false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172433634m/175384.jpg 175384 1 Tornadoes are the most violent, magnificent, and utterly unpredictable storms on earth, reaching estimated wind speeds of 300 mph and leaving swaths of destruction in their wake. In Tornado Alley, Howard Bluestein draws on two decades of experience chasing and photographing tornadoes across the Plains to present a fascinating historical account of the study of tornadoes and the great thunderstorms that spawn them. A century ago, tornado warnings were so unreliable that they usually went unreported. Today, despite cutting-edge Doppler radar technology and computer simulation, these storms remain remarkably difficult to study. Leading scientists still conduct much of their research from the inside of a speeding truck, and often contend with jammed cameras, flash floods, and windshields smashed by hailstones and flying debris. Using over a hundred diagrams, models, and his own spectacular color photographs, Bluestein documents the exhilaration of hair-raising encounters with as many as nine tornadoes in one day, as well as the crushing disappointment of failed expeditions and ruined equipment. Most of all, he recreates the sense of beauty, mystery, and power felt by the scientists who risk their lives to study violent storms. For scientists, amateur weather enthusiasts, or anyone who's ever been intrigued or terrified by a darkening sky, Tornado Alley provides not only a history of tornado research but a vivid look into the origin and effects of nature's most dramatic phenomena. 169428 15 6 2006 Tornado Alley: Monster Storms of the Great Plains total:4|5:1|4:2|3:1| 4 16 10 1 4 0 false false Fri Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Sat Jun 30 01:42:23 -0700 2007 Sat Jun 30 01:43:36 -0700 2007 0 0 false false Sat Nov 21 05:46:45 -0800 2009 Sat Nov 21 05:46:51 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Fri Nov 20 13:37:11 -0800 2009 Fri Nov 20 13:37:11 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Sun Aug 23 14:03:41 -0700 2009 Sun Aug 23 14:03:41 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Fri Jul 17 04:53:04 -0700 2009 Fri Jul 17 04:53:04 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Wed Mar 04 17:26:41 -0800 2009 Wed Mar 04 17:26:41 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Fri Oct 10 16:32:44 -0700 2008 Fri Oct 10 16:32:44 -0700 2008 5 0 false false Sat Sep 20 10:18:27 -0700 2008 Sat Sep 20 10:18:27 -0700 2008 0 0 false false Tue Sep 16 23:20:34 -0700 2008 Tue Sep 16 23:20:51 -0700 2008 4 0 false false Fri Aug 29 17:11:33 -0700 2008 Fri Aug 29 17:11:33 -0700 2008 0 0 false false Wed May 21 12:42:41 -0700 2008 Wed May 21 12:42:41 -0700 2008 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=175384