"Author Ruth (Rare Bird), who has penned nature books for adults and children, here turns her eyes to the sky in this delightful exposition on clouds. As a new resident of the Pacific Northwest, Ruth was surprised that her friends and neighbors didn't know much about the weather they experienced daily. Beginning with the word cloud, the author explores the mythology around the origin and meaning of the word. Ruth presents her own simplified definition based on numerous textbook characterizations. She then examines each aspect of that definition, from mass to visibility to water and air. Readers will learn about glories, lennies, caps, and sundogs as well as how clouds are seeded, formed on other planets, and created by human activity. Ruth describes the science behind cloud formation, movement, and identification clearly for general audiences; her personal experiences and asides enrich the well-explained technical details.
VERDICT A great recommendation for popular science readers, this book will also appeal to those who enjoy memoirs and learning about the writing process.—Catherine Lantz, Univ. of Illinois at Chicago Lib."
Sideways Plus #1: +Prologue+
This is the first of my "Plus" posts I'll be sharing over the next few months. Each weekly post will feature a brief excerpt from each chapter of my just-published natural history-memoir, A Sideways Look at Clouds...PLUS...illustrations and links to resources to enhance your reading.
Why am I doing this? Because my book is not a field guide nor does it have a set glossy photographs of the clouds and places I discuss in my book. And because I have so very many photographs of the the clouds to show you to make you love the clouds even more.
Here is the first Plus post. Hope you enjoy this as an accompaniment (and not a Spark-Notes-like substitute for my book).
Prologue: A Guide to the Sky
"I did not expect to be swept off my feet by clouds, although I should have seen it coming a few years earlier, on the day I began house hunting in the Pacific Northwest. My family and I had been living in sunny, often scorching Southern California for five years...One glorious September afternoon I flew into Seattle, rented a car, and headed south on Interstate 5 toward Olympia. Rounding a curve, I noticed a massive pile-up of white clouds billowing up from the horizon. I squeezed the steering wheel, leaned into the windshield for a bigger view, and said out loud and loudly, "I've missed you guys!"
from Page 11: "How could I turn my back on these clouds and the invitation to look up?" This is the poster that inspired me to write my book. Want your own Guide to the Sky? Click here to order this brand new edition of the poster from the photographer/author Art Rangno.
"Mackerel Skies" (Altocumulus perlucidus)
"Mare's Tails" (Cirrus uncinus)
"Thunderhead" (Cumulonimbus)
Talkin' Clouds on Thursday
Join me this Thursday, September 21, for a live Mountaineers Books webinar. I'll be talking about my new book, A Sideways Look at Clouds, providing you some tips on how to talk about clouds, sharing some photos of spectacular clouds, and answering your most pressing cloud questions. All you need is a computer to register here and to watch the webinar from the comfort of your own home, office, bucket seat.
The webinar starts at 7 p.m. (PDT). Perfect timing for dinner with the clouds if you're on the west coast. On the East Coast? How about a Cloudy Happy Hour at 4 p.m.?
Busy Thursday? Use this link to request a link to the recorded webinar for viewing later. This webinar is co-sponsored by Black Hills Audubon Society (my local chapter in Olympia, WA).
Don't have an hour? Check out this video trailer for A Sideways Look at Clouds.
Don't have a minute? Order your copy of A Sideways Look at Clouds directly from Mountaineers Books. Books are also available on Amazon (Kindle and print) Powell's, Barnes and Noble and your favorite indie bookseller. If you'd like a signed/inscribed copy shipped to you, contact Browsers Bookshop in Olympia.
Got no time at all? Just look up next time you're outside. You might see this:
Put Your Head in the Clouds....
Cumulus congestus clouds building over Atlanta, Georgia, on Friday September 15. Read my new book to find out why you cannot and would not want to spend eternity lounging in one of these clouds.
BOOKS
Direct from the source (online orders only): Mountaineers Books in print or pdf
Your favorite bookstore--chain or indie. Ask them to order or re-order it if you don't see it on the shelves.
Browsers Bookshop in Olympia: in person at 107 Capital Way N. or online--where you can order a signed/inscribed copy to be mailed to you.
Amazon Books: Hardbound or Kindle
SEPTEMBER EVENTS
September 21, 7-8 p.m. Online webinar hosted by Mountaineers Books. I'll be discussing my book, providing some tips on how to talk about and appreciate clouds, and answering your most pressing cloud questions. Info and registration here.
September 26 6 p.m. I'll be presenting "A Sideways Look at Clouds and Other Natural Wonders" at the Outdoor Speaker Series at the historic Marysville Opera House. More info here.
September 29 7 p.m.: Book Launch Party at the Eagles Ballroom, 805 E. 4th Avenue EastOlympia, WA More info here.
My new book, A Sideways Look at Clouds (Mountaineers Books, Fall 2017), is arriving in a bookstore near you!
Get yourself a copy this week and take part in some special upcoming events as cloud season approaches.
This blog includes several ways to find your way to "Sideways." Celebrate the clouds! Learn what an Altocumulus stratiformis perlucidus undulatus radiatus is before your friends do!