The myths, history, wives-tales, oddities, and wonders of a subject that comes up every day: the weather.
Weather enthusiasts (or just the weather-curious) will discover surprising facts, myths, and oddities in this fascinating book of useful (and sometimes useless) information. With his expertise as a meteorologist and editor, Paul Yeager takes readers on a journey through the curious world of weather, revealing myths and misconceptions, sharing weird phenomena, and explaining how weather has affected history. Readers will discover a host of fascinating weather facts, including:
?Which city is actually the windiest
?How the temperature affects tire pressure
?Why humidity makes hair go limp or frizzy
?Why a coming storm causes sore joints
?Why watering a garden after it rains is a good idea
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"If you're an armchair weather expert, a weather junkie or simply enjoy the intricacies of the world's most turned-to conversation topic, look no further than Weather Whys: Fact, Myths, and Oddities by meteorologist and editor Paul Yeager. In this slender volume, Yeager sets out to give readers a basic appreciation for storms, winds, freezing rain, puffy clouds and the like, by first giving readers a breakdown of just what these things are. Hail, for instance, happens when supercooled water freezes on dust particles that are then pushed back into clouds via updraft, over and over again, accumulating more water, and more size, until they finally crash onto our heads and cars.
Like a science teacher who clearly enjoys his subject and has a knack for explaining it, Yeager's easy-to-digest writing comes with a lot of requisite enthusiasm. Lightning doesn't get enough respect, he writes-and did you know that the "temperature of a lightning bolt is estimated to be as much as 54,000oF (five times the temperature of the sun)"? The book is packed with fascinating facts like these. Yeager reveals that "it's always cooler after a thunderstorm"; that seeking shelter under a highway overpass during a tornado is a really bad idea (the speed of the wind will increase); that "snow-eating wind" allows snow to vanish rather than melt and a whole lot of sports-and-weather phenomena like the fact that high humidity "allows a baseball to travel farther, increasing the likelihood of home runs." With gems like these, Weather Whys is already a candidate for bathroom book of the year." -Emagazine.com
About the Author
Paul Yeager is the managing editor of Accuweather.com and a freelance writer. As a child, he was annoyed when reading, writing, and arithmetic were referred to as the “Three R’s,” and he hasn’t changed a bit over the years. He lives in Altoona, PA.
I've never been a huge weather fanatic, but I've always been somewhat interested in the weather. I'm more interested than ever now...this book was perfect for me. It has some easy to understand information about how the weather works, but more importantly as far as I'm concerned, it has a lot of information about how the weather affects our lives in ways I never thought of...sporting events, health, history, etc...and it's done with a light, sometimes humorous writing style.
I hate to admit it, but I found out that I'm guilty of many of the weather myths the author talked about. I thought Chicago was the windiest city. I even thought that every big snowstorm was automatically a blizzard. I did know that Seattle's not the rainiest city--it's great here in the summer!
I also like the weather wives tale section--it reminded me of some the things my grandfather used to say about the old days.
Great book. I'm one of those people who watches the Weather Channel all the time for entertainment, so I know enough about the weather, but this book gives a lot of great stories and information about weather.
It is NOT a science book, so if you're looking for something to tell you about how meteorologists forecast the weather, then this isn't for you. But if you like the weather, you'll love it and be surprised at how much about it you DON'T know.
This book does have some of the science---he talks about what dewpoint temperature means, how hail forms, how hurricanes form----but he focuses more on other parts of the weather that most of us don't know about. He debunks some weather myths, like how it actually can't be 100 degrees and 100% humidity and how it actually can be 45 degrees and still snow. There was a chapter on how weather affected some major sports events---one of them was strange since it was actually an INDOOR event. He talks about why your nose runs when it's cold outside, why your hair frizzes in humidity, where the saying RED SUN AT NIGHT, SAILORS DELIGHT comes from, some historic snowstorms, etc. Very cool stuff.
And he's pretty funny, so it's an easy read-----a good book for when you want something light but educational and fun. I actually feel as if I can talk more about the weather and how it relates to everything now and know what I'm talking about.
Like the other reviewers before me, I too liked the book. I often struggle with finding time to read and this is ideal to carry around for a few minutes here and there.
Weather often comes up in conversation...and you'll find yourself telling others about the information you read here - from weather "proverbs" like "In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb" to historical events like Washington Crossing the Delaware to Chicago's nickname of the Windy City. After reading this book, you'll amuse and surprise others as a sparkling weather conversationalist!
You'll also be amused with the humorous style. Even so, it doesn't hide the fact that the author really knows his subject AND how to explain it to non-scientists. I think that younger teens with an interest in weather and science would enjoy it as well as adults with a casual interest in weather. Sports fans would especially enjoy the section about how weather played a part of some big games. Anyone who ever watches the Weather Channel for fun would enjoy this.
I read Yeager's previous book (Literally, the Best Language Book Ever) as well. Though both were similar in form and style, I found I liked Weather Whys more.
Have you ever wondered what the difference is between sleet and freezing rain? Or why bridges tend to freeze before the adjacent roadway? Or what some of the weather sayings mean and whether or not they are true? These are but a few of the many facts covered in this interesting little book on how and why the weather works the way it does.
The book is a nice, easy to read book filled with basic weather related information. It is not for the serious student of weather or for the person who has studied weather in a college setting....it is more for the person that wants to know the simple ins and outs of weather phenomena and the basics of how the weather works.
A fun read, I would recommend it to anyone who has questions about weather.
I have come to know Paul Yeager through our mutual experiences blogging about the weather. We share a fascination with the atmosphere around us and the sometimes explainable (but many times not) phenomena that come to make up the "weather." Paul's blog,[..], is an excellent resource and frequently contains interesting insight, but his most recent foray into publishing - Weather Whys: Facts, Myths, and Oddities (Perigee, $14.95) - is a must-read.
Unlike many books on the topic though, it is not just a must-read for meteorologists, atmospheric scientists, and weather geeks in general. Paul notes that "weather is the most universal of topics" and I believe Weather Whys is one book that will appeal to folks across the spectrum - from the seasoned weather professional, to the weather enthusiast, to one with even a passing interest in the weather. His folksy story-telling tone, a broad knowledge in an array of atmospheric topics, and the ability to explain complex processes in a way that an average middle school student could understand, have come together in Weather Whys to produce a text that is not only information and educational, but entertaining from cover to cover.
As the subtitle suggests, Weather Whys describes in detail where many of the myths and old wives tales originate, separates truth from fiction, and explains some of the idiosyncrasies that makes up the science - or perhaps it is the art - of meteorology. The best part of Paul's writing style is his ability to relate to the general public, who has a basic understanding of weather obtained from their local TV weathercaster and any number of cable programs (and even an entire channel) devoted to the topic....
If you are in the least bit interested in why it cannot be 100 degrees with 100% humidity, whether you should include snow skis in your checked luggage on your next trip to Hawaii, or whether there really is a "calm before the storm," I highly encourage you to check out Weather Whys by Paul Yeager - and buy a copy for that middle school-age cousin who has begun showing an interest in the weather. Not only are you guaranteed to learn something new, you will probably chuckle in the process.
