Deep South Tornadoes resulted in 268 fatalities and millions of dollars in damage, and read the terrifying account of the 1977 Smithfield Tornadoes, which rocked this Birmingham suburb with as many as six twisters in a one-hour span. Join local journalist Kelly Kazek as she shares the tales of these natural disasters and the hardy Alabamians who endured them. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Sweet Home Alabama?
After a brief introduction in Chapter One titled "Alabama, State of Chaos" - a section in which we learn of Alabama's deadly history with tornadoes - author/researcher/journalist Kelly Kazek explores the details six of the most devastating tragedies to affect the Yellowhammer State.

Various trivia information - like the fact that Alabama has two tornado seasons - is provided with chilling details. Unbeknownst to me, my current home state is in the top five for F5 tornadoes, some of them attack nocturnally (which is abnormal), and enough of the twisters hit to garner the nickname "Dixie Alley." Amping up the fear for many is the fact that Alabama is very densely populated, and quite a few people, more than most other states, live in mobile homes. This is a recipe for disaster that has struck enough times - most notably in the six aforementioned fearful vignettes spanning 1908-1994 - that this book was even possible.

Since I have lived in Kansas, I never really thought of Alabama as a tornado state twin...but I was evidently incorrect in my assumptions. Having lived in north Alabama for nearly four years as of this review (July 2010), I luckily missed all the major events in my "neck of the woods," but unfortunately lived here long enough to experience the state-wide surprise and heartache resulting from the tornado that sadly took nine young lives in Enterprise, AL in 2007.

The power of this book is in the familiarity. A virtual neighbor to the author, I have been or live in the towns, counties, and cities referenced, places within a stone's throw, places swept of the map in one fell swoop. The fear has been planted within me after numerous roads I have driven, and some I drive every day, are shown in chaotic photos displaying the war-torn junkyard of unrecognizable debris, car parts, and confusion a tornado's punch can cause. The final nail into my consciousness is the picture of a Gibson's BBQ van covered, like a junker in a horror movie, in the aftermath of the tornado's wake. If world famous barbecue is not safe, then no one is safe.

Included as afterthoughts are the final two chapters covering terrific tornado tales and tips on twister safety. The overall collection is a bitter reminiscence for Alabamians (and transplants), a chronological eulogy of sorts for those affected, and worthwhile historical perspective. Recommended for Alabama and North Alabama historians, amateur meteorologists, storm chasers, and people who hate the absurdity in the movie Twister.

Jason Elin ... Read more

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Tornadoes are spinning storms that have very strong winds. Author Brian Cassie ... Read more

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This book explores tornadoes and their devastating effects.

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Reed Timmer, a star of the top rated Storm Chasers on the Discovery Channel is one of the most successful and most extreme storm chasers in the world. His is a job that requires science and bravado, knowledge and instinct just to survive, never mind excel. Now, in Into the Storm, he takes readers inside the terrifying and awe-inspiring world of big weather.

Published to coincide with the fourth season's premiere, Into the Storm is Timmer's dramatic account of his extraordinary profession. Featuring stories of the three-hundred-plus extreme tornados, hurricanes, or blizzards that Timmer has watched ring-side over the last decade-storms that include the killer F5 tornado that struck Moore, Oklahoma, in May 1999; the unprecedented, devastating storm surge of Hurricane Katrina; and the little-studied but enormously powerful storm systems in places like Canada and Argentina. As a Ph.D. candidate in meteorology, Timmer is after more than just an adrenaline rush-his stories feature fascinating insights into the science of storms, and how the data he is collecting will could possibly save lives. With a firsthand perspective on the storm-chasing community, Timmer also takes readers inside this world, examining his controversial obsession and the ethical debates it sparks.
Featuring the same you-are-there immediacy that attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors to Timmer's web site tornadovideos.net, every month, Into the Storm is one wild-and informative-ride. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Exciting book, that fills in a lot of gaps
I love the T.V. show "Stormchasers," and this book helped fill in a lot of gaps that the t.v. show doesn't have time to answer or might appear boring to the average watcher.I loved learning the details of Reed's life that got him to this point.I wish the book had explained the history of some of his other relationships a bit more, like with Joel.It introduces Joel as just a guy that helps Reed get to a tornado over the phone one day, but I wanted to know how they meet, etc., since the t.v. show puts a lot of emphasis on their relationship.

Overall, this is a very exciting book that is hard to put down.I wish there was less apologizing and justifying of Reed's actions in the book, but I guess that's been a large part of his stormchasing life so far.The fact that the entire community doesn't view Reed as a necessity for what everyone is trying to accomplish amazes me.Sure, he's a bit crazy and loud, but look at what he's accomplished in the past 10 years.And he's not just some person who gets off to tornadoes.I think the fact that he's devoted his entire life to stormchasing, including his education, and the fact he puts almost all of his money back into the adventure should automatically grant him some leeway with the community.I just hope I don't read a Steve Irwin type of headline one day about Reed.

