Product Description
"There are about 1,800 thunderstorms in progress over the earth's surface at any given time, and lightning strikes about 100 times each second ." --from Weather

Weather: The Ultimate Book of Meteorological Eventsis a compilation of some of the most spectacular weather photography and writing in the world. Adapted from over 20 years of material from the bestselling Weather Guide calendar, this comprehensive volume combines dozens of essays from more than 20 meteorology and climate change experts. And, in order to fully appreciate the weather's majestic beauty, more than 100 photographers have contributed their awe-inspiring images, expertly portraying some of the most dramatic weather events of the past two decades.

Includes:

* U.S. and international monthly climactic data charts

* 365 days of weather trivia

* Significant events in meteorological history ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Good calendar
It's not a bad calendar at all, especially for the price; However, it's just another pretender to the original weather calendar published by Accord Publishing Co.

Another Side of Weather
This was a very comprehensive book about all types of weather, with great pictures and good, simple explanations.If you are more than just a casual watcher of the The Weather Channel - you'll want this book.Good price from Amazon compared to the brick and mortar places.

Beautiful photography
I purchased this as a gift for my son,who loves to study and photograph severe weather. Although it is hard to get many words from a teenager, when he opened it,the response was "cool" and he sat for over an hour pouring through it. Translation: he loved it! I would recommend this gift/coffee table quality book for anyone who is interested in weather phenomenon or just enjoys beautiful, unique photographs.

Wonderful Book
This book was a birthday gift for my boss...he flipped when he opened the present.Loved it and the item was exactly as described. ... Read more

Product Description
Global warming and the future of the climate is one of the greatest challenges of our time, but what do we know about climate variations 500 years ago, or 5000 years ago? How can we know anything at all about the history of weather? What impact have climate changes had on human prosperity and the spirit of invention?

In this major new book Wolfgang Behringer introduces us to the latest historical research on the development of the earth's climate. He focuses above all on the cultural reactions to climate change through the ages, showing how even minor changes in the climate sometimes resulted in major social, political and religious upheavals. By examining how our predecessors responded to climate changes, Behringer provides us with a fresh basis for thinking about how we might address the serious climatic challenges we face today. ... Read more

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Droughts. Floods.
Climate refugees.
Global warming isn't just about polar bears anymore.

Customer Reviews (9)

A solid overview of the possible impacts of global warming
I receive alarmist and conspiracy-theory emails from a dear friend and I love her anyway. Over the past year or so, she has been led to believe, based on the writings of a few with an angry politically-based agenda, that global warming does not exist and that for example, ex-VP Al Gore and others are pushing this "unproven theory" because he has investments in technologies that would "profit" from global warming.
Whew!
My gut tells me their opinions are nonsense. I have been somewhat desperate to find a non-technical book that would explain the science and the documented climate record and the possible future effects on the planet in a way I can understand. I needed a book I could understand while tired at night with one elbow on the pillow and eyelids growing heavy.
This is just the book. Cullen is a seasoned journalist and researcher who writes clearly and piles up her facts well. Personally, I never felt I needed to be convinced about the "reality" of global warming, but if I had some doubts as the rising tide of conspiracy theory emails arrived in my email in-basket, this book put those little doubts to rest.
I recommend this book to the intelligent (like me), informed, but non-science-oriented reader who needs to have a basic understanding of this issue and how it will become ever more pressing and crucial in the days to come.

A striking, dramatic survey key to any general or science lending library
The Weather of the Future: Heat Waves, Extreme Storms, and Other Scenes from a Climate-Changed Planet offers a fine, serious look at how the world will look in 2050 if the current levels of carbon emissions are maintained. Climate change is no longer a future worry: it's a present-day phenomenon that affects current lives. Chapters use the latest scientific research to examining real-world scenarios and at-risk locations around the world in a striking, dramatic survey key to any general or science lending library.

