Handbook of Meteorology

The Handbook of Meteorology gives specialists and non-specialists alike a clear understanding of the way our weather functions. It provides scientific answers to questions that arise when looking at the world around us. It starts with the basics of weather—temperature, pressure, humidity, and wind—before moving on to cover highs, lows, fronts, and storms, and finally ending with a look at weather forecasts, cloud watching, weather tools, and much more. The Handbook of Meteorology provides a condensed but all-inclusive broad sweep of meteorology, employing several illustrations to translate detailed technical information into terms that everyone can follow and readily refer to. It is a comprehensive reference for any budding meteorologist or environmental professional in the field, laboratory, or classroom.

'Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.' Now Scarecrow Press has done something about it by publishing TheHandbook of Meteorology. This 'reference-y' title is an introduction to the concepts and theory behind daily weather. Focused on the U.S., this slim volume provides a scientific yet practical background on the causes of daily weather patterns. The work consists of concise chapters covering every aspect of meteorology, including the elements of weather, the atmosphere, precipitation and moisture, radiation, the seasons, microclimates, and weather forecasting. Some sections contain mathematical equations, but most are accessible to even the least scientific reader. The writing is very idiosyncratic and folksy, which is rare for a scientific work but welcome. Every chapter begins with a poem and/or famous quotation on the weather, and interesting 'Did you know?' facts are scattered throughout. A glossary of terms is provided as an appendix....This will be a good addition to any library collection—and will let users learn more about this topic that everyone is talking about., A comprehensive reference for any budding meteorologist of environmental professional in the field, laboratory or classroom., Spellman (environmental health, Old Dominion Univ.) has written numerous science books for general audiences. Here, he provides a readable account of the basic properties of Earth's atmosphere and some of the processes that occur within the atmosphere. The book adopts a more philosophical perspective than most introductory textbooks (e.g., it addresses the history of weather forecasting in the US). Spellman's book shares some similarities with Atmospheric Processes and Systems, by R. D. Thompson (CH, Apr'99, 36-4543), though Thompson's book is structured more as a mid-level textbook for nonspecialists. The book treats many foundational topics well, and the glossary is a very useful expansion of NOAA's listing of weather terms (http://www.erh.noaa.gov/er/box/glossary.htm). Summing Up: Recommended.

Frank R. Spellman is the author or co-author of more than 70 books on the natural sciences, as well as environmental and health sciences. He has served as a consultant for the U.S. Department of Justice, a variety of law firms, and a number of non-governmental organizations on environmental issues and health-related matters. He is formerly an assistant professor of environmental health at Old Dominion University.