Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

With more than 300 entries covering topics from acid rain to zonal circulation, the Encyclopedia of Climate and Weather is the most comprehensive, up-to-date reference work available on the past, present, and future of the global environment. Authored by leading scholars from around the world, the encyclopedia masterfully brings together information derived from recent advances in computing, physics, mathematics, the environmental sciences, and space technology. Special attention is given to areas of current concern, including pollution, the ozone hole, climate change, global warming, desertification, and the recent floods in the American Midwest and France. Throughout, entries on literature, art, economics, and other cultural topics as they relate to the global environment enhance the coverage of more technical issues. And more than 400 illustrations provide an exceptional supplement to the text, giving visual immediacy to sometimes difficult topics. An extensive system of cross-references and a detailed topical index provide easy access to the broad range of subjects covered. Authoritative and engagingly written, The Encyclopedia of Climate and Weather will be sought after by a wide range of readers, from weather enthusiasts to undergraduates to specialists in a variety of fields--indeed, by anyone with an interest in the climate, weather, and environment of our planet.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

There are few encyclopedias on weather and climate (the last was John Oliver's The Encyclopedia of Climatology, Van Nostrand, 1987), so this two-volume set is welcome. Edited by a Stanford University professor, it is an alphabetical arrangement of over 300 short articles written by "the world's experts" on everything from clouds and tornadoes to human influences on weather and climate (e.g., acid rain, deforestation, and effects of aerosols on the ozone layer). While vast in scope, it still has a few omissions: as a horticulture librarian, this reviewer naturally looked for "hardiness zones" or "climate zones for gardening," for which there was no discussion or United States Department of Agriculture map. Nor was there a listing for Heinrich Walter, an author of important climate diagrams in Europe, though some biographical entries are included. The set contains over 400 black-and-white line drawings, photographs, charts, and maps, as well as a glossary. Written at an adult level, it may also be useful to exceptional high school students. Buy where needed for specialists and serious researchers but not for elementary-school assignments or collections where attractive color illustrations and catchy, simple synopses are required.‘Laura Lipton, Univ. of Washington Lib., Seattle (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

CHOICE Review

The second major encyclopedia devoted to the study of weather and climate, this work is very similar to Encyclopedia of Climatology, ed. by John E. Oliver and Rhodes W. Fairbridge (CH, Apr'87). The information in Schneider's work is more current, both in the text and in the bibliographies that accompany the entries. The editors also incorporated sections concerning the effects of weather on people. Included are biographies of those who have helped advance the study of weather and climate and entries on the influence of weather on religion and literature. Schneider provides an extensive glossary. This work encompasses a more diverse range of weather-related topics than Oliver and Fairbridge's encyclopedia and will benefit a wider audience. Highly recommended for all libraries. J. C. Stachacz Dickinson College

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Stephen H. Schneider is at Stanford University.