Very disappointing
I was relatively excited when I heard about this book, since our future as a species interests me greatly.It belongs to the genre of post-global warming books, wherein global warming is taken as a given and human inaction is assumed, leading to dire consequences and reflections on our suicidality.Others in the same category include James Hansen's book Storms of my grandchildren, Six Degrees, Requiem for a species, and my personal favourite, Down to the wire.All these are actually better written and more gripping that Heidi Cullen's book.My chief complaint about it is that most of the book is given over to interviews with other climatologists and scientists who discuss their particular expertises.The whole fails to come together as a result, and the author's own opinions are often missing in action.Several chapters appear to be one interview after another stitched together with some relatively boilerplate style writing.Probably this style of overdramatic pronouncement sounds good on TV but it really falls flat for me when read.
In the first section of the book she summarizes the evidence for global warming and the state of current thinking, material which has been covered extensively by now in many, many books.The bulk of the book discusses individual areas of the world and how they will be affected.These chapters are very uneven, with some interesting analyses, and some that simply fail altogether.As an example of the latter there is the discussion about the Inuit, who have a lifestyle obviously completely based on sea-ice and snow.There is no contemplation about how their entire lifestyle will change when there is neither ice nor snow, which is exactly what one would have expected.Instead there is the false dramatic ending: "but they will adapt, as they always have."Will they?If they all wind up on welfare with no lifestyle to speak of, is that adapting, or a very tragic ending to their culture?There is no consideration of these issues.What about the chance that others from further south will come up and take over their land and drive them out?To me this seems a very likely possibility.Another very disappointing ending occurs in the Bangladesh chapter, which we all know will end horribly tragically.Will millions of them move to Russia?Of course not.Yet she has the gall to say at the end of the chapter, millions will be climate refugees into India.Will they?What about the wall that was mentioned earlier, that India is building to keep such millions out of its country? It seems quite obvious that when India is starving itself, it's hardly likely bangladeshis will be welcomed.More likely there will be a lot of starvation and a lot of war, let's hope not world-wide.
The worst chapter is the epilogue, in which she discusses the end of the akkadian empire as a result of changing climate and the tragic story of Easter Island.The latter was much better discussed by Jared Diamond in Collapse, and the author actually quotes from him here.Not an impressive finish to borrow from another writer as a conclusion.
Here is an example of poor writing from the New York chapter I can't resist quoting (or paraphrasing): " in 2050 when Hurricane Xavier sprang up from the bathtub of the atlantic had finally arrived people sat back and watched it like the world series."What?? They watched a hurricane destroy Manhattan like a baseball game ?My jaw dropped when I read this, the last paragraph of the chapter.There was not much imagination applied to the effects of the hurricane on Manhattan here.Simple stating that repairs will be costly is a failure of storytelling completely.

In summary I don't really recommend this book at all, in comparison to the aforementioned post-climate change books, Jim Hensen's in particular is one that I would reread every year (until his prophecies come to pass).

The sky is falling!
This book is adisappointment; it is not a legitimate work of science, despite the author's impressive credentials. It is fear-mongering, with worst-case scenarios presented as our future.To be fair, the book starts out well, with some good background on the history of climate science. Unfortunately, after that it becomes simply an attempt to scare the reader with dire predictions. These predictions are far from certainties. I don't know, for example, what the weather in New York in 2050 will be--and I don't think Dr.Cullen does either.

A climate scientist named Mike Hulme has once said, "The language of catastrophe is not the language of science." The Weather of the Future would make an interesting Hollywood movie, but it fails as a persuasive analysis of climate change.There are far better books on this subject, for instance, Claire Parkinson's recent book, Coming Climate Crisis. If your goal is scaring your friends, get them Weather of the Future. If you want a rational analysis of the issue, try another book.

The Weather of the Future (Harper)
For a look at what the world may look like in the event that we do little or nothing to combat carbon emissions and greenhouse gases, comes "The Weather of the Future" (Harper) by meteorologist/climatologist, Heidi Cullen. Cullen, a research scientist at the non-profit outfit, Climate Central, (and former host of the Weather Channel's `Forecast Earth') describes in detail what is likely to occur at seven different hot-spot locations around the planet in the wake of elevated temperatures and rising waters. Using predictive modeling from a variety of accredited sources, Cullen describes what effects can be expected in areas from New York City (major hurricanes, rampant flooding) to Bangladesh (becoming a massive refugee state) to the farm regions of Central California (massive drought) as well as the implications for Australia's Great Barrier Reef, Greenland's arctic ice cap and others. Using data models from NASA, the IPCC, MIT, the California Climate Change Center and others, Cullen predicts a seismic shift in global weather patterns, sea life, agriculture and terrain that, while may be off in some meaningful ways (as expected in a 50 year prediction) certainly cover the range of detailed possibilities awaiting our future. Her personal, yet readable account, is of course, speculative in nature, but with all the research and modeling referenced here and elsewhere, it's hard not to believe that somewhere in these patterns lies our own inconvenient truth. ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
Experience the most devastating storms of the last fifty years through the eyes of the scientific visionaries who took them on and tamed them.

