Ken Libbrecht's Field Guide to Snowflakes [Hardcover]

Kenneth Libbrecht (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2006 | Age Range: 9 and up

Snowflakes are temporary works of art, tiny crystalline masterpieces, each as different from the next as one person is from another. If you would like to look closer at these marvelous creations - and understand their patterns - this handy, pocket-sized book will serve as your introduction to the art and science of the snowflake.

As entertaining as it is informative, this comprehensive field guide describes the many different types of snowflakes, where and how to find them, and what can be learned from their intricate structures and patterns. Also included are handy tips for intrepid snowflake hunters, including what type of snowflakes to expect during certain weather conditions, opportune ways for capturing them (the author prefers the brightly-lit tops of parking garages at night, for example).

Illustrated with Libbrecht's own remarkable microphotographs of real snowflakes, the book is itself a work of art, as delightful to look at as it is to learn from, and as full of wonder as it is rich with answers. An excellent guide for snowflake lovers, classrooms, family fun, as well as the serious or amateur scientist. 

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Part history, part physics lesson, part sumptuous photo gallery, and overall field guide to the beauty so often lost afloat and under boot."

The New York Times, in their review of Snowflake: Winter's Secret Beauty

The Daily Yomiuri (Tokyo), Dec. 9, 2006

“It’s a fun little book that shows nature’s art in great detail.”

 

Chicago Sun Times, Dec. 6, 2006

“Libbrecht is one of the foremost experts on snow. His recently published Field Guide to Snowflakes (Voyageur Press) is his fourth book on the subject, and his work is included in a new exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.”

 

 

NJ Family Life, January 2007

“This captivating introduction to the science behind snowflakes is highlighted by the author’s own snowflake microphotographs.”

The International Journal of Meteorology, March 2007

“This book really tells the reader almost all he could possibly want to know about the humble snowflake, and certainly made your reviewer ache for an ‘old-fashioned winter’ so that he could use this valuable book in the field.”
                    

Hamptons.com, Nov. 20, 2007

“A handy, pocket-sized book that offers tips for intrepid snowflake hunters, including what type of snowflakes to expect during certain weather conditions, and opportune ways

for capturing them.  You can find and buy the book from the publisher or at any major bookstore.”

 

 

From the Back Cover

The next time the forecast calls for snow, you can be prepared with this fun, informative pocket-sized guide to the amazing world of snowflakes.

 

This guide will not only explain the science behind these one-of-a-kind natural masterpieces, but showcases their delicate beauty through amazing microphotography of real snow crystals. You’ll also learn about the most common types of snowflakes, their structures and patterns, when the most beautiful crystals are likely to fall, and how you can best observe and even photograph them.

 

 

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 112 pages
• Publisher: Voyageur Press; 1st edition (October 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0760326452
• ISBN-13: 978-0760326459
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.5 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #513,808 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Kenneth Libbrecht knows perhaps more than anyone should about the science of snowflakes. He had his first exposure to the subject during many cold winters growing up on a farm outside of Fargo, North Dakota. He eventually made his way out of the snow and into the sun of Southern California, becoming a professor of physics at Caltech.

In the mid 1990's, Libbrecht's interest in the molecular dynamics of crystal growth led him back to his roots and into to a detailed study of how ice crystals grow from water vapor, which is essentially the physics of snowflakes. This ongoing endeavor seeks to better understand how crystals grow and how complex patterns emerge in the process. Libbrecht also furthered the art of snow crystal photography and has taken over 10,000 pictures of all different types of snowflakes. His books display many beautiful photographs and describe how these diminutive ice sculptures manage to appear, quite literally, out of thin air. In 2006, the U.S. Post Office created a set of commemorative first-class postage stamps featuring Libbrecht's snowflake photographs.

