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The Cloudspotter's Guide
Complemented by striking photographs and line drawings, a witty and eclectic study of clouds captures the character of these natural phenomena while discussing the science behind the different types of clouds, what they mean in terms of climate and weather, their history, and artistic and cultural fascination with their ephemeral beauty. 75,000 first printing.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2006
About the author
Gavin Pretor-Pinney
19 books40 followersGavin Pretor-Pinney is cofounder of The Idler magazine in England and founded of The Cloud Appreciation Society in 2005.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 318 reviews
September 26, 2011
The challenge of science writing is making an abstract description of the motion of water particles relevant to a monkey whose language evolved to tell other monkeys where the ripe fruit is. Pretor-Pinney has managed to do something I'd have bet was impossible: make clouds interesting. Before I read this book, clouds were a mess of undifferentiated Latin words and undifferentiated puffy shit in the sky. Now I look up and see physics made incarnate. It's like I've been given a superpower. Now *that's* science writing!
The author pulls off this improbable task by finding a hook to hang each cloud from. None are as mind-boggling as the second chapter, cumulo-nimbus, where the hook is a pilot who had to bail from an experimental airplane ... through one of those monster thunderhead storm clouds. The conditions he experienced inside the cloud are the tangible manifestation of the physics behind the scenes.
With headings like "how it feels to be a hailstone" and a look at the Renaissance representations of clouds in art, he manages to take his subject seriously while never losing track of the mystery and wonder that causes people to look at clouds in the first place. Highly recommended.
The author pulls off this improbable task by finding a hook to hang each cloud from. None are as mind-boggling as the second chapter, cumulo-nimbus, where the hook is a pilot who had to bail from an experimental airplane ... through one of those monster thunderhead storm clouds. The conditions he experienced inside the cloud are the tangible manifestation of the physics behind the scenes.
Ten minutes into his descent, Rankin should have been reaching the ground, but the enormous draughts of air that surged up the core of the cloud were retarding his fall. Soon the turbulence became much more severe. He had no visual point of reference in the gloomy depths but he sensed that, rather than falling, he was being shot upwards with successive violent gusts of rising air–blasts that were becoming increasingly violent. And then for the first time he felt the full force of the cloud.
‘It came with incredible suddenness–and fury. It hit me like a tidal wave of air, a massive blast, fired at me with the savagery of a cannon…I went soaring up and up and up as though there would be no end to its force.’ Rankin wasn’t the only one being hurled up and down. In the darkness around him, hundreds of thousands of hailstones were suffering the same fate. One minute they were falling downwards, dragging air down with them; the next minute, they were swept back up by the enormous convection currents within the cloud.
With this falling and rising, the hailstones picked up freezing water and grew in size, hardening layer by layer like gobstoppers. These rocks of ice pelted Rankin with bruising force. He was now vomiting from the violent spinning and pounding and he shut his eyes, unable to watch the nightmare unfolding. At one point, however, he did open them to find himself looking down a long black tunnel burrowing through the centre of the cloud. ‘This was nature’s bedlam,’ he said, ‘an ugly black cage of screaming, violent, fanatical lunatics…beating me with big flat sticks, roaring at me, screeching, trying to crush me or rip me with their hands.’ Then the lightning and thunder began.
The lightning appeared as huge, blue blades, several feet thick, which felt as though they were slicing him in two. The booming claps of thunder, caused by the explosive expansion of the air as the enormous electrical charge passed through, were so overpowering up close that they were more like physical impacts than noises. ‘I didn’t hear the thunder,’ he said, ‘I felt it.’ Sometimes he had to hold his breath to avoid drowning from the dense torrents of freezing rain. At one point he looked up just as a bolt of lightning passed behind his parachute. It lit up the canvas, which appeared to the exhausted pilot as an enormous, white-domed cathedral. As the image lingered above him, he thought that he had finally died.
With headings like "how it feels to be a hailstone" and a look at the Renaissance representations of clouds in art, he manages to take his subject seriously while never losing track of the mystery and wonder that causes people to look at clouds in the first place. Highly recommended.
January 23, 2011
This book ranks high amongst those that have influenced my life. I am now constantly looking at clouds, trying to figure out what they are, how they were formed, where they are going, what weather they will cause.
Beautifully written, Pretor-Pinney makes poetry out of clouds; he waxes eloquently on a subject he is clearly intensely passionate about. To make that passion so infectious is a gift.
I am a geographer, also passionate about much of earth science, and have read many books on a range of earth-science related topics. This is one of the few that ranks as a literary work. It is a perfect mix of science, fable and wonder.
Read it. Open your eyes and mind to the skies above.
Beautifully written, Pretor-Pinney makes poetry out of clouds; he waxes eloquently on a subject he is clearly intensely passionate about. To make that passion so infectious is a gift.
I am a geographer, also passionate about much of earth science, and have read many books on a range of earth-science related topics. This is one of the few that ranks as a literary work. It is a perfect mix of science, fable and wonder.
Read it. Open your eyes and mind to the skies above.
September 8, 2018
Growing up I remember laying on the grass and gazing up at the big puffy clouds as they drifted across the sky. Even now when I go back home (Utah), I'm amazed at how much more dramatic the sky often seems compared to where I currently live. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending upon how you look at it), Los Angeles seems to have rather boring skies - clear and blue, day after day after day. Except for those darn jet contrails...
