The Secret Life of Snow: The science and the stories behind nature's greatest wonder

by Giles Whittell

Brimming with interesting facts and surprising anecdotes, this scientific and cultural history opens our eyes to the wonders of one of nature’s most delicate, delightful, and deadly phenomena: SNOW! Perfect for fans of The Hidden Life of Trees and Rain.

Go on an extraordinary journey across centuries and continents to experience the wonders of snow; from the prehistoric humans that trekked and even skied across it tens of thousands of years ago to the multi-billion-dollar industry behind our moving, making, and playing with snow. Blending accessible writing with fascinating science, Giles Whittell explores how snow dictates where we live, provides us with drinking water, and has influenced countless works of art and more.

Whittell also uncovers compelling mysteries of this miraculous substance, such as why avalanches happen, how snow saved a British prime minister’s life, where the legend of the yeti comes from, and the terrifying truth behind the opening ceremony of the 1960 winter Olympics.

Filled with in-depth research and whip-smart prose, Snow is an eye-opening and charming book that illuminates one of the most magnificent wonders of nature.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Nature, History, Biography, Natural History, Adult

320 pages, Paperback

Published November 14, 2019

About the author

Giles Quintin Sykes Whittell (born 1966)[1][2] is an English author and journalist who has worked for The Times as Correspondent in Russia and the United States.

Whittell was educated at Sherborne School[2] and Christ's College, Cambridge (B.A. 1988).[3] He has worked for The Times of London since 1993, first as US West Coast Correspondent from 1993 to 1999 and later as Moscow Correspondent (1999–2001) and Washington Bureau Chief (2009–2011). As of 2019 he is the paper's chief leader writer.[4]

His books [5] include Lambada Country (1992), Extreme Continental (1994), Spitfire Women of World War II (2007) and Bridge of Spies, a New York Times bestselling account of the Cold War spy swap between Rudolf Abel, Gary Powers and Frederic Pryor on Berlin's Glienicke Bridge in 1962. The book was published in the US in 2010 and the United Kingdom in 2011.[6]

Reviews

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars for an interesting, informative read.
This eBook is full of interesting facts and figures about snow--such as moisture content, how much snow falls in a year, why all snowflakes are unique and much more. If you are a science/nature fan, you will love this book.. There is a whole chapter devoted to skiing and to the scene of James Bond skiing off a mountain in "The Spy Who Loved Me."
The scene was filmed with an amateur skier who had skied off El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. So there is something for Bond fans also.
One quote on snow:
"Snow needs an atmosphere that can hold water vapor without changing the chemical composition. It needs dramatic upward movements of moist air, either over rising or over other, colder air masses. This movement has to lower the temperature of the moisture to freezing or below, and the air has to be naturally seeded with billions of microscopic dust particles around which ice crystals .. can form.
The odds against all these conditions existing in one place are high, but on Earth it happens all the time. In the thin layer of gas we call the troposphere .the ingredients of snow come together routinely, as if in defiance of the cosmos."
I live in Western New York state, where we average 100 inches of snow each winter.. In the Blizzard of 1977, we received 100 inches in 1 weekend.. I had to dig a tunnel to my front door. Then President Carter sent in the National Guard to dig us out..
Thanks to Giles Whittell and Atria Books for sending me this eARC through NetGalley (less)