For decades, the author, a pioneering meteorologist, has dedicated himself to saving lives by combining science, experience, and instinct. The struggle to understand nature's fury provides fascinating insights into the natural forces that shape our world, and the turbulent politics that influence our scientific establishment.

Tracing the Herculean effort to improve weather forecasting and advanced warning systems, the author draws fascinating biographical sketches of the scientists behind the breakthroughs, such as Dr. Theodore Fujita, creator of the Fujita Scale for tornado measurement.

With its gripping story-telling approach to major natural disasters, Warnings is narrative nonfiction at its heart-pounding best.

''I highly recommend this exceptional book.''
--Roger Pielke, Sr., Pielke Climate Science blog

''The weatherman's version of The Right Stuff--Mike Smith's Warnings. I recommend it highly.''
--Tom Fuller, The Examiner

''A fascinating journey inside the world of weather and the mind and heart of the meteorologist. A great read for anyone.''
--Bob Ryan, chief meteorologist, WRC TV (NBC), Washington DC, former president, American Meteorological Society

''This book chronicles the remarkable advances that have occurred in meteorology over the past 50 years--not through dry statistics but through very personal stories. The book discusses the virtual elimination of airline crashes due to wind shear and the thousands of lives saved by hurricane warnings. Its primary focus is on severe storms in the Midwestern U.S., but the issues raised about the evolution of forecasting the weather, and the impact those forecasts have on the people and commerce, are much more universal. The narrative throughout the book is engaging and compelling, and I found it very hard to put down after reading just the first few pages.This book is not just for hard-core weather enthusiasts or those who work in weather-related fields (though they will love it). Anyone who has ever watched a stormy sky on warm afternoon or felt moved by the images on the news following the Greensburg tornado or Hurricane Katrina (both of which are covered in this book) will get pulled into the narrative of this book.''
--Keith Seitter, Executive Director, American Meteorological Society Boston ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Great Read About Saving Lives
Warnings is a great book for anybody interested in weather, storms, emergency management, and especially the human stories behind the news. The Author lets the reader inside both the mind and the heart of a meteorologist, including some very heart-felt recollections. The book is accessible for anyone, from no scientific background to professional meteorologist.

Many of those Kansas City and Wichita stories are personal for me. My mother told stories about the Katherine Carpenter school tornado when she was a teacher there; she watched the tornado hit the school from a remote classroom. I personally remember the events from the 1980s forward. The Greensburg story shows that Plains spirit. It is still a very moving story to this day.

Hurricanes also get plenty of attention in the book; however, you don't have to live in Tornado Alley or Hurricane Alley to appreciate this book. You just have to appreciate saving lives. Warnings is for everybody. It's an awesome ride through time and improving technology to save lives!

"Must read" for University of Oklahoma
A "must read" for: (1) high school students aspiring to study in the School of Meteorology at the University of Oklahoma (2) current and former students of said School (3) professors in said School who make a living solving partial differential equations on their computer (with NSF funding) and sharing their results with academic buddies.A humbling, but inspiring, experience for (3).

A fascinating book, full of suspense, telling it like it is, and a great learning experience
When I first requested this book for review, little did I know I would be reading it and beginning my review amidst forest fires, smoky air, and strong wind gusts! My interest in requesting the book is twofold: I recall Hurricane Frieda ripping through Vancouver, B.C. in 1962, a very rare event for that area; my Dad's cousin was the weatherman who was first to recognize and forecast it, returning to work to do so on TV in Portland, Ore. Weather has always fascinated me, not only because "everybody talks about the weather"!

"Warnings" is very easy to read for the layman. I was shocked to learn how lacking some of the basic things we now take for granted were, such as no tornado warnings as recently as the 1950s, in some areas of the U.S. even more recently. Not a hint! How many lives must have been lost needlessly in past years? Mike Smith has done his research, has lived his research, and knows how to deliver it. The book is historical, accurate, and personal. I was hooked on the Introduction which primes the reader for the main event, or in this case events, to come in this book.

Smith gradually builds from its early beginnings the study and workings of tornadoes in terms anyone can understand. The subject is fascinating as he writes it. By two-thirds through his book I am amazed that the few trips I have taken by plane were successful strictly on the basis of weather! The growth of knowledge, and the way that growth comes about is exciting and tragic at the same time. When the investigations turn to storm-chasing, the reader learns just how important this scientific information-gathering becomes, not just another daredevil stunt among adventure seekers as we might see on TV.

