Explore the nature of weather, from windswept Mount Washington to Tornado Alley to the South Pole, in a 10-hour audiobook. Where can you find the worst weather on earth? The surprising answer in Tying Down the Wind is: everywhere! You don’t need to climb Mount Everest or voyage to the icy desert of Antarctica to witness both the beauty and the destructiveness of weather. The same forces are at work in your own backyard. Tying Down the Wind takes readers on a voyage of discovery through the atmosphere, a swirling ocean of air that surrounds and sustains life. The journey begins in a sunny New England woodlot and ends atop the polar ice of Antarctica—where we learn, remarkably, that the two extremes are not so different. “The book is the product of deep insight. Pinder is a weather observer by trade, but his observations of humanity are equally exacting. He expresses the onset of goosebumps, the pain of snow blindness, the fragrance of a summer day, the rebirth of spring, and other common weather experiences with uncommon acuity.” -Weatherwise Magazine Drawing on the author’s experiences at the Mount Washington Observatory in New Hampshire’s White Mountains, Tying Down the Wind revisits the devastating Northeast Ice Storm of 1998, takes readers on a snow-blind walk through a Berkshire blizzard, and describes the impact of a 54,000-degree lightning bolt just a few yards away. Available in hardcover or as a 10-hour audiobook on CD, cassette or digital download. Click to read an excerpt from chapter 17.     Excerpt Mark Twain always had plenty to say about the weather, particularly New England weather. "Cold!" he once wrote. "If the thermometer had been an inch longer we'd all have frozen to death."

Professional Reviews
AudioFile Magazine: Tying Down the Wind
Mark Twain is supposed to have quipped, "Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it." Pinder has, however, written an informative and entertaining book, ably presented in audio. Patrick Cullen's pleasant voice and unobtrustive style takes you to the Mt. Washington Meterological Observatory in New Hampshire, site of the the titular worst weather, tells you why it's so bad there, then transports you to Antarctica for a long stay. TYING is not a catalogue of weather extremes everywhere, concentrating instead on cold, wind, and precipitation--all of which abound at Washington's summit. You get a lot of scientific data--rewinding is advised--and reminders that atmospheric conditions in one part of the globe can trigger something else far away. You may not like the subject, but you can't avoid it, and this production makes it palatable. J.B.G. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/SEP 02]

Library Journal: Tying Down the Wind
Pinder, a certified observer and staff writer at the Mount Washington Meteorological Observatory, takes listeners on a voyage of discovery through the atmosphere, explaining in detail how weather conditions throughout the world have occurred. Accurate, clear definitions of scientific and technical words are succinctly discussed in layperson's terms, making detailed examples of horrific weather conditions comprehensible. The journey begins in a New England wood lot and ends in the polar ice of Antarctica where the two extremes are more similar than different. Pinder tells why it is difficult for meteorologists to predict exact weather conditions even with today's technological advances. He interjects quips from renowned historical individuals and quotes literary figures who have addressed the weather in novels, short stories, poetry, or plays. Patrick Cullen masterfully narrates this work, and the listener can easily imagine these weather conditions and their consequences. Highly recommended for public and some academic libraries. - Bernadette Lopez-Fitzsimmons, Manhattan Coll. Libs., Riverdale, NY
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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