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe I don’t have quite the science background to appreciate this book, but I found it disappointing reading. The subtitle mentions the book as a cultural exploration. I found that part weak. Perhaps the biggest flaw for me was the chirpy writing style. It may be difficult to be boring and chirpy at the same time, but here it is.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is so much like The Snow Tourist by Charlie English it was almost uncanny. Whittell, an English journalist who has written history and travel books, is a snow obsessive and hates that, while he may see a few more major snow events in his lifetime, his children probably won’t experience any in their adulthood. Topics in the chatty chapters include historical research into snowflakes, meteorological knowledge then and now and the ongoing challenge of forecasting winter storms, record-breaking snowfalls and the places still most likely to have snow cover, and the depiction of snow in medieval paintings (like English, he zeroes in on Bruegel) and Bond films. There’s a bit too much on skiing for my liking: it keeps popping up in segments on the Olympics, avalanches, and how famous snow spots are reckoning with their uncertain economic future. It’s a fun and accessible book with many an eye-popping statistic, but, coming as it did a decade after English’s, does sound the alarm more shrilly about the future of snow. As in, we’ll get maybe 15 more years (until 2040), before overall warming means it will only fall as rain. “That idea, like death, is hard to think about without losing your bearings, which is why, aware of my cowardice and moral abdication, I prefer to think of the snowy present and recent past rather than of the uncertain future.”

Originally published on my blog, Bookish Beck.

[Bandit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, it’s fair to say by now that White Christmas is going to remain in the land of dreaming where I live and since I do tend to live through books, reading about snow seemed like the next best thing. This book title promises scientific and cultural takes on snow and delivers both. Ok, the scientific one was ever so slightly too detailed, but the rest was just great. From avalanches to Yetis (oh hey, that would be a nice tagline too), this book covers the subject as thoroughly as…well, a solid cover of snow. The author has traveled extensively and the book has a global span and also an extensive historical one. Whittell is thorough too, from snow in art to snow in the Arctic, from people whose life is built around it to people who get buried in it, this book pretty much has all the snow related information you can think of and then some. I’ve learned some new things and was delighted to revisit things I knew. This is the kind of nonfiction I enjoy, it’s informative and engaging equally. Learning should be enjoyable and Whittell’s clever, erudite, dynamic writing ensures that. The man knows his subject and knows how to make it exciting for others to learn about. The narrative moves along with a professional skier’s agility, it doesn’t get dragged down by excessive footnotes or tedious asides. It’s just fun to read, playing in the snow level of fun to read. There are terrific historical snow related facts, some disturbing, some amusing, all very interesting to learn about. And snow is disappearing too, another victim of global warming, less and less snowstorms every decade, less and less chance of snowpocalypse (or all of its fun synonyms author provides). Sad to think. I’m not even that much of a snow person, it isn’t really the same in the city, it turns into a mess or obstacles or both all too quickly. And yet there were times when sitting in my apartment looking out through a fairly large window onto the world when it snows was just like being inside of a lovely snow globe, something magical, almost fairytale like about it and the world doesn’t have that much magic to spare so yes, snow will be missed. This year thus far of snow there’s just been a few quickly dissipating flake. And this book. And a newly acquired knowledge of the atmospheric conditions required for snow. Because it’s just good to know things. So if you’ve got no place to go…let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. Great book. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

It seems odd that I read a book on snow while the area was getting one of the more significant snowfalls of the season.

Anyway, this is a fast-paced and detailed book that is available to any reader. Although the author does go into the physics of snow creation with all its variations along with the scientists who made those discoveries. Admitted snow addict, Giles Whittell then goes into quite the variety of subjects that could be associated not only with snow itself but those that interact with it regularly.

The evolution of arctic creatures ike polar bears.
Humans and snow and migration/colonization/adaptation. Along with the myth of the Eskimo people having 500 different words for snow. Yea, well, it's a myth. They don't just add the same "snow" word to each description like English uses snowfall, snowflake, snowshoe and more.
Painters and snow - seemed like few liked to paint snow scenes or at least the 'great masters' didn't.
Notable snowfalls in England and the meteorology that causes more or less snow for Britain and parts of Europe.
The science of avalanches.
Extreme stunts - he specifically talked with Rick Sylvester about the stunt from The Spy Who Loved Me.
Mountain glacier loss across the world's mountains.
Sochi Russia's Olympic snow.
Snow clearing machinery used at airports. (it's impressive)
The billionaire communities in ski resorts as well as snow making equipment and the pricey skis available.
Dangerous downhill locations, the Freewide World Tour and Evan Parent following the snow.

And it ends with climate change and the future of snow. Even with climatic change and temperature rise, the future currently looks good for snowfalls. As lakes and seas stay clear of ice for longer periods of time during winter, cold fronts moving across them can pick up more moisture which means more ferocious storms with high snowfall amounts over shorter periods of time.

At no time did I get bored with any topic that Whittell touched on since he wrote not only his personal experiences but each chapter averaged 14 pages so he was packing alot of information into each one.

Perhaps reading this book during winter when any yearning of snow can be appeased by going outside and playing. Making a snowman. Or even finding a nearby ski lodge and strap on a set of skis - downhill or cross-country. . . .

2020-028

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Narrated by MaryBeth Wise, and acquired by the National Library for the Blind and Print Disabled's BARD app.

Let me just say that despite living in NYS's Mohawk Valley, I TRULY HATE SNOW! That means that I am just out of luck every winter.

Nonetheless, this fascinating book about the science and folklore (Yeti, anyone?) surrounding snow kept my interest. But I still don't want to see any flakes!

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a Buffalo, New York resident and snow lover, I was excited to read this copy of Snow by Giles Whittell. The book is front-loaded with a lot of technical information about the composition and behavior of snow. If you are a weather nerd (like me) you will especially enjoy this portion, if not, keep plowing through. The rest of the book is full of story-telling and anecdotes about avalanches, James Bond, the development of ski technology and more. You’ll learn about glacier melt and global warming as well. All around good read.

[Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

As indicated by the title this book is all about snow. The author has an obvious love and passion for the subject. Over the course of the book he addresses the different types of snow, records and events in different parts of the world and the consequences of not being prepared or ignoring warning signs when it comes to snow and its impact on the envioronment.

I recommend this book ffor those who have an interest in snow and are looking for an informative and engaging read on the subject..

I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my nonfiction book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook  page.

[Fenne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the cuteness and it being about snow, but it was a little dull sometime

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s not difficult to find nonfiction that is well written in the sense that the book is impeccably researched and immensely knowledgeable. What’s much harder to find is nonfiction that reads well; Not just for those who are highly interested in/knowledgeable about a given topic, but also for those who might be dabbling hobbyists or just intellectually curious.

Whittell’s book on snow is an excellent example of one of those rare instances in nonfiction where the author writes so compellingly that even the minutiae of the topic becomes interesting to the layman.

Researchers, particularly those in science, are generally not known for their ability to write entertaining nonfiction for the masses. But it’s here that Whittell excels. The science, the painstaking research...it’s all there. But he’s also an outstanding “reader’s writer,” meaning that he can take erudite, nuanced concepts specific to his field and make them palatable for the Everyman.

I’m a researcher by training too, so I can appreciate the difficulty of presenting complex concepts from one’s field in a manner that is both thorough and complete and also entertaining and appealing to those outside one’s area of expertise.

Whittell nails this perfectly, using novels, art, even Bond films to help explain the science of snow and snowflakes. Great stuff for anyone from skiers to history buffs to those who just happen to like snow.

*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

[Jonathan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm sad that a book about a subject I love so much turned out to be not very good. The issue here is disorganization--the whole book is just a collection of random information that is sometimes only adjacent to snow, in a way that feels very much like you're talking to Whittell at a party and he's just sharing fun facts he knows. Had I encountered him at such a party, I would have really enjoyed hearing these facts, but sitting down to read the book, I was dying for some kind of structure and logic.

Even the subtitle suggests that the book wasn't sure what it's supposed to be about--making the text "a scientific and cultural exploration" means that we're not really able to get deep into either the science or the culture. There are many chapters that were screaming for more depth--for example, in one chapter, he touches on apocalyptic snowstorms that struck in the 2010s, and he explains how the storms came to be but then offers almost no description about life on the ground in the aftermath. Give us anecdotes about what fun or wild things people did when multiple feet of snow fell! Explain the nuances of how such a storm can have insidious aftereffects that we don't think of immediately!