I found the information on Dr. Fujita's methods and discoveries to be well explained and the ignorance of the official weather prognosticators in their cocooned refusal to accept his discoveries almost inevitable, yet unacceptable and disastrous. Even when changes were made, neither pilots nor airport control staff were made aware of impending tornadoes, or "microbursts" (explained in the book) until very recently, a ruling referred to by Mike Smith as "bureaucratic myopia". This is non-fiction, but gave me the shivers in the same way as a thriller fiction would, especially with a very close call that was averted not by a weather warning, but because of a power outage at the airport just prior to a landing, causing the pilot to abort the landing.

Did you ever wonder how the newspapers got their weathermaps so up-to-date? Did you ever wonder how Doppler Radar came into being and how it works? These are questions I'd asked myself through the years and they are covered in this impressive book. This is not a large book, nor do you have to be a meteorologist or savant to read it. Nor does it deal exclusively with tornadoes. It is all written in simple language. There are also a number of photos in the book. While this book deals mostly with the U.S., it is of global significance.

Not surprisingly, the most critical event in the book is Hurricane Katrina. Among other things we learn what could go wrong with the forecasts' timely releases, what did go wrong and why, and how they tried to get the evacuation process going while there was still time. The survivors were literally 'hung out to dry' as buck-passing and meals in high end restaurants took precedent over people. How many more could have survived if it weren't for the bureaucratic mumbo-jumbo and selfishness? The night of August 31, 2005 should be etched in their memories forever as deaths of survivors began to pile up. If bureaucracy hadn't fumbled the ball, the meteorological scientists would have netted it.

This is a fascinating book, full of suspense, telling it like it is, and a great learning experience without realizing just how much of what you read will stay with you. I highly recommend this book, it opened my eyes to the difficulties people 'in the know' deal with not just occasionally, but on-going in their efforts to keep us all as safe as possible. We know that paramedics, firemen, rescue teams all do this as part of the job, but we rarely think of the background to catastrophe. Winds, flash flooding, and the deadliest for a city below sea level: a storm surge. All closely watched. One last tornado is included: Greensburg, a town that disappeared, but has risen again. As an added bonus, this book is interactive. There are symbols scattered throughout which direct readers to a website where they can find videos, related information, and more.

Warnings! A Must Read
As one of the leading experts in meteorology, Mike Smith employs a wealth of knowledge and experience in relaying his personal and professional story in "Warnings - The True Story of How Science Tamed the Weather."

This excellently written nonfiction is filled with superb case studies packed with real stories from victims and storm chasers; weather professionals and storm warning pioneers. Mr. Smith skillfully takes the reader through an entertaining history of the evolution of technology in weather reporting and storm warning. The journey covers some fifty years, eventually coming full circle with a brilliant comparison of two almost identical tornadoes at either end of that given time period.

Outstanding information teaches the reader how meteorologists broke into broadcast media and forced the existing government bureaucracy to recognize the need for a more efficient and proactive public weather service. The story teaches in an interesting and entertaining manner. Understanding the intricacies of weather science isn't imperative--we have folks like Mr. Smith to do that for us. And he does it well.

What the reader can gain from reading "Warnings" is an appreciation for the advances in technology and attitudes which make living in the storm-plagued areas of the USA a lot less risky. Mr. Smith has written a wonderful book which will delight any weather hound or earth science enthusiast while also appealing to anyone who enjoys reading quality nonfiction. "Warnings" should be in every high school and public library in Tornado Alley. In fact, people across the country would be well advised to read this informative and interesting history of meteorological advances to understand how far meteorology has come, and possibly, where it needs to go. And, maybe we wouldn't be so critical of our local weatherman. Mike Smith and "Warnings" gets high praise from this reviewer for style, presentation, content, and for unselfishly sharing his story.