This was a very pleasant book that looks at 10 main cloud types. Pretor-Pinney discusses the different variations and how they form, and he does it all in a very casual manner - no stuffy textbook here! The book is loaded with anecdotes and amusing asides, which made it a charming read but also a little tedious at times. And he can find the silver lining of any cloud, even the heavy and oppressive nimbostratus. And yes, he even discusses those darn jet contrails, the man-made cloud graffiti on the heavens. In fact, he discusses it at great length; not just the environmental aspects and why they seem to linger longer than they used to, but he takes that topic down a rabbit hole about cloud seeding. Overall, a charming and pleasant if occasionally meandering book - the kind you want to own so you can pull it out every once in a while. (3.5 stars)
This was a very pleasant book that looks at 10 main cloud types. Pretor-Pinney discusses the different variations and how they form, and he does it all in a very casual manner - no stuffy textbook here! The book is loaded with anecdotes and amusing asides, which made it a charming read but also a little tedious at times. And he can find the silver lining of any cloud, even the heavy and oppressive nimbostratus. And yes, he even discusses those darn jet contrails, the man-made cloud graffiti on the heavens. In fact, he discusses it at great length; not just the environmental aspects and why they seem to linger longer than they used to, but he takes that topic down a rabbit hole about cloud seeding. Overall, a charming and pleasant if occasionally meandering book - the kind you want to own so you can pull it out every once in a while. (3.5 stars)
January 9, 2010
Hey, I finally finished this book! It's been my bathroom read for, what...one year?
So *mild spoiler* on p. 261 of this paperback, there is a picture of a bunch of scientists from General Electric labs (circa 1946) peering over a cloud seeding chamber. One of them, the book casually mentions, is named Bernard Vonnegut. If you're like me, part of you continues reading, and the other part of your brain goes, "*Bernard* Vonnegut?! And he looks like Kurt Vonnegut! I wonder if they're related!" Well, this is the kind of author who tells you (six pages later) that oh yes, by the way, that was Kurt's brother AND Kurt worked at GE Labs for a brief time in the PR Dept. ...AND the chemical process in Cat's Cradle bears a strong resemblance to the actual process of cloud seeding that Bernard was working on. I was giddy with glee by that point. *end mild spoiler*
This author goes off on many interesting asides, and interjects a lot of his own personal warmth and humor into what could be a very dry book on the wet woollies of the sky. And something tells me Gavin Pretor-Pinney would make an excellent quizzo player.
So *mild spoiler* on p. 261 of this paperback, there is a picture of a bunch of scientists from General Electric labs (circa 1946) peering over a cloud seeding chamber. One of them, the book casually mentions, is named Bernard Vonnegut. If you're like me, part of you continues reading, and the other part of your brain goes, "*Bernard* Vonnegut?! And he looks like Kurt Vonnegut! I wonder if they're related!" Well, this is the kind of author who tells you (six pages later) that oh yes, by the way, that was Kurt's brother AND Kurt worked at GE Labs for a brief time in the PR Dept. ...AND the chemical process in Cat's Cradle bears a strong resemblance to the actual process of cloud seeding that Bernard was working on. I was giddy with glee by that point. *end mild spoiler*
This author goes off on many interesting asides, and interjects a lot of his own personal warmth and humor into what could be a very dry book on the wet woollies of the sky. And something tells me Gavin Pretor-Pinney would make an excellent quizzo player.
November 19, 2012
Beberapa tahun lalu, kami berbaring berdampingan di atas rumput kering di atas sebuah bukit kecil. Kami meneliti dan sesekali menghitung awan ala kadarnya. Sebuah walkman memutar rekaman suara serangga saat musim panas. Rekaman itu dikirim oleh seseorang jauh di seberang sana yang selalu rutin setiap tahun mengirim satu kaset rekaman suara serangga. Kami sudah sering bilang bahwa di negara kami tak ada musim panas, hanya ada hari-hari panas dan gerah sepanjang tahunnya. Tapi orang di seberang itu menganggap keluhan kami sebagai sebuah peluang besar untuk mendapatkan orang-orang yang mau mendengarkan hasil kerja sampingannya sebagai perekam suara-suara alam. Dan anehnya, setiap rekaman itu datang kami selalu segera mendengarkannya dengan khusuk hinggga selesai.
Seseorang yang berbaring di sebelahku berkata "Lihat awan sebelah sana itu. Itu cumulus, awan berbentuk bunga brokoli di langit biru musim kemarau. Musim kemarau sepertinya membuat langit subur dengan cumulus."
Aku tersenyum. Mengangguk setuju.
"Untuk awan aku lebih menyukai nimbostratus. Awan yang menyelimuti langit menjadi kelabu dan menurunkan hujan tenang dan sangat lama, tanpa ada gemuruh suara guntur. Aku tak menyukai cumulonimbus dengang angin kencang, hujan deras bergemuruh dan tentu saja petir yang terus menyambar-nyambar. Cumulonimbus selalu berisik yang paling menjengkelkan."
Bagiku, stratus-lah yang paling kusukai. Awan terendah yang biasanya menyelimuti kotaku saat pagi yang sering disebut kabut. Awan yang turun perlahan saat malam karena udara dingin di bagian bawah, kemudian awan itu akan naik perlahan ke atas menjelang siang dan menjadi altostratus kalau mereka bisa berkumpul cukup banyak. Altostratus: Selimut putih cukup tebal yang membuat sinar matahari menjadi redup. Beberapa awan itu mungkin sebagian akan terus naik ke atas dan membentuk tirai putih tipis bernama cirrostratus. Stratus, altostratus, cirrostratus, beberapa selimut awan yang selalu bermain dengan ketinggian dan selalu bisa menggelitikku untuk mendongak.
"Hei! Kenapa kau diam saja?" orang di sampingku menoleh ke arahku.
"Menurutmu bagaimana dengan awan-awan yang lain?"
"Aku juga menyukai stratocumulus, awan itu seperti kumpulan cumulus yang berkerumun di sisi-sisi langit dan sedang membicarakan sesuatu dengan seru, mereka seperi sedang bergosip ria. Untuk altocomulus, selalu membuatku berpikir tentang biri-biri. Bulatan-bulatan awan itu membuatku bertanya siapakah yang menggembalakan mereka di padang langit saat mereka muncul. Kemudian cirrocumulus, selalu seperti hasil seseorang kurang kerjaan yang menaburkan butiran-butiran gandum di hamparan langit," Dia mengeluarkan buku dari kantung celananya. Membalik beberapa halaman, mencoba mencari sesuatu. "Dan cirrus," dia membaca yang ada di buku catatannya, "awan yang selalu seperti goresan vertikal lembut sebuah kuas yang menghasilkan lengkung-lengkung indah rangkaian dinginnya kristas-kristal es. Awan yang membuat langit seperti kanvas dan selalu menyediakan hamparannya untuk menampung setiap polesan." Dia menutup bukunya. Suara rekaman serangga masih terdengar.
