Product Description
This digital document is an article from Dictionary of American History, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 1619 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.Focuses on cultures and countries around the world, specifically what is and is not shared culturally by the people who live in a particular country. Entries contain descriptive summaries of the country in question, including demographic, historical, cultural, economic, religious, and political information. ... Read more

Product Description
The essential information you need--onboard and at your fingertips

On the water, when questions arise, there's no time to search through an exhaustive manual. The Captain's Quick Guides provide all the answers--fast. Based on the world's largest boating library, this laminated Quick Guide presents 14 color panels of authoritative, concise information on on-board weather forecasting, designed for quick reference. ... Read more

Product Description
The topic of predictability in weather and climate has advanced significantly in recent years, both in understanding the phenomena that affect weather and climate and in techniques used to model and forecast them. This book brings together some of the world's leading experts on predicting weather and climate. It addresses predictability from the theoretical to the practical, on timescales from days to decades. Topics such as the predictability of weather phenomena, coupled ocean-atmosphere systems and anthropogenic climate change are among those included. Ensemble systems for forecasting predictability are discussed extensively. Ed Lorenz, father of chaos theory, makes a contribution to theoretical analysis with a previously unpublished paper.This well-balanced volume will be a valuable resource for many years. High-calibre chapter authors and extensive subject coverage make it valuable to people with an interest in weather and climate forecasting and environmental science, from graduate students to researchers. ... Read more

Product Description
A guide to procedures and techniques for receiving weatherfax charts and satellite images. It explains how to interpret the information from these charts and images into meaningful weather forecasts. The author seeks to unravel the mysteries of the synoptic chart and the information it contains, and shows how to interpret early warning signs of storm development from satellite pictures. There are case studies on the 1991 Perfect Storm" and the 1998 Sydney to Hobart Race. This second edition is updated with more information on the Internet as a source of weather advice." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Really great book, part of the whole picture
I bought this book in preparation for an advanced mariner's meteorology course, and could not have made this comment without having first gained that higher level of knowledge.

This is a suberb book.It provides superb information about the weather fax, including an excellent and easily portable manual for the various symbols.It has two areas for improvement:

1)It sticks to the two-dimensional depiction of weather that is common to the average person.Although there are a couple of illustrations showing altitude, the author could easily have put in a few pages on the rotation of the earth, the 500 mb level, and how weather on the surface cannot be understood without underestanding what is happening at the 18,000 level.As my instructor put it, the high-level troughs are the chicken that hatches the surface level (scrambled) egg.

2)It does not make the connection, at least that I could see, between the vital importance of making your own observations at 00 and 12 Zulu, so that when you finally receive the weather fax six or seven hours later, you can compare reality with what was provided.This also applies to forecasts--you can keep them, compare your own observations as the time passes, and get a sense of the difference.

Add the above, and read "Mariner's Guide to the 500-Millibar Chart" by Joe Stenkiewicz and Lee Chesneau, and Google for to find his web site, and you'll have all you need to move to the better three-dimensional interactive viewing of weather and weather charts.

I also recommend The Weather Wizard's Cloud Book: A Unique Way to Predict the Weather Accurately and Easily by Reading the Clouds ... Read more

Product Description

Significant, and usually unwelcome, surprises, such as floods, financial crisis, epileptic seizures, or material rupture, are the topics of Extreme Events in Nature and Society. The book, authored by foremost experts in these fields, reveals unifying and distinguishing features of extreme events, including problems of understanding and modelling their origin, spatial and temporal extension, and potential impact. The chapters converge towards the difficult problem of anticipation: forecasting the event and proposing measures to moderate or prevent it. Extreme Events in Nature and Society will interest not only specialists, but also the general reader eager to learn how the multifaceted field of extreme events can be viewed as a coherent whole.