Great Series of Firsthand Stories
Mike Smith does an excellent job of walking the reader through the history (and dramatic progress) of the National Weather Service and meteorological advancements in Warnings: The True Story of How Science Tamed the Weather.Smith incorporates a number of firsthand severe weather accounts dating back to the mid-1950s, which allows the book to read more like a story than a series of weather reports.Based on Smith's meteorological experience and accomplishments (sold his company AccuWeather in 2006), he does a fair amount of self-promotion throughout the book, which, at times, walks a fine line between proud and pompous.All in all, Smith has assembled a very insightful "weather" book that makes an especially interesting read for anyone who is involved in a weather-related field. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

Great Book, Especially for UK Pilots
This is a great book that explains weather as it relates to flying. Unfortunately, the author has written primarily for a UK audience and there are differences in some procedures (such as altimeter use) and terminology. That makes it less than perfect for US pilots like me! But it's still a great book and worth adding to any pilot's personal library. ... Read more

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Why did T-Rex become extinct? Why did the Mayan civilization disappear: If the ancient Israelis did indeed cross the Red Sea, as reported in the Bible, what weather phenomena might have produced the parting of the waters? Why was nearly all human life swept away 73,000 years ago? And what factors created the Great American Dust bowl of the 1930s? The extraordinary people who are interested in asking - and answering - such questions are known as climatologists. In a lively narrative full of intriguing facts, award-winning, internationally known climatologist Randy Cerveny takes the reader on a fascinating tour of some of the world's most perplexing and provocative climate mysteries, past and present. Cerveny explains the science of climate study - from digging ice cores in Antarctica to counting tree rings in Arizona - and the various specialists whose ingenious techniques help to sort out climate's intricate components. He also delves into the human impact of weather through fictional introductions to each chapter that depict how climate change might have affected a typical inhabitant of the ancient Sahara or Indus Valley, a peasant during Europe's 'Little Ice Age', or an aviation expert probing a deadly jet crash in New York City. Finally, he discusses research that attempts to forecast the weather of the next 10,000 years - essential information for planning the nuclear waste depository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. For readers of "An Inconvenient Truth", devotees of the Weather Channel, history buffs, popular science fans, or anyone who wonders what makes our weather tick - and how it will impact our future, this engaging book offers much to ponder and to enjoy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

And Now For Something Completely Different...
So many non-fiction books contain a lot of review and repetition of material the interested reader has probably seen before. For example, if you pick up a popular book on Einstein's Theory, you're likely to meet yet again that same hobo running along a train's flat-car with a flashlight, that same man falling in an elevator with a broken cable, and Schroedinger's Cat.

But this book was news to me, cover-to-cover. It takes an unusual interdisciplinary approach, combining meteorology and history. It's a series of essays on how climatic events have affected planetary and human affairs, and to some extent, vice versa.

Cerveny makes connections and highlights aspects of our earth's meteorological timeline that I'd never heard about before. For example, despite my having majored in anthropology, I didn't know that humankind had probably been reduced to just a few thousand survivors in Africa about 75,000 years ago. It was these survivors who made the second migration out of Africa and who eventually populated the globe with the variety of homo sapiens we know today. Cerveny reports many scientists' conjecture that it was a volcanic eruption near Sumatra that filled the sky with ash, chilled the globe, and killed off most of the proto-humans who had constituted the first wave out of Africa.

Cerveny also compellingly describes the chilling consequences of "The Little Ice Age" we experienced from 1500-1850. Over half the population in many regions of the globe died as an either direct or indirect consequence of that period of very hard winters. Cerveny makes it clear that global warming is hardly the first climatic crisis the earth and its inhabitants have faced.

As far as global warming goes though - don't expect Cerveny to lend decisive support to either the worriers or the scoffers. He gives evidence that supports both points of view, depending on whether you are looking at the immediate future, or at our prospects a few hundred years in the future.

Teenagers as well as adults might enjoy this book because it puts a lot of the subjects they'd be studying, including history and geography, into a larger cultural context. It gives an explanatory narrative to many historic movements. There's information about how severe, sustained drought in China probably contributed to the 19ll overthrow of the Imperial Regime. There's a consideration of how long periods of drought in Mexico alternating with a few heavy rainfalls might have led to a dramatic increase in the rodent population, a consequent spread of hemorrhagic fever, and a decline in the Mayan civilization. He paints a grim picture of the record-breaking cold of 1609 that almost destroyed the Jamestown Colony in the U.S.

Knowledge of all these climatic disasters of the past puts any present predictions of unique global catastrophe in perspective.

For those interested in tracking the basis of Biblical reports of weather phenomena - Cerveny doesn't address the topic of the Great Flood. However he does discuss the confluence of circumstances that could literally have caused the parting of the Red Sea.

