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A review by kartrick
The Cloudspotter's Guide: The Science, History, and Culture of Clouds by Gavin Pretor-Pinney
5.0
A few years ago, I got into birdwatching and other forms of wildlife watching. Apart from being a delightful and wholesome way of connecting with nature and losing oneself, there is something almost addictive about learning how things are classified and trying to identify the classifications. This thrill is not just about a whimsical hobby, it is deeply connected to human curiosity. And once I was introduced to birdwatching, I fell in love with the skill of looking deeply, of seeing things where others see nothing.
And so it came as only a mild and ambivalent surprise when I first learned of plane-spotting. There were people who enjoyed the anticipation and thrill of seeking out, locating, spotting and identifying these huge man-made metal birds in much the same way as I did of actual birds. Later, I understood the meaning of the term "trainspotting" which I had earlier come across in a vague movie. I was amused on learning of the existence of these different hobbies which run on the same basic principles.
Still, I struggled to draw this kind of passion towards these man-made objects. However, I remember being intrigued when a couple of friends had started talking about how there were different kinds of clouds! Imagine that! I went online and tried to look up how cloud classification worked, but I was discouraged not by the Latin names, but because there wasn't a single source with comprehensive information; I was getting bits and pieces from here and there, ending up confused.
I recently remembered this out of the blue, and browsed Goodreads for a field guide of sorts, which is how I found this book. And, I fell in love! The book has everything that a beginner would need: from descriptions of the basic ten genera of clouds and their further classifications, to gripping explanations of the science behind their workings, to even detailed anecdotes and asides on interesting weather phenomena or incidents from the past that a cloudspotter can use to evangelise to his unitiated comrades!
While my cloudspotting skills are nowhere near good, it is something that I will stay hooked to. There is something about activities that "legitimise doing nothing" (words of the author himself) that draws me to them. And as a student of ecology/wildlife, I feel that it is easy to focus on life forms and remain blissfully ignorant of the abiotic weather and earth. I sincerely thank the author for bringing this book to life and sparking a new passion in me. Like another reviewer mentioned, this is the kind of book that should be in every household!
If not for the captivating science, at least give the book a read for the Renaissance paintings or the tale of the man who (barely) survived a Cumulonimbus, King of Clouds.
PS: The only negatives were the black-and-white photos which didn't really tell much at certain times, and the fact that this is a relatively old book.
And so it came as only a mild and ambivalent surprise when I first learned of plane-spotting. There were people who enjoyed the anticipation and thrill of seeking out, locating, spotting and identifying these huge man-made metal birds in much the same way as I did of actual birds. Later, I understood the meaning of the term "trainspotting" which I had earlier come across in a vague movie. I was amused on learning of the existence of these different hobbies which run on the same basic principles.
Still, I struggled to draw this kind of passion towards these man-made objects. However, I remember being intrigued when a couple of friends had started talking about how there were different kinds of clouds! Imagine that! I went online and tried to look up how cloud classification worked, but I was discouraged not by the Latin names, but because there wasn't a single source with comprehensive information; I was getting bits and pieces from here and there, ending up confused.
I recently remembered this out of the blue, and browsed Goodreads for a field guide of sorts, which is how I found this book. And, I fell in love! The book has everything that a beginner would need: from descriptions of the basic ten genera of clouds and their further classifications, to gripping explanations of the science behind their workings, to even detailed anecdotes and asides on interesting weather phenomena or incidents from the past that a cloudspotter can use to evangelise to his unitiated comrades!
While my cloudspotting skills are nowhere near good, it is something that I will stay hooked to. There is something about activities that "legitimise doing nothing" (words of the author himself) that draws me to them. And as a student of ecology/wildlife, I feel that it is easy to focus on life forms and remain blissfully ignorant of the abiotic weather and earth. I sincerely thank the author for bringing this book to life and sparking a new passion in me. Like another reviewer mentioned, this is the kind of book that should be in every household!
If not for the captivating science, at least give the book a read for the Renaissance paintings or the tale of the man who (barely) survived a Cumulonimbus, King of Clouds.
PS: The only negatives were the black-and-white photos which didn't really tell much at certain times, and the fact that this is a relatively old book.