Product Description
The purpose of this report is to take a retrospective look at The Tropical Oceans and Global Atmosphere (TOGA) program from a U.S. perspective, to examine its elements and organization and to list its accomplishments and shortcomings. Paper. ... Read more

Product Description

This volume covers a wide range of topics and summarizes our present knowledge in ocean modeling, ocean observing systems, and data assimilation. The Global Ocean Data Assimilation Experiment (GODAE) provides a framework for these efforts: a global system of observations, communications, modeling, and assimilation that will deliver regular, comprehensive information on the state of the oceans, engendering wide utility and availability for maximum benefit to the community.

Product Description
Instant Weather Forecastinghas been a perennial bestseller since it was first published over 40years ago. A brilliant concept, its winning formula of 24 colourphotographs of cloud formations and their accompanying explanatory textenables the reader to read the sky, pick up the clues, and predict whatthe weather will do.With a revised and updated text, along withnew colour photographs and diagrams, this bestselling gem of a bookwill be invaluable to anyone participating in outdoor activities, fromfarming, gardening and walking to riding, golfing, flying, sailing andfishing - and of course holidaymakers.'Excellent value and a good cockpit companion' Classic Boat 'A surefire bestseller' The Yachtsman 'Another gem that's a dog-eared favourite' Coastal Cruising 'A handy and information-packed little volume' Birdwatch ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

"The man at the wheel was taught to feel contempt for the wildest blow..."
INSTANT WEATHER FORECASTING by Alan Watts (NOT the philosopher Alan Wilson Watts, by the way) is a handy and important quick reference guide that's simple to use. Simply match the sky you see with one of the photos in this book and you have a dead reckoning weather prediction for the next six to twelve hours.

It may not be a weatherfax, but for those of us who sail and depend on our informed instincts INSTANT WEATHER FORECASTING can be a lifesaver---especially in having a sense for local conditions.

can you forcast with this book?
This is a short, pamphlet book with 20-30 full page pictures of clouds, accompanied by technical information that would supposedly allow you to look at the sky and predict the weather.I don't think so.The weather wizards book discussed the progression of cloud formations and is a much better book for this purpose.I found this book to be at one too technical and too simple.Had the author placed the photographs in the order one typically observes the change from high to low to high, or warm cold warm, and discussed what is happening within these systems and how the clouds reflect that, this could have been much better.

A very brief outline... that is really useful at sea!
This book rates 5 stars IF you use it for its intended pupose only.

Very fast. No mounds of text to crawl through.Find the photo and sky that most closely matches what you are seeing, factor in a couple of additional points, and your predictions for the next several hours, or a bit more than that, are likely to be as reliable as any other source you may have.
This little book should be an essential resource at sea.

Downside?More than half a day or so, and accuracy of your prediction will decrease. While this is always true in looking at weather forecasting tools, be certain to keep this in mind when using this very nice quick resource.

Highly recommended.

should be on every sailor's shelf
great pocket guide to forecasting the weather in the near-term future. (ie, 2-4 hours in advance) this would be an excellent companion for any outdoor enthusiast. ... Read more

Product Description

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

Let's assume we do nothing about climate change. Imagine that we just continue to emit carbon at our current levels or even exceed those levels. How would our weather change? What would our forecast be? Welcome to The Weather of the Future.

In this groundbreaking work, Dr. Heidi Cullen, one of the world's foremost climatologists and environmental journalists, puts a vivid face on climate change, offering a new way of seeing this phenomenon not just as an event set to happen in the distant future but as something happening right now in our own backyards. Arguing that we must connect the weather of today with the climate change of tomorrow, Cullen combines the latest research from scientists on the ground with state-of-the-art climate-model projections to create climate-change scenarios for seven of the most at-risk locations around the world.

From the Central Valley of California, where coming droughts will jeopardize the entire state's water supply, to Greenland, where warmer temperatures will give access to mineral wealth buried beneath ice sheets for millennia, Cullen illustrates how, if left unabated, climate change will transform every corner of the world by midcentury. What emerges is a mosaic of changing weather patterns that collectively spell out the range of risks posed by global warming—whether it's New York City, whose infrastructure is extremely vulnerable to even a relatively weak category 3 hurricane, or Bangladesh, a country so low-lying that millions of people could become climate refugees due to rising sea levels.

