Customer Reviews

Windswept: The Story of Wind and Weather

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As another reviewer wrote, I too would suggest you look elsewhere for an introduction to weather, probably by a meterologist. Villiers isn't really that strong on science and a few howlers have crept into the book that rather show it (p. 44 mentions -1000 degrees C!). Otherwise, it's a bit of a tedious fact dump rather than a synthesis of a wide acquaintanceship with the subject matter. I gave up after a hundred pages.

I enjoyed this book very much. This topic was new to me and I found the book quite easy to understand. De Villiers also told the story of wind well, the sequence of information was very good and promoted understanding. Some issues can be contentious, such as global warming and alternate energy supplies. I found de Villiers to be brutally honest, giving the pros and cons of each side. There were certain weaknesses in the book however, that interfered with my enjoyment. A discussion of the various winds and their locations was complex and the one map in the book was inadequate in helping me understand. Additionally, the author recounted some personal anecdotes which added to neither the understanding nor the warmth of the book. And finally, the editing was very weak: there were many run-on sentences which hampered readability. At many places in the book, the English was just of inadequate quality, e.g., use of the word "astonishments" as a noun. This distracted from the reading experience as I had to decipher the writing before I could decipher the science. Overall, this book was a good addition to my library of science non-fiction and was worthwhile reading.

WINDSWEPT: THE STORY OF WIND AND WEATHER joins others on the topic of weather but here provides an award-winning nature writer's survey of how weather has been perceived and described through the ages: wind, in particular. From wind's ability to influence world patterns and paths to how wind influences health and crime in human affairs, WINDSWEPT is much more than the usual meteorological analysis: it blends people's encounters and experiences with wind and storms with scientific fact to make for a lively read.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

According to this book,
a 1935 hurricane allegedly sandblasted victims into particles in Florida.
However, this sounds like an urban legend repeated one too many times. I assume the people were dead already, a long time, and rotting on beach. But I wonder if the "fact" is really true, or just another hurrican alley urban legend? Sounds fishy to me. Other than that one small criticism, this book is a great read and for anyone interested in weather around the world, it's a perfect beach book for the summer!

Windswept is the definitive explanation of weather, the answer to all my questions. Mr. de Villiers delivers science with a very human touch.

Long on appendix and on anti-God, pro-environmentalist boilerplate, and short on real substance, this book is not the best value for someone wanting to truly advance his knowledge of wind and weather. Granted there are many interesting ancedotes, and the author will deepen your knowledge of the latest advances in the science of understanding and predicting weather. But pound for pound, you don't get all that much. This kind of book keeps a publishers press running and pays the authors mortgage (on his oceanfront home). I would look for better value elsewhere if I were you.