If you like the t.v. show, you'll love Reed's book.I can't wait for more details in another book.

I was almost afraid to buy this book.
I am a fan of Storm Chasers on Discovery but not a fan of most of the behaviors on that show. Reed was one of those whose loud enthusiasm would get on my nerves at times. This book showed me another side of Reed Timmer. The book showed a young man who was still incredibly passionate about his love for meteorology in general, tornado chasing in particular but also self-aware and insightful about his own behaviors and how they come across.

The book essentially starts with his incoming freshman experience at UO with occasional side trips to his childhood development on through to his Ph.D. and current goals. As Reed recalls stages in his meteorological education we are taught meteorology in small understandable and very interesting segments. Fortunately for us, Reed did leave out the detailed physics and math involved in his education. I never realized how intensive getting that kind of degree was.

Reed's journey through school also involved tornado and hurricane chases: booms and busts. Always with great descriptive detail and admitting when he screwed up, showing an angst and concern for those accompanying him which has not been a side seen on TV.

Those who see Timmer as merely an excitement junkie looking for a fix will be in for a surprise. Clearly, he has an incredible singleminded focus on chasing tornadoes but that focus also includes an equal passion for the chasing the science to understand tornadoes.

Engaging, entertaining, educational and well written: This was a book I could not put down. I wish it was longer. Hopefully there will be more, especially as Reed experiments and develops assorted out of the box methods for data collection and scientific study of the beasts he is chasing.

Thrilling!What a Page Turner!
As good as any thriller on the stands today!From the moment I picked it up I could not put it down.It shows all the trials and tribulations of storm chasing and I didn't even have to get wet!Reed really is passionate about this and is willing to risk his life to save others.I am such a fan of the Discovery Channel show and really this book brought it to a whole new level.He is trying to research some robust science and push the envelope to the extreme.I want to sign up for the Extreme Tornado Tour now!YOU MUST BUY THIS BOOK!WHAT A THRILL RIDE!

GREAT!
This book is so cool! It`s almost like in real life! It`s like when you`re reading, he 'comes' out of the book to take you in with him!

Intense!
I Love this book! It is filled with the same action and intensity that is felt while watching Timmer's television series "Storm Chasers". At times I feel as if I am right there, riding along on the chase, without really realizing that I was being educated on weather too. I recommend this book for everyone, young and old, and hope you enjoy it as much as i have!

Into the Storm: Violent Tornadoes, Killer Hurricanes, and Death-defying Adventures in Extreme Weather ... Read more

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A collection of bizarre facts about natural disasters includes lesser-known tidbits about tidal waves, earthquakes, volcanoes, lightning strikes, and the sinking of the Titanic. Original." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

GREAT LIDDLE BOOK WITH FUN FACTS!!
This book contains some really wild facts about weather & weird & odd natural causes. Its a great book aside from the exclamation points at the end of sentences stating that thousands of people died.

This book is split into sections of:
-Weird Weather
-Castastrophies Big & Little
-The Violent Earth

Along with paragraphs explaining each odd event, (almost) every page has a "Laugh Line" or "Didja Know." I encourage you to get this book, filled with fun facts.

Good Book!
This is a great book about natural disasters. The facts in it are weird and captivate my imagination. All books I have read in this series are intriguing. Once I start reading them I can't put them down. ... Read more

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When readers think of the destructive nature of tornadoes, they often think of Kansas.The Sunflower State has certainly earned the nickname, "The Cyclone State," on and off since territorial times.The movie, the Wizard of Oz, has not helped the state's image of wild weather in the heart of tornado alley and the subsequent widespread death and destruction. Now, Sound and Fury provides acomprehensive look at the many tornadoes that visited Kansas.Over a hundred of the best-known tornado events are documented here, includingthe famous Irving tornado of 1879; the Udall tornado that killed dozens of residents while they were sleeping; the first $100,000,000 tornado-the Topeka tornado-of 1966;and recently, the famous Greensburg tornado which wiped out the entire community in 2007.Sound and Fury is four hundred pages of stories with over a hundred illustrations and maps of significant tornado paths. ... Read more

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thoughts on the book
This is an outstanding book.Anyone interested in the history of tornadoes in the midwest this is a must read. It's easy to follow, the maps are detailed. ... Read more

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FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. Introduces the different types of hurricanes and tornadoes, their histories, and effects on humans. ... Read more

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This is one of eight titles in this reference series covering a wide range of topics - from dinosaurs to explorers. This book on tornadoes includes photographs, facts and figures and relevant websites to explore. ... Read more