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WeatherShop's TOP PICK
The USA TODAY Weather Book by Jack Williams. Explains the basics of
meteorology with text and the kind of colorful graphics that have become USA TODAY's
trademark. The American Meteorological Society (AMS) awarded Williams its Louis J.
Battan Author's Award for the book in January 1994. The AMS and many scientists have
commented on the book's scientific accuracy and the AMS is using it in its education
program. It is an easy to read book with lots of colorful 3D illustrations that have no
equal anywhere. Suitable for ages 8 through adults.
If you only buy one book about weather in your lifetime, buy this one! You won't be
disappointed.
List Price: $20.00
Our Price: $14.28
Availability: This title usually ships within 24 hours. |
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Basic and Beginner
Meteorology |
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The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American
Weather by David M. Ludlum can be used to identify clouds and other sky
phenomena in much the way a field guide to birds is used. A key, using symbols
representative of phenomena such as cumulus clouds or rainbows, guides readers through
the book's 378 photographs. The pages to turn to for textual information are listed with
each photo. The Guide would make a good supplement to any of the other general
interest books listed here. List Price:
$19.95
Our Price: $13.97
Availability: This title usually ships within 24 hours. |
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The Handy Weather Answer Book by Dr.
Walter A. Lyons Dr. Lyons and I (Anthony
Watts) go back a few years. He's always been a very practical guy, and he did a
wonderful job as an on-air TV meteorologist in Minneapolis explaining weather to his
viewers. This book is much like that, simple, sensible answers to sometimes hard to
explain weather and meteorological phenomena. Perhaps a bit light on illustrations, but
certainly a good reference to have when you just want to get a few questions answered in
a short time. List Price: $19.95
Our Price: $13.97
Availability: This title usually ships within 2-3 days.
Paperback - 397 pages (October 1996) |
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Weather- Facts on File
Series |
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Blizzards (Facts on File Dangerous
Weather Series) by
Michael Allaby A pictorial book for young adults and adults who prefer light
reading, this book examines the hows and whys of some of the worst winter weather,
historical storms of the past, plus has nicely illustrated diagrams showing how storms
form, lake effect snows cause heavy snowfall downwind, and how ice storms form. Lots
of photographs and drawings.
Our Price: $35.00
Availability: This title usually ships within 2-3 days.
Hardcover - 128 pages (December 1997) |
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A Chronology of Weather
(Facts on File Dangerous Weather Series)
by Michael Allaby A pictorial book for young
adults and adults who prefer light reading, this book examines the hows and whys of
weather,climate, forecasting, and severe weather plus has nicely illustrated diagrams
showing how storms form, weather is measured and forecasted and also how severe weather
is tracked with Doppler radar. Lots of photographs and drawings.
Our Price: $35.00
Availability: This title usually ships within 2-3 days.
Hardcover - 128 pages (December 1997) |
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Droughts (Facts
on File Dangerous Weather Series) by
Michael Allaby A pictorial book for young adults and adults who prefer
light reading, this book tells why geography and climate conspire to create droughts and
deserts. It also explores weather cycles like El Nino and La Nina and their contribution
to periodic droughts. Lots of photographs and drawings.
Our Price: $35.00
Availability: This title usually ships within 2-3 days.
Hardcover - 128 pages (March 1998) |
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Hurricanes (Facts
on File Dangerous Weather Series) by
Michael Allaby A pictorial book for young adults and adults who prefer
light reading, this book explores the high drama world of hurricane chasing in hurricane
hunter planes, the science behind hurricane forecasting, and the human toll left by
these storms. Also includes info on the "big ones" like Andrew and Camille
plus hurricane tracks through history. Lots of photographs and drawings.
Our Price: $35.00
Availability: This title usually ships within 2-3 days.
Hardcover - 128 pages (June 1997) |
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Tornadoes (Facts on File
Dangerous Weather Series) by Michael
Allaby A book for young adults and adults who prefer light reading. If
you've ever watched the evening news and seen tornado damage in amazement. you'll want
to read this book. Everything from making your own twister in a bottle to tracking
tornadoes with NEXRAD Doppler Radar. Learn about Tornado Chasers and how they find
twisters. Some science facts can be a bit over younger readers.
Our Price: $35.00
Availability: This title usually ships within 2-3 days.
Hardcover - 128 pages June 1997) |
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Tornadoes Can Make It Rain Crabs : Weird
Facts About the World's Worst Disasters : A Weird-But-True Book (Strange World)
by Melvin
Berger, Gilda
Berger (Contributor), Robert
Roper (Illustrator) A collection of bizarre facts about natural disasters
includes lesser-known tidbits about tidal waves, earthquakes, volcanoes, lightning
strikes, and the sinking of the Titanic. A fun book for children that like
science and weather- the low price makes it a great birthday or holiday gift.
