<![CDATA[Out of the Blue: A History of Lightning: Science, Superstition, and Amazing Stories of Survival]]>

false <![CDATA[Out of the Blue: A History of Lightning: Science, Superstition, and Amazing Stories of Survival]]> 3088078 1 The odds of being hit by lightning each year are only about 1 in 750,000 in the U.S. And yet this rare phenomenon has inspired both fear and fascination for thousands of years. In this groundbreaking, brilliantly researched book, journalist John S. Friedman probes lightning’s scientific, spiritual, and cultural roots. Blending vibrant history with riveting first-hand accounts of those who have clashed with lightning and lived to tell about it, Out of the Blue charts an extraordinary journey across the ages that explores our awe and dread in the face of one of nature’s most fearsome spectacles. Herman Melville called it “God’s burning finger.” The ancient Romans feared it as the wrath of God. Today we have a more scientific understanding, so why our eternal fascination with lightning? Out of the Blue attempts to understand this towering force of nature, exploring the changing perceptions of lightning from the earliest civilizations through Ben Franklin’s revolutionary experiments to the hair-raising adventures of storm chasers like David Hoadley, who’s been chronicling extreme weather for half a century. And Friedman describes one of the most treacherous rescues ever attempted in American mountain climbing. Friedman profiles a Virginia ranger who was struck by lightning seven times—and dubbed the human lightning rod—along with scores of others who tell astonishing tales of rescue and survival. And he charts lightning’s profound, life-altering effects on the emotional and spiritual lives of its victims. Combining captivating fact with thrilling personal stories, Out of the Blue tells a remarkable true tale of fate and coincidence, discovery and divine retribution, science and superstition. As entertaining as it is informative, it is a book for outdoor adventurers, sports enthusiasts, science and weather buffs, nature lovers, and anyone who has ever been awed or frightened by the sight of lightning. 3119168 20 5 2008 Out of the Blue: A History of Lightning: Science, Superstition, and Amazing Stories of Survival total:1|3:1| 1 3 6 1 0 0 false false Thu Sep 25 10:36:06 -0700 2008 Tue Oct 14 09:18:54 -0700 2008
I only had 100 pages left, but was unmotivated to finish.
My conclusion is that Mr. Friedman had a very poor editor on this book.
He's an ok writer and his editor just never got his manuscript into shape.

He wo...more...]]> 0 0 false false Sat May 30 19:26:31 -0700 2009 Sat May 30 19:26:31 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Fri Jan 09 11:33:32 -0800 2009 Wed Jan 14 20:59:40 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Fri Nov 14 21:00:48 -0800 2008 Fri Nov 14 21:06:03 -0800 2008 0 0 false false Tue Aug 19 09:30:28 -0700 2008 Tue Aug 19 09:30:28 -0700 2008 3 0 false false Thu Jun 19 08:08:01 -0700 2008 Thu Jun 19 08:08:01 -0700 2008 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=3088078