I would have given this book five stars except for its inclusion of a sprinkling of confusing citations. For example, Cerveny seems to posit a different stretch of time for the most recent regular Ice Age than the timeline that appears in some other books. Then there is the reference to the eruption of Iceland's volcano around 536 AD, leading to terrible drought, starvation, and cannibalism, when the "corn" in Europe didn't ripen under the ash-laden, overcast skies. This is puzzling because what North Americans know as corn wasn't introduced from the New World to Europe until the 1500's. Perhaps the word "corn" was being used in the sense that many Europeans used to use it - as a generic term referring to any cultivated grain. But if that's the case, this should have been explained. There are also tripping points around Cerveny's explanation of El Nino and La Nina, and around his explanation of the mechanics of a microburst.

But these occasional lapses might just spur readers to do a little independent research. As a whole, this would be a good book to add to the library of anyone even remotely interested in history or climatology. You'll learn something new on every page.

A lively narrative packing in facts
Climatologists and their research are presented in a lively narrative packing in facts presented by well-known climatologist author Randy Cerveny, who examines history and climate mysteries around the world. From the science of climate study and how it leads to historical discovery to discussions of forecasting challenges, WEATHER'S GREATEST MYSTERIES SOLVED! is a recommendation for both science and general collections.

History's Mysteries: The Weather Factor
Randy Cerveny, author of Freaks of the Storm: From Flying Cows to Stealing Thunder: The World's Strangest True Weather Stories, has written a very interesting book for those who enjoy their history served up one mystery at a time."Weather's Greatest Mysteries" is arranged chronologically, starting 65 million years ago with the asteroid strike that produced global cooling and global drought, thus ending the reign of the dinosaurs.In between, the author explains how the eruption of the Mt. Toba supervolcano 75,000 or so years ago nearly extiguished the human species; why hippos once lived in what is now the Sahara Desert; what might have parted the waters of the Reed Sea during the Exodus; and what the future may hold for climate change.He also explores how climate affects civilizations--and sometimes affects them less than other factors like disease--from the famous lost city of Petra to the collapse of the Maya.

One point that comes through clearly is that climate change is a young science, and an extraordinarily complex one at that.When a new generation of supercomputers is created, they are often stress tested with climate problems.Interestingly, Cerveny notes that while the planet may experience global warming in the near future, the long-term prediction is for a return to the cycle of ice ages that have been with the earth for the last 40 million years or so.Measured on a scale of thousamds or tens of thousands of years, we'll run out of carbon-producing fuels eventually, the carbon load in the atmosphere will return to something resembling pre-industrial levels, and orbital cycles and other factors will take us back to "normal"--assuming we make it through the intervening bake off, it will be time to break out those winter jackets.

A Scientific Thriller
This book is very difficult to put down. The author, a climatologist, discusses about twenty historical weather/climate mysteries that span the period from the dinosaurs' demise to the present. One must admit that the book's title seems like too tall an order to fill; that's because it is. Some of the mysteries that are presented do appear to be solved; however, others involve phenomena that are better understood now than in earlier times but are still in need of varying amounts of research, and thus,as admitted to by the author, are still unsolved. The writing style is clear, very authoritative, friendly, widely accessible and quite engaging. The various scientific terms that are used are clearly explained by the author, as are the scientific principles involved. Part detective thriller, part archaeological/historical adventure, and all very level-headed in the analyses that it contains, this fascinating book can be enjoyed by anyone who is interested in weather and climate: how they work, how we know what we know about them, how and why climate can change and how weather/climate mysteries can be solved.

Solid book, with minor faults
First, a confession, I am a total weather geek. I love the science, I love the spectacle and I love people who study it and write about it. So it was with great excitement that approached this book.

Second, a suggestion: if you choose to read this book (and, if you are even considering it, you should) skip the fictional embellishments beginning and end of each chapter. They add nothing, and actually might distract from the book.

As for the work itself, this is top notch science writing across a spectrum of topical areas related to weather and climate. The science is strong (maybe too strong) and the book covers much (maybe too much) and there's no doubt the author is a brilliant and learned man in this field.

That said, the book is infused with what can only be described as confusing almost diametrically opposed positions related to man's affect on the climate and weather patterns. On the one hand, he cautions that these are complex systems which we don't fully (and may never) understand our affect upon; on the other, he suggests that climate is always changing and that we should just relax.

For my money, the scope and duration of climate affects created by the modern world - impacting a complex system in new and unanticipated ways - is something we should be quite concerned about. That these systems will change regardless of our influence and efforts (in other words, in a net neutral world) adds nothing to the argument that we should carefully examine and mitigate our role in changing the planet, possibly toward the uninhabitable.

The tension between these two positions makes for an interesting reading experience, but I recommend it fully to weather geeks and anyone who would like a more robust appreciation of the still evolving science of climatology. ... Read more

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Which is the worldÂ's highest mountain peak, and how high is it? Can you name and locate the worldÂ's longest river? The geology, geography, flora, and fauna of our planet Earth are the subjects of this fascinating volume, with answers to these questions and many more. Each title in BarronÂ's Pocket Factbooks seroes focuses on one of the natural or social sciences. It presents fascinating, sometimes little-known facts about its subject, as well as answers to frequently-asked questions. These books make handy reference sources for students, freelance writers, and general readers who are interested in finding out the how, where, when, and whyÂ--the specific facts and details relating to science, technology, natural history, and social history. All titles in this series are filled with attractive color photos and illustrations. ... Read more

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The books in this series make up an introduc tion to the science of weather for all readers aged eleven a nd over. The six volumes in the series are - Tornadoes, Drou ghts, Blizzards, Hurricanes, Floods, and A Chronology of Wea ther. ' ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent
This is an excellent little book and the start of an excellent series. It covers the chronology of major weather events and also how measuring instruments came about. The glossary is extensive and includes more than the usual text, with lots of charts and photos. A quick read with tons of chronological data up to 2003 (second/revised edition). ... Read more

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This 1958 U. S. Government report (two volumes combinedinto one) is illustrated with associated statistical charts, diagramsand photographs from actual weather control experiments, and isindexed.This is the primary evaluation of this controversialprogram, providing a detailed statistical evaluation, highlightingexperiments in cloud seeding techniques, hail suppression, includingresults from weather control tests done over South Dakota, Arizona,Montana and Florida.Also explained are issues regarding the overallevaluation of the program itself, containing objective considerationsof Project Skyfire, Project Overseed, Project Seabreeze and others, aswell as information on seedability studies of various cloud types,measuring techniques, manufacture and use of silver iodine, specialradar evaluation, cloud electrification, and special equipment used.The Summery of the Committee's Findings and Recommendations, suggeststhat while future research in meteorological control should beencouraged, ways to commercially license operators, and safely limitlegal liability still need investigation. ... Read more

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A series of interactive spreads features three-dimensional glasses that can be used to make a cloud scene come to life, a perspective study of Monet's haystacks, an acetate page that demonstrates fog, and a die-cut page of a tornado. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great Supplemental Resource
Scholastic's "Wind and Weather" is an excellent resource for a weather unit. It has many short, fact filled, interesting articles that students enjoy. The innovative design makes it accessible and fun to use for students. Students will have problems if they intend to read the book straight through and write a report on it. It is best used as supplemental reading in a reading center. ... Read more

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He is "The Master"
If you are obsessive or not, you may have noticed over the years that Mike Lynch is incredibly accurate when compared to the TV windbags who don't dare forecast, but only rely on the computers. Mike is a down to earth guy who knows how to read a weather map as well as the sky. He also knows that animals in the wild are indicators of what's coming. I am a weather junkie who got hooked on it when I was in pilot training. Mike reveals the tools of his accurate forecasts in this book in factual and humorous detail. The photography is beautiful.
If you read it, you will laugh and learn, then realize what buffoons there are on TV. ... Read more

Product Description
The Pacific Northwest experiences the most varied and fascinating weather in the United States, including world-record winter snows, the strongest non-tropical storms in the nation, and shifts from desert to rain forest in a matter of miles. Local weather features dominate the meteorological landscape, from the Puget Sound convergence zone and wind surges along the Washington Coast, to gap winds through the Columbia Gorge and the "Banana Belt" of southern Oregon. This book is the first comprehensive and authoritative guide to Northwest weather that is directed to the general reader; helpful to boaters, hikers, and skiers; and valuable to an expert meteorologist.

In The Weather of the Pacific Northwest, University of Washington atmospheric scientist and popular radio commentator Cliff Mass unravels the intricacies of Northwest weather, from the mundane to the mystifying. By examining our legendary floods, snowstorms, and windstorms, and a wide variety of local weather features, Mass answers such interesting questions as:

Why does the Northwest have localized rain shadows?

What is the origin of the hurricane force winds that often buffet the region?

Why does the Northwest have so few thunderstorms?

What is the origin of the Pineapple Express?

Why do ferryboats sometimes seem to float above the water's surface?

Why is it so hard to predict Northwest weather?

Mass brings together eyewitness accounts, historical records, and meteorological science to explain Pacific Northwest weather. He also considers possible local effects due to global warming. The final chapters guide readers in interpreting the Northwest sky and in securing weather information on their own. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

Very useful reference
Book arrived in good time, excellent quality. Most useful book to have around the house as reference and also a most interesting read.

Awesome, specific, interesting
I have become a real fan of Cliff Mass, reading his blog whenever he posts. Finding out he had a book -- well, I ordered it immediately and was not let down. This book is really interesting and fun.You don't have to be a weather geek like me to appreciate it.Lots of great illustrations and explanations and it gets really specific to Washington/Oregon/BC weather.It's a great reference to whatever weather is going on [right now] and answers a lot of your questions.A good read -- I finished it in 2 days, but keep going back to it when the weather is always doing something interesting.I think required reading for any true Northwest resident.

great information
We are considering moving to northwest Washington state. This author presented complete and readable text about the complicated weather in this area.

Great Book
Got this as a present for my father who is a total weather aficionado.He likes that the book is suitable for readers of all levels.The content is interesting and very relevant.

Solid weather book
This is a thorough and well-organized view of Northwest weather in all its glory. The book is organized by phenomena and district. There are many historical discussions and photos of famous weather events. This being principally a textbook, the explanations are clear and easy to grasp, and the diagrams and graphics well-designed.

There is one chapter on global warming which I found a tad bit polemic, but that's most likely my own viewpoint coming through. I bought this book to better understand the changes and conditions through which I fly as a pilot, and it serves well in that regard. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
A humorous and practical guide to the history and science of understanding the weather—plus, how to build your own barometer!

For as long as man has walked upon this earth, he has been forced to survive under the cruel tyranny of weather. Let’s face it: there is no escape. Now, in Man vs. Weather, humorist Dennis DiClaudio offers up the knowledge to beat weather at its own game. Rooting through conventional wisdom, discovered gadgetry, and the advances of science, this book presents the geothermal mechanisms behind weather-related phenomena, the history of humanity’s relationship with the climate, as well as the truth surrounding atmospheric aphorisms. Have no fear: By the time you make your way through this book, you will be able to read, understand, and defend yourself against the elements!

• Is “Red sky at night, sailor’s delight” a helpful saying or just the ramblings of idiotic drunkards who like to rhyme?

• What are these Santa Ana winds that blow out warmly from the desert, and who is this hussy for which they are named?

• What is this Gulf Stream that flows out from Mexico before crossing the Atlantic toward Africa and Europe, and how can a stream cut through the ocean anyway? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Fun series of books
DeClaudio has written several "Guide Books" that are excellent to leave laying around for guests to pick up, turn to any page and get a smile.He has basically taken a subject and then bull dog through the topics that are most apt to make the reader squirm (and laugh out loud).Lots of fun.I'm using the same review of all books in the series.No matter which ones you choose you'll enjoy equally.....bg

An Informal View of Weather
This type of composition may not suit everyone, but I find the very informal presentation, almost smart-alecky in places, humorous and rather refreshing.The author manages to combine hard facts with a youthfully casual candor.I wonder that the editor and publisher let him do it.This is a different way of learning global weather basics and is suitable for both the young and the young at heart.

Excellent conversation starter.
Anyone who knows me personally can tell you that I am a bit of a weather enthusiast. I have been known to sit and watch the weather channel for hours on end. Yes I do realize that that is only acceptable behavior after the age of 80, but what can I say? My name is Holly, and I am a weather addict.

Let me start out by saying that this book is quite funny. It approaches the mundane topic of weather from a really entertaining angle. At the same time it manages to teach about even complex topics in weather. I never cared about the jet stream until I read this book. Now I know exactly how it works and why. I have tried explaining my new found knowledge to others, yet fail miserably, as I cannot serve up the info with such finesse as the author does.

The book is broken up in to chapters, each building upon the last. The first chapter dissects the atmosphere. After reading about the tropopause you will know what you are looking down at every time you get on a plane and look out the window wondering why the clouds seem to be hitting their heads on an invisible ceiling. Feel free to blurt out "Wow! What a great view of the tropopause!" People will wonder if a genius is among them. Then in the end it covers our dysfunctional relationship with weather. Including, but not limited to, the weathers insatiable appetite for human destruction. Smart, funny, well-written and informative, this book is a must. Weather enthusiast or not.

Dennis DiClaudio = funniness
Dennis knows where to put the commas and where to put the words. It also helps that he writes the way god intended us to write -- funny. clear. informative. but most importantly, funny.

I suggest you buy this book. It makes a great gift. ... Read more