“Wood's paean to snow, to ‘God's DNA,’ is part history, part science, part memoir, and entirely like an extended prose poem. Beautiful, mysterious, and famously unpredictable, snow has shaped American history, from Colonial era surprise at frequent deep snowfalls and frigid temperatures at latitudes far south of England's, to the shock of deadly bomb-carrying balloons in Oregon in 1944 that had ridden jet stream winds in the upper atmosphere all the way across the Pacific Ocean. Wood's story is sweeping, compelling, witty, and delightfully well-told. It's the perfect book for anyone whose heart leaps like a school child's whenever snow pops up in a weather forecast.”
– Mark Bowden,#1 New York Times-bestsellingauthor of Blackhawk Down and Killing Pablo
“In Snow, Anthony R. Wood, one of the nation’s foremost chroniclers of weather, has given us a memorable cavalcade of the science, history, and pristine beauty of the snowflake. As Wood writes, ‘Weather has become a national pastime,’ and his work illuminates the legendary blizzards, the meteorologists who predicted them, those who failed to foresee them, and scientists — like Dave Robinson, known as ‘Dr. Snow’ in the trade — who can explain them. If you love snow and follow the weather, Snow — full of vivid descriptions, accessible science, [and] profiles of some memorable characters — will be indispensable reading.”
—William K. Marimow, two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and former executive editor of The Philadelphia Inquirer
"Veteran weather journalist Anthony Wood has written a riotously fun and fascinating history of one of nature’s most elegant creations: the snowflake. In his able hands, this beautiful, frustrating, and at times treacherous form of precipitation becomes a compelling page turner. Whether you await the first snow of the season with joy or trepidation, you will delight in this lively accounting of a natural phenomenon that has so deeply affected humankind over the ages. I was hooked from the first page. Who knew learning about the science of snowfall could be so entertaining?"
—John Grogan, author of Marley & Me and The Longest Trip Home
“As you read through Snow you will be introduced to some of the pioneers from the past and present. Although you may have never had the opportunity to meet or speak to any of them, there is a common thread – it is Anthony R. Wood – a pioneer in his own right. Never have I known someone outside meteorology who could so accurately report on or so easily explain the intricate working parts of the atmosphere as they relate to the science of meteorology. You will understand the love-hate relationship that we have with one of natures’ most paralyzing events.”
– Jim Eberwine,former National Weather Service meteorologist and current Emergency Management Coordinator, Absecon, N.J.
"Emphasizing that 'some people will do almost anything to avoid [snow], while others pine for it,' he [Wood] weighs the positive and negative sides of winter weather, noting both the boon it provided to transportation in preindustrial America by creating “snow-and-ice surfaces and reliably frozen waterways” across which goods could be easily hauled, and the severe disruption and destruction brought about by storms like the 1888 Great White Hurricane and by more recent monster blizzards."-Publishers Weekly
"I read Snow in record time. It is a wonderful book, beautifully told, lush with knowledge and passion, always smart and coherent, and accessible. No small accomplishment!"
--Gilbert M. Gaul, two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and author of The Geography of Risk: Epic Storms, Rising Seas, and the Cost of America's Coast.
"An impressive job on a fascinating topic."
-Dr. Norman E. Rosenthal, clinical professor of psychiatry, Georgetown University Medical School, author of the Washington Post No. 1 best-seller Super Mind.
"Compelling book. ... It captivated me. ... There's some great storytelling here, plenty of Wood's characteristic wit and some fascinating geekery. Is it really true that no two flakes are alike? Read it and find out!"--Samdy Bauers, environmental writer
"Wonderful book ... It is a delightful, educational and entertaining read."-Sue Richardson, Jericho, VT Historical Society and great-grandniece of Wilson "Snowflake" Bentley