"Kau sudah menemukan nama untuk tempat imajinasimu?"
Dia menggeleng. "Tapi aku menciptakan sesuatu yang baru di sana."
"Mahluk baru lagi?"
"Bukan. Aku menumbuhkan sebatang dandelion. Dandelion itu sangat besar sehingga setiap bijinya bisa dinaiki oleh siapapun. Setiap tahun akan kupilih beberapa mahluk dan mereka harus menaiki bunga dandelion yang sudah akan mengering. Saat ada angin berhembus maka mereka yang kupilih akan terbang menaiki biji dandelion yang tertiup angin. Di manapun mereka mendarat, mereka akan bertemu jodoh mereka dan mereka akan hidup bahagia selamanya."
"Terdengar seperti pengusiran yang sopan."
"Aku hanya ingin mereka bahagia."
Jeda cukup lama. Aku masih memikirkan kenapa dia masih belum bisa menemukan nama untuk tempat imajinasinya. Sebuah tempat berkumpulnya mahluk-mahluk merana dan kesepian ciptaannya.
"Sudah ada pilihan namakah?"
"Mungkin lebih baik tempat itu tak bernama. Tanpa nama tempat itu akan mudah untuk dilupakan. Mereka yang meninggalkan tempat itu pasti bisa cepat lupa kalau mereka pernah tinggal di sana."
Sebuah jeda, lebih lama.
Suara rekaman serangga berhenti. Kami berdiri lalu berjalan menuruni bukit. Di bagian bawah bukit, dia tiba-tiba duduk, menyisihkan rambut hitam panjangnya yang menutupi wajahnya ke telinga. Dia mendekatkan wajahnya ke bunga dandelion. Satu tiupan dan bunga itu berhamburan gembira menelusuri hembusan nafasnya. Dia tersenyum.
Kami pulang.
Dan mungkin aku adalah salah satu mahluk ciptaannya yang selalu menolak untuk pergi dari tempat imajinasinya yang tak bernama.
Selamanya.
Aku pun tersenyum.
Seseorang yang berbaring di sebelahku berkata "Lihat awan sebelah sana itu. Itu cumulus, awan berbentuk bunga brokoli di langit biru musim kemarau. Musim kemarau sepertinya membuat langit subur dengan cumulus."
Aku tersenyum. Mengangguk setuju.
"Untuk awan aku lebih menyukai nimbostratus. Awan yang menyelimuti langit menjadi kelabu dan menurunkan hujan tenang dan sangat lama, tanpa ada gemuruh suara guntur. Aku tak menyukai cumulonimbus dengang angin kencang, hujan deras bergemuruh dan tentu saja petir yang terus menyambar-nyambar. Cumulonimbus selalu berisik yang paling menjengkelkan."
Bagiku, stratus-lah yang paling kusukai. Awan terendah yang biasanya menyelimuti kotaku saat pagi yang sering disebut kabut. Awan yang turun perlahan saat malam karena udara dingin di bagian bawah, kemudian awan itu akan naik perlahan ke atas menjelang siang dan menjadi altostratus kalau mereka bisa berkumpul cukup banyak. Altostratus: Selimut putih cukup tebal yang membuat sinar matahari menjadi redup. Beberapa awan itu mungkin sebagian akan terus naik ke atas dan membentuk tirai putih tipis bernama cirrostratus. Stratus, altostratus, cirrostratus, beberapa selimut awan yang selalu bermain dengan ketinggian dan selalu bisa menggelitikku untuk mendongak.
"Hei! Kenapa kau diam saja?" orang di sampingku menoleh ke arahku.
"Menurutmu bagaimana dengan awan-awan yang lain?"
"Aku juga menyukai stratocumulus, awan itu seperti kumpulan cumulus yang berkerumun di sisi-sisi langit dan sedang membicarakan sesuatu dengan seru, mereka seperi sedang bergosip ria. Untuk altocomulus, selalu membuatku berpikir tentang biri-biri. Bulatan-bulatan awan itu membuatku bertanya siapakah yang menggembalakan mereka di padang langit saat mereka muncul. Kemudian cirrocumulus, selalu seperti hasil seseorang kurang kerjaan yang menaburkan butiran-butiran gandum di hamparan langit," Dia mengeluarkan buku dari kantung celananya. Membalik beberapa halaman, mencoba mencari sesuatu. "Dan cirrus," dia membaca yang ada di buku catatannya, "awan yang selalu seperti goresan vertikal lembut sebuah kuas yang menghasilkan lengkung-lengkung indah rangkaian dinginnya kristas-kristal es. Awan yang membuat langit seperti kanvas dan selalu menyediakan hamparannya untuk menampung setiap polesan." Dia menutup bukunya. Suara rekaman serangga masih terdengar.
"Kau sudah menemukan nama untuk tempat imajinasimu?"
Dia menggeleng. "Tapi aku menciptakan sesuatu yang baru di sana."
"Mahluk baru lagi?"
"Bukan. Aku menumbuhkan sebatang dandelion. Dandelion itu sangat besar sehingga setiap bijinya bisa dinaiki oleh siapapun. Setiap tahun akan kupilih beberapa mahluk dan mereka harus menaiki bunga dandelion yang sudah akan mengering. Saat ada angin berhembus maka mereka yang kupilih akan terbang menaiki biji dandelion yang tertiup angin. Di manapun mereka mendarat, mereka akan bertemu jodoh mereka dan mereka akan hidup bahagia selamanya."
"Terdengar seperti pengusiran yang sopan."
"Aku hanya ingin mereka bahagia."