At one point, he starts to dismantle the "100 words for snow" myth, and after going on about it for 3 pages, he footnotes himself and says "but this isn't a book about linguistics, so enough about that." What is it a book about? Who knows!

Whittell is clearly a big fan of winter sports, and I think probably this book would have turned out better if he'd focused just on that particular subject. There's also this weird, annoying thing going on near the end of the book where he keeps talking about how climate change will eventually erase the possibility of snow, but rather than digging deep into that topic, he keeps saying "but I love snow so much that I don't even want to think about that...it's too scary..." Suck it up and give us more information???

2/5

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

"This scientific and cultural history opens our eyes to the wonders of one of nature's most delicate, delightful and deadly phenomena". The beauty of snow. The density of snow. The uniqueness of each snowflake and why this is so. The many Eskimo words for snow [snow on the ground, falling snow, drifting snow, snow drift, fine snow, deep snow, snow floating on water].

Tribiology is the study of friction, and, when humans discovered the slipperiness of snow, all kinds of things began to happen. There was a Norse god of skiing before there was a Greek god of war. Cross country skiing was invented in Norway, probably as a way to get to the food supply.

SNOW. Kids love it! Grownups, too, as long as they don't have to drive in it. What can beat the beautiful stillness of freshly fallen snow? This is a truly fascinating book, well worth your time to read.

My wish for this book was granted by Atria Books and Net Galley; pub date 11/19/19

[Marcy Graybill · Rating 2 out of 5]

Giles definitely describes the science of snow, it's very interesting and somewhat technical a bit of a slog.
Sadly the cultural exploration is mostly the history of the highest snow falls, some information on avalanches and a lot about skiing. I was expecting information on cultures who live with snow most of the year. How they cope, what they do in/with the snow, how the rely on snow. But really the author just discussed skiing, the history of skis, extreme stunts in skiing and his own personal experiences in the snow and skiing. The point of this book schussed on past me.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very much a follow up to my previous book, The Snow Tourist. The writer Giles Whittell is chief leader writer for The Times so appropriately there was a lot more facts and researched has gone into this book. The personal and family touches were of added interest. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and learnt many things I didn't know about snow and snowfall. An interesting and informative book.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though much of the world’s population lives in areas that do not receive much, if any, natural snow, the human race has an obsession with the white stuff. We like to slide down it on skis and sleds. We rely upon it for water to drink and to irrigate our crops. We enjoy pictures of snow and the idea of it coating our homes in fluffy white in time for the holidays. But the science of snow– how it forms, why it is slippery, and even why no two snowflakes are ever identical– is not something we generally think about. In his new book Snow: A Scientific and Cultural Exploration, self-proclaimed snow addict Giles Whittell sets out to investigate the riddle of snow’s slipperiness, its uniqueness (both in the shape of its snowflakes and as a general phenomenon in space), and to investigate where in the world gets the most snow every year. Along the way, he discusses the greatest possible amount of snow that could fall in a single day, the notion that the worst snowstorm ever could still be ahead of us, and the future of snow in an era of climate change.

It would be easy to take a subject like snowflake formation and explain in dry terms rife with scientific jargon. It would also be easy to drone on and on about the worst snowstorms in recorded history, turning a series of disasters into a rambling list of dates and places that go in one ear and out the other. Or a passionate writer could blast the reader with the intensity of their love of the subject, turning away all but the most passionate readers. But like any good science writer, Whittell doesn’t let his passion for the subject override his sense and intrude on a good story. The tale of a freak snowstorm in the French Alps is the background for a story of millionaires complaining about the lack of good wine in the middle of a natural disaster. Explanations of the causes of avalanches are interspersed with the human cost of being caught in the midst them.

That’s not to say that Whittell skimps on information about snow in its many forms. The science of snow abounds but is balanced out by human stories that emphasize science. We learn how shifting air pressure systems from the Azores to Iceland affect winter train schedules in England, why Europe’s Alps have nothing on the Sierra Nevada range in California in terms of yearly snowfall, or why a mountain in Costa Rica might beat them all from year to year. All of these stories are told with straightforward prose that knows how to have a bit of fun.

“If rain is a rushed and irritable waiter nearing the end of his shift, an overnight fall of fern-like stellar dendrites is a stealth team of metteurs-en-scene who spread out through the banquet hall with dishes under silver domes which they remove with an understated flourish, whispering as one, ‘voilà!'”

Whittell also gives us a look at the lifestyles of the rich and famous, at least where they intersect with snow. There is the story of the Winter Olympics in Sochi that were nearly a disaster when snow failed to fall in area known more for its palm trees, and the cringe-worthy story of massive amounts of money flung at cable-car projects that would allow tourists to arrive in style at a few European ski resorts.

Sadly, though, Snow is not all about fun, games, and fluffy snowflakes. Whittell also speaks with meteorologists and climatologists regarding the future of snow itself, and the news isn’t good. Though warming air helps to create massive snowstorms, eventually that effect will end. The lower levels of the atmosphere will grow too warm for water to remain frozen, and our winter snows will turn to winter rains. If the effects of climate change are not stopped, we could all end up only dreaming of a white Christmas forevermore.

The sum total of Snow, though, is a celebration of this common but little understood phenomenon. While many dread the onset of winter, snow is a precious thing that is getting rarer, so if you live in a place lucky enough to see regular snowfall, Whittell’s advice is this: put on your coat, gloves, and hat, and then head outside to make the most of this delightful– if chilly– by-product of living on this marvelous planet.



Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with a free ebook in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion.

[Tonstant Weader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Snow was always of paramount importance while growing up in northern Minnesota. Walking out to the main road to put the flag out for the snow plow could be easy or difficult depending on the quality of the snow. Fine powdery snow was fun, though I would get soaking wet. Meanwhile if there were a hard surface on top of the snow so each step had a hitch when breaking through, that was about as hard as it would get. We didn’t have fifty words for snow, but the different qualities mattered. It was that somewhat nostalgic connection to snow that led me to reading Snow by Gilles Whittell.

Whittel begins with the science of snow, how snowflakes are formed and why they are all unique. It was truly fascinating. He comes at the questions of snow from his own personal fascinations with skiing and the search for the world’s best powder. So, he explores what makes good snow, where it snows the most, and why. Then, he looks at high speed skiing. I love mountaineering and polar exploration memoirs. This was different, but close enough to my own fascinations to fit right in. I particularly liked his description of his attempts to ski the fastest high-speed track in the world. Like Falstaff, he decides discretion is the better part of valor.



I enjoyed Snow a lot and not just because I felt a sort of nostalgia for snow (not that I want any here!) It is well-structured, starting from the individual flake and expanding out to the whole world of snow and world competition skiing and Snowmads. The fanaticism of some of the snowmads is fascinating. Whittell is a good writer who can take complex scientific ideas and explain them clearly. He also conveys the excitement and thrill of rushing downhill so fast you can hardly breathe. Doing one or the other is what a reader expects, doing both so well is a gift.

I received an e-galley of Snow from the publisher through NetGalley.

Snow at Atria Books | Simon & Schuster
Gilles Whittell on Twitter

https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpre...

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

From an author who, if the zeal reflected in his prose is the sole indicator, deserves to author a book about the subject.

Switching from explorations on how it forms, enthralls, delays, surprises and incorporates into our lives (not to mention how it kills via avalanche), Whittell wishes to tell us just about everything we can fit into a book about snow, save for photographs (although the history of those are even mentioned). Just exactly why are no two flakes the same? Is it snowing less or more? How do melting ice caps figure into this?

