The secret life of snow : the science and the stories behind nature's greatest wonder
Whittell, Giles2019
Books
How many snowflakes does it take to build a snowman? Where is the snowiest place on Earth? When will the last snowflake fall? Snow has a lot in common with religion. It comes from heaven. It changes everything. It creates an alternative reality and brings on irrational behaviour in humans. But unlike most religions, snow has never had a bible, until now. Giles Whittell, a passionate snow enthusiast, takes the reader on a quest through centuries and continents to reveal the wonders of snow. Along the way he uncovers the mysteries of snow crystal morphology, why avalanches happen, how snow saved a British prime minister's life, and the terrifying truth about the opening ceremony of the 1960 winter Olympics. 'The Secret Life of Snow' is the next best thing to a white Christmas, an anthropology and travelogue for everyone from ski addicts to the millions of people who have never even seen it.
Main title:
Author:
Imprint:
London : Short Books, 2019.
Collation:
287 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (black and white, and colour) ; 20 cm
Notes:
Originally published: as Snow. 2018.Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN:
9781780724072 (pbk. :)
Language:
English
Subject:
BRN:
664107
More Information: