First Course in Atmospheric Radiation [Rental Textbook] [Paperback]

Grant W Petty (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 446 pages
• Publisher: Sundog Publishing (2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0972903305
• ISBN-13: 978-0972903301
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #305,089 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I'm a professor of atmospheric science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and I became both an author and a publisher when I decided that the courses I teach needed textbooks more accessible to students seeing the material for the first time. Part of my interest in self-publishing is that it allows me to keep my textbooks affordable for students. Where else these days can you find an upper division science textbook for only $36? For that and other reasons, I hope to persuade more of my academic colleagues to consider non-traditional publishing of their own textbooks. In fact, I'm working on a new book to make that easier for those new to the process. It's called "Self-Publishing for Academic Authors: A Step By Step Guide." And now that I've announced that here, in public, for the first time, I'd better go finish it.

In addition to my teaching and research, I play lead guitar in a working rock band called the Sundogs. I'm also a private pilot, a scuba diver, an amateur photographer, and a former shipboard weather observer in the U.S. Navy. All of these activities and experiences (with the likely exception of the rock band) have shaped both my understanding of the atmosphere and helped me to bring a practical perspective to some of the subjects I write about.

By the way, the University of Wisconsin-Madison is a great university in a great city, with great undergraduate and graduate programs in Atmospheric Science. You should consider our program for your B.S. or higher degree. Visit www.aos.wisc.edu for more info, and write me if you have questions.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book!, February 10, 2005

By 

Mark S. Kulie - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: First Course in Atmospheric Radiation [Rental Textbook] (Paperback)

An excellent introductory book on atmospheric radiation that fills a previously huge void in the books available on this topic. Written in a style that differs from any textbook I've ever experienced. The book covers a wide spectrum of issues related to atmospheric radiation, but doesn't overwhelm the reader in the process. Practical examples and applications of the theories and ideas presented abound. A very refreshing...dare I say enjoyable...scientific book.

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect book for an introductory level, January 13, 2005

By 

jeepsterboy - See all my reviews

This review is from: First Course in Atmospheric Radiation [Rental Textbook] (Paperback)

This book was used in my graduate atmospheric radiation class. It was far supperior to the book used in my undergrad class (wallace and hobbs introduction to atmospheric sciences) not that W&H was a bad book but this book is much more focused since it is not as broad as W&H book.

Good aspects of this book is that it starts with a good fundemental background before it delves into the real meat of the course (being radiative calculations for both long wave and short wave theory). The book is very easy to read for someone with introductory knowledge of radiative theory and is not much tougher without this introductory knowledge. The figures are clear and concise and the topics are well organized.

Downfall of this book is the excersices presented to reinforce topics. Most of the excercises are just plug and chug or are descriptive problems that really only require one to read the previous section. more problems and problems that require more thinking would be benificial but the author already aknowledges that this was a week point of the book.

Over all the book was written very well and was easy to understand. It is a great tool for anyone interested in atmospheric radiation, either on an introductory level or as a complement to ones library. Given the other books available for a course on radiation this one ranks near or on the top.

And as a University of Oklahoma Meteorology alumni, I must say, Boomer Sooner.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Masterful Exposition, November 12, 2008

By 

Al Gorp "Inventor Of Raisins And Peanuts" (Rogue River, OR United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A First Course in Atmospheric Radiation (2nd Ed.) (Paperback)

This is among the best scientific textbooks I have read. I wish I could give it six stars. There are interesting points scattered throughout the book, I even got a couple of new perspectives from an early chapter on electromagnetism. The section on radiative heating and cooling due to trace gases (Chapter 10) particularly grabbed me, because of its implications for Global Warming (excuse me, Climate Change). I liked the book so much I even read the Appendix, and sure enough, there was an interesting discussion of the rigorously correct but counterintuitive and computationally troublesome Extinction Paradox. A thouroughly excellent book.