Availability: This title usually ships in 1-2 business days.
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Paperback (August 1997) |
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Clouds in a Glass of Beer and What
Light Through Yonder Window Breaks by Craig F. Bohren are delightful
introductions to atmospheric phenomena and scientific thinking. Bohren uses simple
"experiments" such as sprinkling salt in beer to create bubbles to explain
aspects of how the atmosphere works. Along the way, he uses experiments and sound
scientific thinking to demolish ideas such as the old saw that humid, cold days are more
uncomfortable than dry, cold days. Borhen goes to the basics of physics to explain
phenomena such as dew on the grass or why car headlights, unlike other electric lights,
don't go out immediately when you turn them off. (everything in his books isn't directly
related to weather) Both books also offer many simple experiments, such as measuring the
temperature at which water boils to determine the height of the top of a hill. His
introduction to The Doppler Effect is a good way to begin understanding how Doppler
radar works. |
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Skywatch: The Western Weather Guide
by Richard A. Keen is, as the title says, a guide to the weather of the U.S. West. But,
in order to explain the Chinook winds of the Rockies or the dryness of Death Valley,
Calif., Keen first outlines the basics of meteorology. This he does with an easy style
that illuminates without blinding the reader with details. The book is one of the few
available with information on the rare tropical storms that have affected the West
Coast. |
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Skywatch East: A Weather Guide by
Richard A. Keen followed his book on western weather. While it has a focus on the East,
it also covers the basics of meteorology. It includes some of the same material as his
earlier work but also has additional information, including a chapter on how to observe
the weather.
Our Price: $19.95
Availability: This title usually ships within 2-3 days. |
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| Advanced
Meteorology |
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Atmospheric Science: An Introductory Survey
by John Wallace and Pater V. Hobbs presents the basics of meteorology in more detail
than texts aimed at non scientists. A knowledge of calculus and college physics is
really necessary to understand the book. It is a good choice for scientists or engineers
in other fields who want, or need, to learn the basics of meteorology. The basic
formulas in meteorology are derived and explained.
Our Price: $74.00
Availability: This title usually ships within 24 hours. |
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| Climate
and climate change |
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The Changing Atmosphere: A Global Challenge
by John Firor is a good, brief overview of the questions about climate change and ozone
depletion. The American Meteorological Society awarded Firor its 1993 Louis J. Battan
Author's Award for this book. Firor, who is director of the Advanced Study Program at
the National Center for Atmospheric Research, not only describes aspects of the
atmosphere but how scientists use methods such as computer modeling to understand what's
going on. Our Price: $13.95
Availability: This title usually ships within 3-4 days.
Paperback Reprint edition (August 1992) |
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Riddle of the Ice: A Scientific Adventure into the
Arctic by Myron Arms. Scientists have good reason to think that the
interactions among the Atlantic Ocean, the Arctic's sea ice, Greenland's ice cap and the
atmosphere in the Labrador Sea and Davis Strait between Greenland and Canada are key
players in the climate of the entire Earth. The author takes us on a journey to this
region in a 50-foot sailboat, blending the events of the journey with reports of what
he's learned from climate scientists. What would otherwise be abstract climate theory
becomes as real to readers as the icebergs encountered in the Davis Strait. The book's
excellent notes and bibliography are a good guide to anyone interested in pursuing the
topics covered.
Availability: This title usually
ships within 1-2 business days.
Hardcover - 288 pages 1 Anchor edition (February 1998) |
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Currents of Change: El Niño's Impact on Climate
and Society by Michael H. Glantz. This is the best introduction to El
Niño available. Glantz covers the basics of the science, but the focus is on how
scientists built our current understanding of El Niño by discovering over the years how
events around the Pacific and in other parts of the world were all connected; how they
are all part of what we now call El Niño. The book is also a good source of information
on the consequences of El Niño and how societies are responding. Since it was published
in 1996, it of course does not include the big 1997-98 El Niño. Our
Price: $21.95
Availability: This title usually ships within 2-3 days.
Paperback - 194 pages (October 1996) |
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Storms and Severe Weather |
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All About Lightning by Martin A.
Uman uses questions such as "Does lightning always strike the tallest object?"
to cover the basics of lightning and its effects. The book should answer just about any
question that anyone but an advanced student of the topic has about lightning. And, for
those who want more advanced knowledge, Uman offers an extensive listing of articles and
books. This book is probably the best way to begin learning about lightning.
Our Price: $7.95
Availability: This title usually ships within 24 hours.