Provocative and convincing, The Weather of the Future makes climate change local, showing how no two regions of the country or the world will be affected in quite the same way, and demonstrating that melting ice is just the beginning.

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
Weather Predicting Simplified is the first book that shows the reader, with many sample satellite photos and weather maps, how to predict the weather easily and accurately - without having to wait for hours for NOAA updates. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Perfectly done and thank you!
This book is in perfect condition and I'm happy to have it.It was recommended to me by and experienced Weather Course teacher.

Fine book but you need more to understand weather systems
This is a well-written book but the reader needs a basic weather textbook or general weather book to get the most of Capt. Carr's book.

Great Book, NOT a Substitute for the Five Day Course

This is one of four weather books I recommend, the other three are hot-linked below.It is a truly great book with both white space and color images, easy to read font, and a sensible easy to understand roadmap for integrating satellite imagery, upper air (500 milibar) and surface forecasts and sea state charts.

After I finished the five day course in Advanced Meterology, I created a short guide for myself that I could share with others, and this book was very helpful as a reference to complement the binder that I received with the course.

See also my list of books in my sailing library.

Mariner's Weather
Understanding Weatherfax
The Weather Wizard's Cloud Book: A Unique Way to Predict the Weather Accurately and Easily by Reading the Clouds

Ambiguous explainations
I learn pretty well from books and have taught myself some rather complex things that way.As a sailor and technical person, with some understanding of weather prediction and understanding weather charts going in, I still found the information difficult to assimilate.The author frequently uses terms without defining them, and his descriptions are often ambiguous, making understanding the material frustrating.I am reading it for the second time, and still find this to be the case.For example, he will make reference to something "below the [upper level] trough", and you need to somehow figure out whether he means closer to the equator, since the plane of the waves is north-south; or closer to the earth.The material is very useful, but he needed a better editor or proof-reader

Disappointed
As a scientist, physician, and sailor, I consider myself fairly good at assimilating technical material, but I had trouble with this book.The author (like the NOAA meterologists who write those impenetrable forecast discussions) does not seem content to stick with one set of terms.A better editor would have helped him do so.One of the main thrusts of the text is the relationship between upper atmosphere phenomena (troughs and ridges) and surface conditions.After reading the book, I still don't have a satisfying grasp of how this relationship works, mainly, I think, because the phenomena are defined in descriptive rather than mechanistic terms.I am going to read it again, but will be looking for something better. ... Read more

Product Description
A handy reference to the awesome forces of nature we witness every day.

For anyone who is dazzled by dramatic displays of wind, thunder, and lightning, Weather For Dummies is an indispensable guide to the basic science behind these daily phenomena. From frontal systems to jet streams, this book gives you the tools you need to understand the climate around you. It includes:

• Explanations fo the hottest weather topics including El NiÒo, global warming, and more
• A color insert filled with weather maps and photos of weather phenomena
• Resources such as Web sites, weather organizations, and publications
• Fascinating information on clouds--from the wispy cirrus to the bubbling mammatus
• Fun weather experiments anyone can do

Customer Reviews (10)

I haven't found anything in the index...
My husband and I started watching the Teaching Company's course on Meteorology and I had planned to use this book as a reference for extra reading.
This book's explanation for black ice was one sentence, couldn't find psychrometer, vapor capacity or vapor supply, etc. Maybe this book needs to be updated but I haven't found it helpful OR interesting in the layout.I usually like the Complete Idiot's Guide books better but ordered this one because of the five stars. It doesn't deserve a high rating. There HAS to be a better beginning weather book out there but it isn't this one.

Great for Beginners
If you know very little about the whys & wherefores of weather then this is the book for you.It is a light read and gives you all you need to know.You won't be able to work as a professional weatherman, but you will get a good grasp of the intricate science of meteorology.I recommend the book and the price is right.

Easy to Understand and a Great Book!
If you would like a general understanding of the weather this is the book! It's an easy read and full of information. The good thing is that you won't need a scientific dictionary to get through this book. Highly recommended.