Jeda cukup lama. Aku masih memikirkan kenapa dia masih belum bisa menemukan nama untuk tempat imajinasinya. Sebuah tempat berkumpulnya mahluk-mahluk merana dan kesepian ciptaannya.
"Sudah ada pilihan namakah?"
"Mungkin lebih baik tempat itu tak bernama. Tanpa nama tempat itu akan mudah untuk dilupakan. Mereka yang meninggalkan tempat itu pasti bisa cepat lupa kalau mereka pernah tinggal di sana."
Sebuah jeda, lebih lama.
Suara rekaman serangga berhenti. Kami berdiri lalu berjalan menuruni bukit. Di bagian bawah bukit, dia tiba-tiba duduk, menyisihkan rambut hitam panjangnya yang menutupi wajahnya ke telinga. Dia mendekatkan wajahnya ke bunga dandelion. Satu tiupan dan bunga itu berhamburan gembira menelusuri hembusan nafasnya. Dia tersenyum.
Kami pulang.
Dan mungkin aku adalah salah satu mahluk ciptaannya yang selalu menolak untuk pergi dari tempat imajinasinya yang tak bernama.
Selamanya.
Aku pun tersenyum.
October 16, 2010
This is one of those books you didn't think you wanted to or needed to read, but once you have, you're glad you did.
November 14, 2012
This book takes each cloud type in turn and gives the details of what it typically looks like, where and when it can found and what type of precipitation (snow, heavy rain, hail, drizzle etc) it gives rise to. It also outlines some tips on weather forecasting by describing how one type of cloud can become another.
Alongside all the science the author makes it clear that clouds are to be appreciated for their beauty (apart perhaps from stratus, the low, dull, misty cloud that even the most ardent cloud appreciator has been known to describe as boring).
He also has plenty of stories to share about clouds, including that of Lt Col William Rankin a US Air Force pilot who had to eject from his plane above a storm cloud and spent 40 minutes being buffetted by the weather as he fell through a storm.
This is a totally fascinating book for anyone who is interested in our 'little fluffy friends' as Pretor-Pinney calls them. I think I'll need to read it a few times though before I can be sure of telling the difference between some of the cloud types let alone starting to forecast the weather!
Alongside all the science the author makes it clear that clouds are to be appreciated for their beauty (apart perhaps from stratus, the low, dull, misty cloud that even the most ardent cloud appreciator has been known to describe as boring).
He also has plenty of stories to share about clouds, including that of Lt Col William Rankin a US Air Force pilot who had to eject from his plane above a storm cloud and spent 40 minutes being buffetted by the weather as he fell through a storm.
This is a totally fascinating book for anyone who is interested in our 'little fluffy friends' as Pretor-Pinney calls them. I think I'll need to read it a few times though before I can be sure of telling the difference between some of the cloud types let alone starting to forecast the weather!
April 2, 2009
Good stuff, but tricky to put down and pick up. If I had a solid chunk of time to luxuriate in this, I am sure it would be 4 stars. Great information interspersed with engaging stories connected to clouds. I am still plowing along with great satisfaction.
--Caroline
--Caroline
January 16, 2021
A true delight. Certainly not for everyone but merges meteorology, art history, poetry, and wonder into describing a topic most probably haven’t given a second thought towards.
July 22, 2023
¡Que maravilla de librito!
Lo compre hace muchos años cuando sentí mi primer arranque serio por conocer un poco mejor sobre las nubes.
En aquel entonces, como ahora, me rondaba este pensamiento: "te gusta observar las estrellas, pero a las estrellas en tu país no les gusta dejarse ver; o mejor, las nubes no te lo permiten. ¿Por qué no estudiar entonces las nubes para apreciarlas cuando no te dejen ver las estrellas?"
Cuando recientemente se me apareció en un atardecer un Stratocumulus lenticularis –como aprendí en este libro que se llamaban aquellas nubes en forma de platillos voladores de varios pisos que se forman a sotavento entre las montañas– recorde mi propósito de algunos años atrás. Desenterré el bendito librito y decidí comenzar a leerlo. Creo que ya lo había intentado, pero el esfuerzo no había prosperado seguramente porque eran los años en los que no lograba leer más de las 20 páginas que tenía un paper científico.
Lo que nunca imagine es que se tratará de un libro tan ilustrativo, tan bien escrito y tan deliciosamente divertido. La verdad creía que se trataría de una guía más, un simple libro de referencia para saber cómo ponerle nombres a las nubes.
Pero no.
"Guía del observador de nubes" del periodista inglés Gavin Pretor-Pinney es una declaración de amor al aire sobre nuestras cabezas. Un libro de viajes. Un texto de divulgación científica, con mucha física y pocos bostezos. Una guía para aquellas personas que disfrutamos mirar para arriba y deleitarnos con el espectáculo que ofrecen las nubes; o como diría Emerson –y citará Pretor-Pinney– "el extraordinario museo de las alturas". Un libro de historia y de historias sobre las nubes en diversas culturas, en la literatura, en los mitos.
Y también una guía para la identificación de nubes.
¿Se le podría pedir más a un libro sobre nubes?
Tampoco esperaba que el libro fuera algo así como el texto de referencia de los miembros de la Cloud appreciation society, una organización internacional con más de 50.000 miembros en todo el mundo, fundada por el mismo Pretor-Pinney (para las personas interesadas aquí está el sitio web de la sociedad) y que a lo largo de casi 20 años se ha convertido en la más grande organización de "nubofílicos" del planeta.
El libro se organiza alrededor de los 10 tipos de géneros de nubes reconocidos por la Organización Meteorológica Internacional. En cada capítulo el autor describe las características, especies y variedades de cada género y ofrece alguna guía para su identificación.
Bueno, al menos esa es la parte técnica. Y es que, como bien aclara Pretor-Pinney, una [persona] observadora de nubes no es una catalogadora; los [profesionales de la] meteorología ya se ocupan de clasificar por ti los diferentes géneros, especies y variedades de nubes. Lo llaman trabajo. La tuya es una actividad más lúdica y reflexiva.
