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New

Rain: A Natural and Cultural History

by Cynthia Barnett
$8.90
Rain: A Natural and Cultural History
Rain: A Natural and Cultural History

Metamorphoses of rain: elemental, cultural, and scientific.

If you've ever been caught in a downpour or found yourself musing to the sound of a gentle rain, "Rain: A Natural and Cultural History" by Cynthia Barnett could intrigue you. Barnett intertwines the sensual, scientific, and surreal aspects of rain, revealing its impact on our planet and in our lives. This book isn't just about weather; it's a poetic journey through the way rain shapes cultures, fuels stories, and alters our environment. It's a read that could change the way you listen to the patter of raindrops against your window.

  • National Book Award Nominee for Nonfiction (2015)
  • PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award Nominee for Shortlist (2016)
  • Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Science & Technology (2015)
Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.
New

Rain: A Natural and Cultural History

by Cynthia Barnett
$8.90
ISBN: 9780804137096
Estimated First-hand Retail Price: $33.25
Authors: Cynthia Barnett
Publisher: Crown Publishers
Date of Publication: 2015-04-21
Format: Hardcover
Related Collections: History, Travel, Science, Nature
Related Topics: History, Microhistory, Natural History, Environment, Travel, Popular Science, Nature
Goodreads rating: 3.83
(rated by 1902 readers)

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Description

Rain is elemental, mysterious, precious, destructive. It is the subject of countless poems and paintings; the top of the weather report; the source of the world's water. Yet this is the first book to tell the story of rain. Cynthia Barnett's Rain begins four billion years ago with the torrents that filled the oceans, and builds to the storms of climate change. It weaves together science—the true shape of a raindrop, the mysteries of frog and fish rains—with the human story of our ambition to control rain, from ancient rain dances to the 2,203 miles of levees that attempt to straitjacket the Mississippi River. It offers a glimpse of our "founding forecaster," Thomas Jefferson, who measured every drizzle long before modern meteorology. Two centuries later, rainy skies would help inspire Morrissey’s mopes and Kurt Cobain’s grunge. Rain is also a travelogue, taking readers to Scotland to tell the surprising story of the mackintosh raincoat, and to India, where villagers extract the scent of rain from the monsoon-drenched earth and turn it into perfume. Now, after thousands of years spent praying for rain or worshiping it; burning witches at the stake to stop rain or sacrificing small children to bring it; mocking rain with irrigated agriculture and cities built in floodplains; even trying to blast rain out of the sky with mortars meant for war
Condition guide

Book Condition Guide

Books in Like New Condition

This book may contain very minor cosmetic defects, but it is in pristine condition. There should be no yellowing, no foxing, no water damage, and no annotations of any kind on the cover and the pages. For paperbacks, there should not be any crease marks on the spine. This book is good as new — lucky you!

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Very Good Condition

This book has been used, but it is still in a clean condition. There should be no foxing or annotations of any kind on the inner pages, but a sparse amount may be present on the cover, title pages, or outside edges of the book. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be light crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Good Condition

We do our best to ensure the quality of our books, but there is no escaping the wear and tear that comes with time. Slight foxing and some annotations may be present on the pages and the cover. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be several crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Well Read Condition

This is a well-read book, which means that the previous owner probably really enjoyed it! The cover and pages may include moderate foxing and annotations, but the text is not obscured and still readable. Moderate cosmetic defects and minor water damage may be present on the edges of the book. For paperbacks, there may be multiple crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

 

Find out more about our process here.

 

Similar Reads

Metamorphoses of rain: elemental, cultural, and scientific.

If you've ever been caught in a downpour or found yourself musing to the sound of a gentle rain, "Rain: A Natural and Cultural History" by Cynthia Barnett could intrigue you. Barnett intertwines the sensual, scientific, and surreal aspects of rain, revealing its impact on our planet and in our lives. This book isn't just about weather; it's a poetic journey through the way rain shapes cultures, fuels stories, and alters our environment. It's a read that could change the way you listen to the patter of raindrops against your window.

  • National Book Award Nominee for Nonfiction (2015)
  • PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award Nominee for Shortlist (2016)
  • Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Science & Technology (2015)
Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.