Paperback - 167 pages (December 1986) |
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Twister: The Science of Tornadoes and the Making
of an Adventure Movie by Keay Davidson. This 1996 book as a little bit
about the making of the movie Twister and a lot of good, solid information
about tornadoes, including the history of tornadoes and of the scientific understanding
of tornadoes. It's by far the best book available about tornadoes.
Our Price: $19.95
Availability: This title usually ships within 2-4 days.
Paperback - 202 pages (June 1996) |
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Looking at the sky |
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Rainbows, Halos, and Glories by
Robert Greenler explains what causes many of the different kinds of light phenomena in
the sky. These include common sights such as rainbows and rare kinds of arcs and
mirages. A high-school level knowledge of basic geometry would be helpful in
understanding the book. If nothing else, reading this book should encourage readers to
look up and see things such as halos that are relatively common but that most people
never notice.
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ships within 1-2 business days. |
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Lightning!
: And Thunderstorms (The Weather Channel)
by Mike
Graf
Lots of easy to understand diagrams and pictures.
OUT OF PRINT - Limited Availability
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Weather Forecasting |
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The Essence of Chaos by Edward N.
Lorenz is an introduction to the topic by the scientist who "discovered"
chaos. Lorenz's idea has become key to theories of weather forecasting and to other
sciences. A brief description of how Lorenz began the chain of thinking that led to the
chaos theory and its implications for weather forecasting is in the forecasting chapter
of The USA TODAY Weather Book. In his own book, Lorenz describes his work and
its implications. The book is based on a series of lectures Lorenz gave at the
University of Washington. Often it's said that one idea from chaos theory is "the
flap of a butterfly's wings in Brazil can set off a tornado in Texas." Lorenz's
discussion of what this means, and doesn't mean, is enlightening. List
Price: $13.37
Our Price: $10.70
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The Weather Revolution by Jack
Fishman and Robert Kalish explains how technologies such as super computers, satellites
and Doppler radar are improving weather forecasts. While the authors include some
explanations of weather, readers with some meteorological background will have an easier
time reading the book. Still, Weather Revolution is intended for general
readers and no mathematical equations are used. Along with describing how the new
technologies are used, the authors give brief histories. One of the most interesting of
these is the story of how Lewis F. Richardson developed some of the key concepts used in
computer forecasting during and immediately after World War I, long before computers
were invented. |
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| Winter
Weather |
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The Avalanche Handbook by David
McClung and Peter Schaerer is the guide to avalanches. The book covers the weather and
snow conditions that set the stage for avalanches. It describes what happens during
various kinds of avalanches and has chapters on forecasting, safety and protection. The
book would be especially useful to anyone who goes skiing in the back country - away
from ski areas. It is also a good introduction to what happens to snow after it falls
and would be of interest to anyone who likes wintry weather. List
Price: $19.95
Our Price: $13.97
Availability: This title usually ships within 2-4 days. |
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Winter: An Ecological Handbook by
James C. Halfpenny and Roy Douglas Ozanne answers, in detail, how plants, animals and
even insects survive in cold and snow. While the book goes into scientific detail in
places, it doesn't require a great deal of specialized knowledge to understand. A large
section of "People and Winter" has important information for anyone who
ventures out into cold and snow. This section includes one of the most extensive
discussions of wind chill available outside highly technical publications. The final
chapter "Experiencing Winter," describes several scientific experiments that
teachers or parents could use to get students outdoors and into science. List
Price: $16.95
Our Price: $11.87
Availability: This title usually ships within 2-3 days.
Paperback - 273 pages 1st Ed. edition (December 1989) |
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| Weather
Videos |
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Eyewitness:Weather (1996)
Experiments and fun concepts
Our Price: $12.95
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Nova - Hurricane!
Our Price: $19.95
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Nova - Tornado! (1985)
Our Price: $19.95
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Twister (the
movie)
Our Price: $9.94
Widescreen
Availability: This title usually ships within 3-4 days.
Rated: 
Starring: Helen
Hunt, Bill
Paxton, et al.
Director: Jan
De Bont |
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Twister (DVD)
Availability: Usually ships within 1-2 days.
Edition Details:
• NTSC format (US and Canada only)
• Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen, THX, HiFi Sound, Surround Sound, Digital
Sound
• ASIN: 6304184832
Other Formats: VHS,
VHS
subtitled in Spanish, DVD |
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Killer Twisters
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Nova: Lightning
Our Price: $19.95
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Raging Planet - Flood
Availability: Currently Unavailable. |
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Raging Planet - Lightning (1998)
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Raging Planet - Hurricane
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Raging Planet - Tornado
Availability: Currently unavailable. |
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Raging Planet - Tidal
Wave (1997)
Availability: Usually ships within 1-2 business days. |
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