Reading: Rain

I picked up Cynthia Barnett's latest "Rain: A Natural and Cultural History" expecting to learn a few choice facts and then quit reading midway through (don't hate!). See, I have great ambitions to read lots of science texts. In reality I manage 3-4 half nonfiction books per year...petering out after too much dense text, terrible editing, or just general fact fatigue.

But this reads like a novel - it's one of those rare popular science books that's edited for great storytelling, loads of cultural references, and solid science (here are some others). I'm happy to know about Cynthia Barnett, too, who's an excellent environmental writer obsessed with water, water policy, and the American West.

Stories inside include: The pervasive many-cultured "myth" of Noah's flood, how witch trials in Europe coincided with major climate change, and other great connections between rain and the people it nourishes. Super juicy. Super good for cocktail conversation, general education, and for me, for classroom anecdotes and climate lesson jumping-off points.

For sewists, learn about the development of the first waterproof fabrics, their elevation to couture wear, and return to the grimy-fingered Scots who invented it. And functional umbrellas of paper, too - how have we forgotten those?!? Also, of course, the PNW climate and grunge.

I was hoping reading it and putting my mind on rain would bring it to California. But there's only one of me...so if lots of others read it we'll will the clouds to break? Nah, it's a real science book so there's no recipe for a rain dance. Worth the while though, absolutely.

A side effect of seeing the book cover around the house is this earbug, which I share for you with love.


For more: http://www.worldsciencefestival.com/2015/04/smart-reads-rain-natural-cultural-history/

P.S., I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review. (you can get great books there too!)