Authors of the Storm: Meteorologists and the Culture of Prediction [Hardcover]

Gary Alan Fine (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2007 | ISBN-10: 0226249522 | ISBN-13: 978-0226249520

Whether it is used as an icebreaker in conversation or as the subject of serious inquiry, “the weather” is one of the few subjects that everyone talks about. And though we recognize the faces that bring us the weather on television, how government meteorologists and forecasters go about their jobs is rarely scrutinized. Given recent weather-related disasters, it’s time we find out more. In Authors of the Storm, Gary Alan Fine offers an inside look at how meteorologists and forecasters predict the weather.

Based on field observation and interviews at the Storm Prediction Center in Oklahoma, the National Weather Service in Washington, D.C., and a handful of midwestern outlets, Fine finds a supremely hard-working, insular clique of professionals who often refer to themselves as a “band of brothers.” In Fine’s skilled hands, we learn their lingo, how they “read” weather conditions, how forecasts are written, and, of course, how those messages are conveyed to the public. Weather forecasts, he shows, are often shaped as much by social and cultural factors inside local offices as they are by approaching cumulus clouds. By opening up this unique world to us, Authors of the Storm offers a valuable and fascinating glimpse of a crucial profession.

(20070215)

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Weather has always been the source of small talk, but today the climate is a matter of life and death. It’s long past time to examine both the social significance of weather and the way meteorologists explain it in their daily reports, and in Authors of the Storm, Gary Alan Fine makes an important contribution to this urgent project. His rich ethnography takes us inside the mysterious world of forecasters at the National Weather Service, thoughtfully exploring the challenge of proffering expert knowledge on fundamentally uncertain future events. Fine’s book will not only change the way you think about weather reports, but the way you understand public science, too.”—Eric Klinenberg, author of Heat Wave

(Eric Klinenberg 20070215)

“This is a major contribution to understanding the role of organizations in the production of scientific knowledge. A superior social analyst, Fine skillfully exposes the craft, technology, culture, risk, and ambiguity in the workplace as meteorologists convert scientific uncertainty into certainty. A fascinating read for scholars and everyone who has ever complained about the weather. His best book yet.”—Diane Vaughan, Columbia University, author of The Challenger Launch Decision

(Diane Vaughan 20060920)

“When discussing weather forecasts and forecasters, we think of highs, lows, numerical models, and isobars. Gary Fine’s study explores the cultural, organizational, and social factors that influence how forecasters think about themselves and their work and ultimately impact the forecasts they prepare. An insightful look at the human side of the forecast preparation process.”—Brigadier General (Ret.) John J. Kelly Jr., former Assistant Administrator, Weather Services NOAA and Director, NWS

(Jack Kelly )

“Authors of the Storm represents the work of a craftsman at the peak of his powers. Gary Alan Fine’s book conveys in often amazing detail the work life of weather forecasters, laying out the patterns of their days and nights, the range of dilemmas they face, and the underlying organizational and political structures and tensions that shape their forecasts. This is a completely original book.”--Daniel Chambliss, Hamilton College
 

(Daniel Chambliss )

"In this fascinating and timely book, Fine introduces the reader to the intriguing world of weather prediction. . . . Fine engages his reader by skillfully describing the human side of weather forecasters who must contend with having to produce timely, accurate forecasts under the stress of meeting a complexity of organizational demands. . . . A highly recommended book for both scholars and everyone who has an interest in the weather."—Choice

(Choice )

"This is a study of work and the deprofessionalization of work among people who happen to be scientists. As such, it has real strengths and is worth an examination. . . . [I] can recommend it as a good read."—Mott Greene, Isis

(Mott Greene Isis )

"Anyone interested in the organizational life of the NWS or curious about how local offices operate will find plenty of material and insight in Authors of the Storm. The book could serve as a useful adjunct text for courses that deal with meterology as a profession and it certainly deserves a place in the libraries of universities with meteorology programs. For those studying the sociology of science . . . Authors of the Storm provides a unique and rewarding look at a group of public servants that are too often taken for granted."—Robert Henson, Bulletin of the AMS

(Robert Henson Bulletin of the AMS )

About the Author

Gary Alan Fine is professor of sociology at Northwestern University and the author of numerous books, including Everyday Genius: Self-Taught Art and the Culture of Authenticity; With the Boys: Little League Baseball and Preadolescent Culture; and Shared Fantasy: Role-Playing Games as Social Worlds, all published by the University of Chicago Press.

 

Product Details

• Hardcover: 280 pages
• Publisher: University Of Chicago Press (June 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0226249522
• ISBN-13: 978-0226249520
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #896,549 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent account of the work day world of NWS meteorologists, December 18, 2009

By 

Dave (USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Authors of the Storm: Meteorologists and the Culture of Prediction (Hardcover)

As a NWS meteorologist with over 20 years on the job, I was fascinated to read Mr. Fine's account of the job we do at the NWS. Mr Fine has captured the essence and nuances of the job, and the struggles, both meteorological and social that we face when issuing a forecast. He obviously had free access to the offices and was able to ingratiate himself with the forecasters, because he got candid and honest observations from the staff. His analysis of the internal and external pressure placed on the offices to produce a good product (if not accurate) was spot on. If you are outside of the NWS, and wish to look in, this book is for you. If you are in the NWS and want an accurate, unblinking review of your colleagues, you have it here. Well done Mr. Fine; an excellent book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible Read, October 27, 2009

By 

Tiomurph (Texas) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Authors of the Storm: Meteorologists and the Culture of Prediction (Hardcover)

I consider myself to be at the very least a weather enthusiast (and at the very most: a closet meteorologist). This book is excellent at explaining the finner details of NOAA and the events that occur in order for the public to receive accurate predictions. I would recommend this book to anyone who has a curiosity about the weather or about the events that transpire in the NOAA offices to make an accurate forecast. The reader can without a doubt tell that Fine spent many months investigating various NOAA offices, and it shows in his work. Since this book was more directed toward a sociology crowd, there are a few words that might have little meaning to everyday reader, yet I would still recommend this book for its honest narrative of one of the best run bureaucracies (as reported by Fine on several occasions) in the American government system.