Por entre las descripciones más científicas, Pretor-Pinney nos ofrece una rica y deliciosa colección de anécdotas, referencias a la literatura, la Historia o los mitos, relacionados con cada tipo de nube, y lo hace con un divertido tono humorístico que te saca más de una risotada.
Si aman la naturaleza y se han sorprendido más de una vez mirando o fotografiando las nubes, hay que conseguir este libro. ¿Que hay de malo en tener la cabeza en las nubes?
Lo compre hace muchos años cuando sentí mi primer arranque serio por conocer un poco mejor sobre las nubes.
En aquel entonces, como ahora, me rondaba este pensamiento: "te gusta observar las estrellas, pero a las estrellas en tu país no les gusta dejarse ver; o mejor, las nubes no te lo permiten. ¿Por qué no estudiar entonces las nubes para apreciarlas cuando no te dejen ver las estrellas?"
Cuando recientemente se me apareció en un atardecer un Stratocumulus lenticularis –como aprendí en este libro que se llamaban aquellas nubes en forma de platillos voladores de varios pisos que se forman a sotavento entre las montañas– recorde mi propósito de algunos años atrás. Desenterré el bendito librito y decidí comenzar a leerlo. Creo que ya lo había intentado, pero el esfuerzo no había prosperado seguramente porque eran los años en los que no lograba leer más de las 20 páginas que tenía un paper científico.
Lo que nunca imagine es que se tratará de un libro tan ilustrativo, tan bien escrito y tan deliciosamente divertido. La verdad creía que se trataría de una guía más, un simple libro de referencia para saber cómo ponerle nombres a las nubes.
Pero no.
"Guía del observador de nubes" del periodista inglés Gavin Pretor-Pinney es una declaración de amor al aire sobre nuestras cabezas. Un libro de viajes. Un texto de divulgación científica, con mucha física y pocos bostezos. Una guía para aquellas personas que disfrutamos mirar para arriba y deleitarnos con el espectáculo que ofrecen las nubes; o como diría Emerson –y citará Pretor-Pinney– "el extraordinario museo de las alturas". Un libro de historia y de historias sobre las nubes en diversas culturas, en la literatura, en los mitos.
Y también una guía para la identificación de nubes.
¿Se le podría pedir más a un libro sobre nubes?
Tampoco esperaba que el libro fuera algo así como el texto de referencia de los miembros de la Cloud appreciation society, una organización internacional con más de 50.000 miembros en todo el mundo, fundada por el mismo Pretor-Pinney (para las personas interesadas aquí está el sitio web de la sociedad) y que a lo largo de casi 20 años se ha convertido en la más grande organización de "nubofílicos" del planeta.
El libro se organiza alrededor de los 10 tipos de géneros de nubes reconocidos por la Organización Meteorológica Internacional. En cada capítulo el autor describe las características, especies y variedades de cada género y ofrece alguna guía para su identificación.
Bueno, al menos esa es la parte técnica. Y es que, como bien aclara Pretor-Pinney, una [persona] observadora de nubes no es una catalogadora; los [profesionales de la] meteorología ya se ocupan de clasificar por ti los diferentes géneros, especies y variedades de nubes. Lo llaman trabajo. La tuya es una actividad más lúdica y reflexiva.
Por entre las descripciones más científicas, Pretor-Pinney nos ofrece una rica y deliciosa colección de anécdotas, referencias a la literatura, la Historia o los mitos, relacionados con cada tipo de nube, y lo hace con un divertido tono humorístico que te saca más de una risotada.
Si aman la naturaleza y se han sorprendido más de una vez mirando o fotografiando las nubes, hay que conseguir este libro. ¿Que hay de malo en tener la cabeza en las nubes?
September 29, 2015
So, this is a book about clouds. Really. With a chapter each on Cumulus, Cumulonimbus, Stratus, Stratocumulus, Altocumulus...there's a lot of latin, actually. And a lot of dry humor. And not a few puns. This has got to be the all-time geekiest book I have ever read.
Ok, so some of it is not quite as geeky. For example, the story of Lt.-Col. William Rankin, the only human to fall all 47,000 feet through a full-on, cumulonimbus thunderstorm full of rain, hail, and lightning, and survive. The part where he was looking down at his own belly and the pressure changes had caused it to swell up to look like he was pregnant, was a bit disturbing. But most of the book is a lot less dramatic than that.
To be honest, the latin made my head spin. I found the black-and-white drawings of the various cloud types to be useful, but knowing that a cloud was "cirrocumulus stratiformis undulatus" didn't tell me much, even after I'd read the definitions. The fact that it was called "mackerel sky" by sailors also didn't tell me much. The picture helped a lot, though, and the story of the author wandering through a fishmarket in London trying to find a mackerel to compare it to was cool. The author is clearly a wingnut, and just my kind of person.
There are some weird kinds of clouds out there, and he tells us about them. The most impressive is probably the "morning glory", which is a sort of cloud version of good surf, that hits the southern shore of Australia and which hangliders ride for miles.
The author does a good discussion of clouds in Renaissance paintings, as well (Piero della Francesca did a good altocumulus lenticularis, and he approved of Correggio choosing to portray Jupiter - who impregnated the nymph Io in the form of a cloud - as a sort of dark grey cumulus congestus).
The best part of the book, though, are the chapters wherein he talks about the relatively mundane clouds that we see every month, and (in his opinion at least) do not pay enough attention to. I admit, I cannot name the latin term for any cloud in the sky after reading this book. But I do look at them a lot more, and they are cooler than anything on your TV, including the clouds. Go look up at them. And take this book with you.
Ok, so some of it is not quite as geeky. For example, the story of Lt.-Col. William Rankin, the only human to fall all 47,000 feet through a full-on, cumulonimbus thunderstorm full of rain, hail, and lightning, and survive. The part where he was looking down at his own belly and the pressure changes had caused it to swell up to look like he was pregnant, was a bit disturbing. But most of the book is a lot less dramatic than that.
