Randall S. Cerveny

An interesting look at the science of weather and climatology. However, I did not like the gimmick of presenting each topic in an artificially staged vignette which is supposed to put the reader on the scene of each of the "mysteries" being discussed. I also felt like the format was being stretched to include some anecdotal stories that the author wanted to tell, but really should not have been given their own entire chapters. Those quibbles aside, I was happiest with the book when he quickly wrapped up his introductory drama and jumped right into the situation being discussed. Those few chapters where he was heaviest on the science were the best, in my opinion. The two tidbits that I liked the best: 1, the whole of Yellowstone Park is the caldera (crater) of an enormous super-volcano that could, conceivably, erupt violently at any time and would instantly change the climate of the entire world for years, and 2, global warming is real and so is humanity's influence on it, but probably not cataclysmically - worst case, we will run out of fossil fuels in another 300 hundred years and then eventually everything will get back to "normal". I suspect this was a book written by a serious scientist trying too hard to appeal to the general public. I also suspect that he is an excellent, and popular, teacher and it would have been fine to allow more technical information into the book, as in his lectures.… (mehr)

The information regarding flying cows, man-killing hail, the feats of tornadoes, etc., is very interesting. But what this book needed (and, alas, didn't get) was an editor who knew what s/he was doing. Specifically, a text editor who knew what s/he was doing. More than once, I followed a long, twisting, rambling sentence to its conclusion only to go back and start again before I realized that the sentence lacked a verb. Simple rules of grammar, such as subject/verb agreement, are often ignored. Good editing would have caught most of this and cleaned it up. As it stands, interesting for the content, but a struggle to get through without being sidetracked into the "count the errors!" game.… (mehr)

Cerveny has organized his book into sections of types of weather oddities, e.g. hurricanes, hail, tornados, with additional sections at the end for extremes, and one odd weather story for every state in the United States, plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. There are numerous small photographs and other illustrations throughout. The book doesn't have narrative flow, but most parts are pretty gripping. Fascinating though it is to read that some people have survived being picked up by a tornado and spun around in the center, I don't think I'll try it.

The sections on specific types of weather usually have thirteen parts, "lucky" thirteen being safety measures. One can hope that people who think that strength of character is sufficient protection from extreme weather will learn a little sense. Made me try to remember where my portable radio is!

Obviously, weather buffs will eat this up. It is also a great book for anyone who like collections of oddities from such "fortean" authors as Charles Berlitz - the advantage is, these are much more likely to be true. Cerveny includes some legends, biblical stories and credible reports, although he is careful to specify when something is considered to be official. He notes that although "ball" lightening has not been scientifically observed, most experts agree that the large number of sightings indicate that it must exist.

It is also an interesting book for picking up and thumbing through at odd moments. I think I was most struck by the case of a PINE plank that was driven through an IRON girder by a tornado. How is that even possible?!

I was torn between giving this a 4 or a 5. Cerveny could do with reading a little more broadly - 1757 was not the Middle Ages in Germany (p.85). Citations are often giving a rather general terms without precise dates or pagination.

There is an extensive bibliography as well as a detailed index.… (mehr)