More news and views about snowflakes can be found at Libbrecht's web site -- www.SnowCrystals.com.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 49 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Reason to Weather the Storm: Observe & Appreciate Nature's Icy Masterpieces. November 3, 2006

By mirasreviews HALL OF FAMETOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

Caltech physics professor Kenneth Libbrecht burst into the public's awareness when he wrote the text to the stunning 2003 book "The Snowflake: Winter's Secret Beauty", with photographs by Patricia Rasmussen. Even laypeople now associate his name with pioneering research in the science of snow as well as great snowflake photography. In this "Field Guide to Snowflakes", Libbrecht offers a practical guide to snowflake-watching whose intent is to entice the reader outdoors, magnifier in hand, to observe the exquisite and endlessly fascinating "Lilliputian world of snowflakes". He tells us just how to do that, how to decipher a snow crystal's history, and provides a method of classification that will help snowflake-watchers understand what they see.

In the first part of the guide, "Understanding Snowflakes", we learn how snowflakes are created by selectively augmenting ice crystals as they tumble through the clouds. Libbrecht explains the conditions that produce some of snowflakes' characteristics, such as symmetry, crystal faceting, branching, ridges, rims, ribs, and sublimation. And he introduces us to 35 snowflake classifications that he will explain in detail in Part 2. These are fewer than the traditional snow crystal classification system. Libbrecht has chosen to organize snow crystals according to their growth mechanisms for the purpose of this book. This seems to be a practical approach that allows the lay person insight into both the forms of snowflakes and their causes without burdening us with too many abstruse classifications.

Part 2 is the heart of the "Field Guide". Libbrecht's classifications are addressed in detail, with examples and explanations of what conditions produce them and why. Libbrecht's prose is always clear and fluid. His enthusiasm for the beauty and mysteries of snow crystals is evident on every page, so the text is never dry. Forty-four full-page "Case Studies" are placed throughout the book, each with a large photograph and a lively analysis of that snow crystal, so we can see exactly what we should be looking for. The explanations of classifications are also found in Chapter 7 of "The Snowflake: Winter's Secret Beauty", though here they are presented in a form that more easily lends itself to field use. The case studies are new to this book and are worth the price.

The final section of "Ken Libbrecht's Field Guide to Snowflakes" offers advice on how to observe the miniature marvels that looked so fascinating on the preceding pages. Libbrecht presents a choice of magnifiers that will do the job and describes the components of his set-up for photographing snowflakes, including advice on lighting and how to find good specimens. You may want more info if you plan to try your hand at microphotography, but this will give you an idea of what you need and how much it is likely to cost. For more details, see Libbrecht's web site www.snowcrystals(dot)com. The "Field Guide" is a hardcover book 5 ˝ x 8 1/4 x ˝ inches. It doesn't have a dust jacket; the cover art is printed onto the cover, which is attractive and seems pretty durable. I don't know if you would want to take this book out in a snowstorm, but it is a convenient size for reference.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing! January 5, 2007

By Barbara Wilson

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I got this book for my husband for Christmas and he loves it. Not only does it have the most amazing photographs of actual snowflakes, but it gives more information than you ever thought to ask about snowflakes. My husband enjoys reading all kinds of field guides, whether it's about birds, trees, etc and this was one of his favorites.

If you are looking for something a little less informational, check out Ken Libbrecht's Little Book of Snowflakes. I gave that one out to teachers and friends and was enjoyed by all. It is more of a small coffeetable book with lots of amazing photographs.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Makes cold weather fun, or at last fascinating March 11, 2007

By Stephen P. Lloyd

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I first saw Libbrecht's work in a recent issue of The American Scientist, and was delighted when my wife gifted me with this charming little book. In language that engages without condescending, Libbrecht explains the formation, symmetry, and growth of these miniature crystalline gems. I had just finished reading the book when we had an early-March snowfall. Armed with my modest digital camera and its macro settings, I was able to not only photograph individual snowflakes, but actually see for myself the changes in snowflake morphology as the termperature and humidity varied during the snowstorm. Later, after proudly sharing my photos with friends, they asked to see the book and were as captivated as I. Even if you don't care to understand the physics of snow, it's likely you'll never look at snow the same way. And it was stimulating to see that "snowflakes" are often capped columns or needles. I can't wait until the next snowfall!