To be honest, the latin made my head spin. I found the black-and-white drawings of the various cloud types to be useful, but knowing that a cloud was "cirrocumulus stratiformis undulatus" didn't tell me much, even after I'd read the definitions. The fact that it was called "mackerel sky" by sailors also didn't tell me much. The picture helped a lot, though, and the story of the author wandering through a fishmarket in London trying to find a mackerel to compare it to was cool. The author is clearly a wingnut, and just my kind of person.
There are some weird kinds of clouds out there, and he tells us about them. The most impressive is probably the "morning glory", which is a sort of cloud version of good surf, that hits the southern shore of Australia and which hangliders ride for miles.
The author does a good discussion of clouds in Renaissance paintings, as well (Piero della Francesca did a good altocumulus lenticularis, and he approved of Correggio choosing to portray Jupiter - who impregnated the nymph Io in the form of a cloud - as a sort of dark grey cumulus congestus).
The best part of the book, though, are the chapters wherein he talks about the relatively mundane clouds that we see every month, and (in his opinion at least) do not pay enough attention to. I admit, I cannot name the latin term for any cloud in the sky after reading this book. But I do look at them a lot more, and they are cooler than anything on your TV, including the clouds. Go look up at them. And take this book with you.
March 15, 2018
'The Cloudspotters Guide' reminded me about my childhood when I was reading fascinating books on science for children and teenagers. These lively books from a local library were a stark contrast to the boring, dry, and lifeless textbooks we were given in school. I sometimes wonder if there is a special selection process for the authors of school textbooks to make sure that the only people admitted to do the job hate both science and children with passion. Anyway, back to the review.
'The Cloudspotters Guide' could as well be an example of how to approach creating a good school textbook that grabs student's attention and doesn't let it go until the last page. It is crafted in a very accessible language that is easy to understand and to remember, so by the end of it even the Latin names of the clouds are memorised and jump out any time I look at the sky. It never goes into the science dives for too long to get a brain tired and they are always followed by a historical or a cultural anecdote. Each chapter is sprinkled with humour and, while to my taste it wasn't funny enough to laugh, being of a quality of some ordinary dad jokes, it did bring out a warm smile here and there.
I would not recommend this book for those people who are looking for a more technical and less fluffy description of the meteorological processes. 'The Cloudspotters Guide' is too light for that. It's target audience is not the meteo-nerds - there are enough books for those already. It is for the less serious of us, who just want to be a little bit more savvy at reading and understanding the sky. And after reading the book I am definitely exercising my neck way more often than I used to!
'The Cloudspotters Guide' could as well be an example of how to approach creating a good school textbook that grabs student's attention and doesn't let it go until the last page. It is crafted in a very accessible language that is easy to understand and to remember, so by the end of it even the Latin names of the clouds are memorised and jump out any time I look at the sky. It never goes into the science dives for too long to get a brain tired and they are always followed by a historical or a cultural anecdote. Each chapter is sprinkled with humour and, while to my taste it wasn't funny enough to laugh, being of a quality of some ordinary dad jokes, it did bring out a warm smile here and there.
I would not recommend this book for those people who are looking for a more technical and less fluffy description of the meteorological processes. 'The Cloudspotters Guide' is too light for that. It's target audience is not the meteo-nerds - there are enough books for those already. It is for the less serious of us, who just want to be a little bit more savvy at reading and understanding the sky. And after reading the book I am definitely exercising my neck way more often than I used to!
March 3, 2023
Although I haven't technically finished this (I haven't read till the end), this is a great read with bags of interesting information about clouds and weather skies.
I have always had a fascination with meteorology and clouds in particular and Pretor-Pinney's book reflects this fascination. There are some great photographs and illustrations detailing all different kinds of weather.
I think this is the type of book that is best dipped in to like a box of deelish chocolates. It will be a book I'll enjoy having on my shelf and referring to when I see a freaky cloud formation floating past the window. Highly enjoyable and recommendable.
I have always had a fascination with meteorology and clouds in particular and Pretor-Pinney's book reflects this fascination. There are some great photographs and illustrations detailing all different kinds of weather.
I think this is the type of book that is best dipped in to like a box of deelish chocolates. It will be a book I'll enjoy having on my shelf and referring to when I see a freaky cloud formation floating past the window. Highly enjoyable and recommendable.
January 3, 2024
Never did I think I would be this invested in a book about clouds. The author paints a detailed image of the different types of clouds, their history and their many uses, without making it too scientific. It even delves into the use of influencing the weather during military operations. A pity that I read it at a bad time during Belgium's dark and gloomy winter months.
April 14, 2022
legit tykkäsin sikana. Tosi mielenkiintonen ja rakastan ku täs oli tietty tietoa pilvistä mut ne oli kerrottu tosi mielenkiintosesti ja sit oli kans kaikkee muuta mielenkiintost esim mitä tapahtuis jos pilvien käyttäytymist muuteltais sodissa ja miks se on (monella porsaanreiällä varustettuna) kiellettyä
suosittelen jos yhtään vois kiinnostaa
suosittelen jos yhtään vois kiinnostaa
May 9, 2023
Content warning for this book: there is cloud porn.
April 6, 2021
While clouds might not seem like particularly interesting or even worthwhile subjects for a whole book to many, this has to be amongst the most unique books I’ve ever read.
☁️
There’s plenty of science and explanation of natural phenomena to get your head around, like why the sky is bright blue on a clear sunny day and red during sunrise and sunset or how exactly the different genus of clouds form and why some of them are precipitating ones while others are not.
☁️
Beside science, there’s also an abundance of historical and cultural references on clouds as well as a fascinating section on the terrifying use of weather modification such as cloud seeding for military purposes during the Vietnam War.
☁️
Gavin Pretor-Pinney’s humour, quirky wit and never-ending enthusiasm makes the book an immensely entertaining read. Only a truly dedicated cloudspotter would take an early morning trip to Billingsgate Fish Market in London’s East End to find out precisely what kind of mackerel it is that a particular cirrocumulus formation commonly known as mackerel sky looks like.