Great Entertaining Reference Book...
Weather has been a interest and hobby of mine since the days that I prayed for a blizzard to close all the local schools, and I could enjoy a rare leisurely breakfast while watching the Lone Ranger.Living in New England there isn't much that we avoid year 'round when it comes to just about all that can be experienced weather wise.Heat, cold, snow, rain, drought, wind, hurricanes, and even absolutely perfect weather on occasion.Weather books are pretty easy to come about online here.I own perhaps a dozen or more of them altogether.Along with a couple of weather stations and several weather radios.I guess you could say that when I talk about the weather, I am not just desperate for conversation...

The problem with most weather books is that they have a tendency to assume you already know too much. Believe me I know for I understand weather rather well and own a good many books on the subject as stated before. Being educated as to weather and its terminology and technical aspects is something that is both most entertaining and interesting, especially when you are reading a book that begins by assuming you barely understand and know what weather is. A good book that expresses it all in a plain easy to understand style brings a whole new understanding to terms like a front, back door high, Yankee clipper, and the sentimental favorite, the good old Nor'easter.The Dummy series of books has always been a favorite of mine.I own several of them.Everything from weather here to bird feeding.I not only enjoy the sheer volume of knowledge that is always included in their pages, but I very much enjoy the old time folksy way that the information is delivered.The Dummy book on weather is definitely no exception.It begins with a chapter that is comparable to weather 101, and it's laid back easy style makes it fun and enjoyable, while at the same time being very informative from the opening chapters.Like all dummy books I have owned, there is also a generous helping of humor thrown in every chapter as well.It's my opinion you will find this weather book comfortable in your home as either a book that is occasionally picked up and thumbed through, or something you can't find it permissible to put down and end up reading from cover to cover.In any event, you will not onlyfind yourself gathering a very respectable knowledge base along the way as to weather and its terminologies, but well understanding all those facts and figures we have heard on TV weather forecasts since childhood, but really don't understand much at all.It is well worth the price that Amazon is asking for it here, and even a bargain as dummy books go.Especially if bundled into a free shipping package.

If you have any interest in weather at all, I would suggest you pick up this dummy book as your premier reference book on the subject.Even if you are someone that has had an interest in the weather for some time and own a couple of other books, I would still suggest picking up this one.It's one of the best and most entertaining books on weather that I own, and who knows, after reading it, you just may find yourself knowing beforehand whether you will have the kids home the next day when the clueless weatherman is forecasting a classic wait and see attitude about that massive storm front approaching...I highly recommend weather for dummies.Pick up and enjoy...... :D

A good description of meteorology for the layman
I waited a long time to buy this book until I could get a bargain copy through amazon.com and I was not disappointed!Dr. Cox explains the science of weather so well that anyone with even a smattering of education can understand it.He also brought us up to date on the latest
"toys" used by the weathermen and weathercasters to inform us all of something that we all talk about but few of us understand. ... Read more

Product Description
How will global warming affect developing countries, which rely heavily on agriculture as a source of economic growth? William Cline asserts that developing countries have more at risk than industrial countries as global warming worsens. Using general circulation and agricultural impact models, Cline boldly examines 2070-99 to forecast the effects of global warming and its economic impact. This detailed study:outlines existing studies on the agricultural impact of climate change; estimates projected changes in temperature, precipitation, and agricultural capacity; and concludes with policy recommendations. Cline finds that agricultural production in developing countries may fall between 10 and 25 percent, and if global warming progresses unabated, India s agricultural capacity could fall as much as 40 percent. Thus, policymakers should address this phenomenon now before the world s developing countries are adversely and irreversibly affected. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The human impact of global warming
Too often global warming is discussed in abstract terms.This book gets down to business.If the crop damage predicted here takes place, we are going to be talking about hundreds of millions of people dead.It's that basic.Be aware that most of the predictions here are on the optimistic side of estimates.Check this book out.You might also want to read Plan B 3.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization, Third Edition which discusses global warming and agriculture.I also have a Listmania list on agriculture.
... Read more