☁️
As a converted cloudspotter, I’m proud to say that I can’t stop looking at the sky whenever I go outside. ⚠️Warning: cloudspotting is a highly contagious activity.
☁️
There’s plenty of science and explanation of natural phenomena to get your head around, like why the sky is bright blue on a clear sunny day and red during sunrise and sunset or how exactly the different genus of clouds form and why some of them are precipitating ones while others are not.
☁️
Beside science, there’s also an abundance of historical and cultural references on clouds as well as a fascinating section on the terrifying use of weather modification such as cloud seeding for military purposes during the Vietnam War.
☁️
Gavin Pretor-Pinney’s humour, quirky wit and never-ending enthusiasm makes the book an immensely entertaining read. Only a truly dedicated cloudspotter would take an early morning trip to Billingsgate Fish Market in London’s East End to find out precisely what kind of mackerel it is that a particular cirrocumulus formation commonly known as mackerel sky looks like.
☁️
As a converted cloudspotter, I’m proud to say that I can’t stop looking at the sky whenever I go outside. ⚠️Warning: cloudspotting is a highly contagious activity.
July 29, 2014
Ieteiktu izlasīt visiem cilvēkiem, kuriem patīk raudzīties mākoņos. Mākoņi nemaz nav tik vienkārši pūkaini radījumi, kādi tie izskatās no apakšas. Viņi ir daudzveidīgi un katrs no viņiem var zinātājam pastāstīt kaut ko par to, kas notiek virs mūsu galvām. Lai ar viņi ir saklasificēti smuki pa plauktiņiem, mākoņu vērotājam iesācējam pietiek tikai paskatīties dabesīs un saprast, ka viss ir daudz sarežģītāk. Debesīs praktiski nekad nav tikai viena tipa mākoņi un reizēm pat ir grūti atšķirt Cumulonimbus no Stratocumulus, sevišķi ja tev lietus jau līst uz galvas.
Uzzināju milzīgu jaunu informācijas apjomu. Pēc mākoņiem var labi paredzēt laika apstākļus (būs jāpatestē vai arī mūsu piejūras klimatā tas strādā). Taču vistrakākais ir tas, ka nu man ir obligāti jātiek uz Bruketown Austrālijā, lai redzētu vienu no retākajiem mākoņiem pasaulē Morning Glory. Izlasījis grāmatu tagad uz mākoņiem skatos ar pavisam citu aci.
Uzzināju milzīgu jaunu informācijas apjomu. Pēc mākoņiem var labi paredzēt laika apstākļus (būs jāpatestē vai arī mūsu piejūras klimatā tas strādā). Taču vistrakākais ir tas, ka nu man ir obligāti jātiek uz Bruketown Austrālijā, lai redzētu vienu no retākajiem mākoņiem pasaulē Morning Glory. Izlasījis grāmatu tagad uz mākoņiem skatos ar pavisam citu aci.
June 24, 2012
There aren't many books that cause you to behave differently after reading them. For me clouds were always a disappointing sight; they stood as a closing statement to an ecstatic run of beautiful Summer days, or a disappointing ceiling hindering my morning optimism. As soon as I saw them I chose to ostracize and disregard them until they had slipped away silently overnight, but just as ignorance causes us to be suspicious of those we know nothing about, my ignorance of the many forms of water going about it's daily business and disregarding it's poetic splendour stopped me from appreciating the skies above us. Now I understand and find myself watching the sky endlessly, with both scientific and artistic wonder. Even Constable and Turner paintings have a whole new meaning. Have a read, it'll change your outlook forever
...and it's in such a nice sleeve as well
...and it's in such a nice sleeve as well
May 22, 2010
This is how I wish ALL science books were written. Incredibly fascinating info with all the history and culture and the difficult science principles were explained very clearly. I only gave it 4 stars simply because it took me a really long time to read (had to think a lot more than usual!)
December 23, 2020
I don't want to talk about it.
August 16, 2020
A few years ago, I got into birdwatching and other forms of wildlife watching. Apart from being a delightful and wholesome way of connecting with nature and losing oneself, there is something almost addictive about learning how things are classified and trying to identify the classifications. This thrill is not just about a whimsical hobby, it is deeply connected to human curiosity. And once I was introduced to birdwatching, I fell in love with the skill of looking deeply, of seeing things where others see nothing.
And so it came as only a mild and ambivalent surprise when I first learned of plane-spotting. There were people who enjoyed the anticipation and thrill of seeking out, locating, spotting and identifying these huge man-made metal birds in much the same way as I did of actual birds. Later, I understood the meaning of the term "trainspotting" which I had earlier come across in a vague movie. I was amused on learning of the existence of these different hobbies which run on the same basic principles.
Still, I struggled to draw this kind of passion towards these man-made objects. However, I remember being intrigued when a couple of friends had started talking about how there were different kinds of clouds! Imagine that! I went online and tried to look up how cloud classification worked, but I was discouraged not by the Latin names, but because there wasn't a single source with comprehensive information; I was getting bits and pieces from here and there, ending up confused.
I recently remembered this out of the blue, and browsed Goodreads for a field guide of sorts, which is how I found this book. And, I fell in love! The book has everything that a beginner would need: from descriptions of the basic ten genera of clouds and their further classifications, to gripping explanations of the science behind their workings, to even detailed anecdotes and asides on interesting weather phenomena or incidents from the past that a cloudspotter can use to evangelise to his unitiated comrades!
While my cloudspotting skills are nowhere near good, it is something that I will stay hooked to. There is something about activities that "legitimise doing nothing" (words of the author himself) that draws me to them. And as a student of ecology/wildlife, I feel that it is easy to focus on life forms and remain blissfully ignorant of the abiotic weather and earth. I sincerely thank the author for bringing this book to life and sparking a new passion in me. Like another reviewer mentioned, this is the kind of book that should be in every household!
If not for the captivating science, at least give the book a read for the Renaissance paintings or the tale of the man who (barely) survived a Cumulonimbus, King of Clouds.
PS: The only negatives were the black-and-white photos which didn't really tell much at certain times, and the fact that this is a relatively old book.
And so it came as only a mild and ambivalent surprise when I first learned of plane-spotting. There were people who enjoyed the anticipation and thrill of seeking out, locating, spotting and identifying these huge man-made metal birds in much the same way as I did of actual birds. Later, I understood the meaning of the term "trainspotting" which I had earlier come across in a vague movie. I was amused on learning of the existence of these different hobbies which run on the same basic principles.
Still, I struggled to draw this kind of passion towards these man-made objects. However, I remember being intrigued when a couple of friends had started talking about how there were different kinds of clouds! Imagine that! I went online and tried to look up how cloud classification worked, but I was discouraged not by the Latin names, but because there wasn't a single source with comprehensive information; I was getting bits and pieces from here and there, ending up confused.
I recently remembered this out of the blue, and browsed Goodreads for a field guide of sorts, which is how I found this book. And, I fell in love! The book has everything that a beginner would need: from descriptions of the basic ten genera of clouds and their further classifications, to gripping explanations of the science behind their workings, to even detailed anecdotes and asides on interesting weather phenomena or incidents from the past that a cloudspotter can use to evangelise to his unitiated comrades!
While my cloudspotting skills are nowhere near good, it is something that I will stay hooked to. There is something about activities that "legitimise doing nothing" (words of the author himself) that draws me to them. And as a student of ecology/wildlife, I feel that it is easy to focus on life forms and remain blissfully ignorant of the abiotic weather and earth. I sincerely thank the author for bringing this book to life and sparking a new passion in me. Like another reviewer mentioned, this is the kind of book that should be in every household!
If not for the captivating science, at least give the book a read for the Renaissance paintings or the tale of the man who (barely) survived a Cumulonimbus, King of Clouds.
PS: The only negatives were the black-and-white photos which didn't really tell much at certain times, and the fact that this is a relatively old book.
May 1, 2022
The best description I could give of this book, and its author, and myself after reading it is "cloudpilled". After this book I certainly have found great joy in looking at clouds, and I feel confident I can identify clouds at least to the genus level.
Alongside of the descriptive sections of clouds and their atmospheric behaviors, this book felt like its larger purpose was just to arm the reader with as many fun facts as possible, so that the readers could be ready to talk about clouds at any moment.
The cloud species charts were the most helpful part of this book and I wish there was a zine form that contained those 12 or so pages alone without all the anecdotes. Because, at a certain point, the anecdotes became more distracting than compelling and I felt like the last third of the book was a slog just to get through all the jokes, stories, and historical asides.
If you're looking to learn how to identify clouds quickly, you'd be better off skimming this book for the core info, or using a identification chart from Google Images. If you're looking for a new topic to annoy friends and family at an upcoming gathering, this book is for you.
Maybe I'm just not as into clouds as the author, but I don't think anyone else in history has been as interested in clouds as Gavin Pretor-Pinney.
Alongside of the descriptive sections of clouds and their atmospheric behaviors, this book felt like its larger purpose was just to arm the reader with as many fun facts as possible, so that the readers could be ready to talk about clouds at any moment.
The cloud species charts were the most helpful part of this book and I wish there was a zine form that contained those 12 or so pages alone without all the anecdotes. Because, at a certain point, the anecdotes became more distracting than compelling and I felt like the last third of the book was a slog just to get through all the jokes, stories, and historical asides.
If you're looking to learn how to identify clouds quickly, you'd be better off skimming this book for the core info, or using a identification chart from Google Images. If you're looking for a new topic to annoy friends and family at an upcoming gathering, this book is for you.
Maybe I'm just not as into clouds as the author, but I don't think anyone else in history has been as interested in clouds as Gavin Pretor-Pinney.
April 14, 2023
A good, quirky and interesting book. It doesn’t pretend to be more than what it is; which is a book of facts and well illustrated explanations about cloud formations and related phenomena. The author makes a lot of jokes throughout and there’s many images to understand the clouds described making it a fun book for understanding the topic. I definitely recommend it; personally it was a good book to pick up for the commute. I will give it to my teenage cousins to read now and I think they will enjoy it.
February 26, 2022
Bewilderingly interesting, and dotted with little puffs of humor to form a well rounded and captivating read
September 2, 2022
Interesting info. Especially the Cumulonimbus section.
October 23, 2022
3.5 stars
As I'm coming up on one year as a member of the Cloud Appreciation Society, I thought it was high time to read the book that helped start it all. Really informative & I'll be referring back as I get better as identifying clouds. Pretor-Pinney's tone is light (I laughed out loud a few times) but also very serious about clouds (almost to a fault? He suggested at one point that a cloud lesson could have prevented a young musician's overdose...). Although I wish he delved into the science a bit more (this made me want to get a textbook on atmospheric sciences lol), overall a really fun read. Definitely makes me want to keep my head in the clouds☁️
As I'm coming up on one year as a member of the Cloud Appreciation Society, I thought it was high time to read the book that helped start it all. Really informative & I'll be referring back as I get better as identifying clouds. Pretor-Pinney's tone is light (I laughed out loud a few times) but also very serious about clouds (almost to a fault? He suggested at one point that a cloud lesson could have prevented a young musician's overdose...). Although I wish he delved into the science a bit more (this made me want to get a textbook on atmospheric sciences lol), overall a really fun read. Definitely makes me want to keep my head in the clouds☁️
January 8, 2021
As a fierce cloudspotter, this book is really my bible. The fun combo of deep science, storytelling and good humour is perfectly balanced!
March 25, 2021
I enjoyed most of this. It’s not just meteorology but a bit of culture. It had some weird parts to the book though which I guess is why I gave it 4 stars.
November 24, 2021
Exceptionally interesting and filled with fascinating stories and cloud lore. Good to know I'm not the only one who loves observing clouds.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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