Our fascination with snow, although usually not on full display lest we broadcast it via media like this book, is pointedly remarked upon, its imprint (pun not intended) obvious in our past. From performing death-defying stunts on it (there's a great recollection of a great Bond stunt you'll want to check out) to obtaining near-celebrity status from being able to clear it off of an airport runway quickly, there's plenty of reason given by Whittell to pause for reflection, awe, worry, nostalgia--maybe even all of the above and more.

So, to sum it up: Want to know more about snow? Read this, then. Pay special attention to the climate change effects, if at all possible.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advance read.

[Gemini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably nothing better than reading a book about snow when going through a heatwave or two. I was enthralled reading this book about all things snow! Amazing to be learning so much about snow & how different it can be around the world even though it's made up of various particles in the air. I mean a snowflake is unique & while no two are alike considering the millions of snowflakes that fall from the sky all the time is astonishing. How water becomes snow (and vice versa) & the effects of the climate crisis on glaciers & snow-capped mountains that are now bare are horrifying. There are essentially mountains all over the world yet some are more popular than others. The impact that warming ocean temps have & the direction mountains face will determine snow drifts, snowfall amounts, angle, plus how quickly it melts. The dangerous side of how avalanches occur as well as how often & what needs to be done in order to prevent them is fascinating. While the author didn't get to all the places that he wanted, he did experience many places all over the world which is pretty damn cool. Yeah check it out & learn something too.

[Tom Bower · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great little seasonal book about all things snow. The book is extremely wide ranging, covering the science of snowflake formation and weather patterns, culture and myth behind snow (think tribal snow dances and the Yeti), snow world records (where is the snowiest place on Earth?), snow in media and popular culture (such as famous James Bond stunts), as well as plenty of chapters on skiing.

The first few chapters seemed a little bit confused - switching between topics and introducing completely unrelated information quite often - but this soon settled down with each subsequent chapter neatly covering a specific aspect of snow. The book is a mixture of the author's personal anecdotes and stories of snow from elsewhere. As someone not interested in skiing, I would have preferred a bit less about that and more about the science of snow, but that is purely personal preference.

Definitely a book to read with a warm drink as the nights draw in and the temperature drops.

[Terzah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This wonderful account of snow and our human life with it was a breath of frosty air after a summer of fires here in Colorado. A friend of mine once said that he believes one reason too many people are lackadaisical about climate change is that too many people don't like COLD. Reading this book might help rectify that attitude. And those who need no convincing to love snow and cold and the culture that human beings have built around them and fear their loss on a warming planet will enjoy Whittell's stories and scientific explanations like we enjoy a conversation over cocoa with a kindred spirit. I also appreciated his optimism. He writes, "...Decent snowstorms at livable latitudes could be fading from history by the middle of this century. There is an alternative, though. There really is. See page 218." What's on page 218? Pick the book up to find out!

[RMazin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since childhood snow has held a great fascination for the author Giles Whittell. Luckily, for readers, this love of snow has never left him. Coupled with Whittell’s keen writing abilities, sense of humor, and journalistic investigative skills, I enjoyed facts previously ignored or unknown by me. There is the physics of snow, avalanches, history of epic snowfalls, snow gear and machines, ski resorts and races, and even the story behind that iconic James Bond opening. Each chapter opens up another intriguing snowy dimension. I can hardly wait for winter. Highly recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this book to review.

[Patricia Baker · Rating 3 out of 5]

a most interesting science book about the white stuff that falls in winter. learnt about the shape of the snowflake, where it falls the most and why the snow is decreasing in size. my daughter and her family live in the DC area and experienced the snowmageddon in Feb 2010. unbelievable amount of snow trapped them along with many others inside for a number of days. lived in the Rocky Mt area along with the east coast and experienced the difference in snow fall in these two areas. cannot say that I would be a snow chaser to get the best downhill run, but would be waiting at the bottom with a hot beverage.

[Daniel · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing was a bit chaotic and the ideas didn't seem to have a good flow between chapters. I did appreciate however, the good amount of information which was packed into this book. Some more diagrams would have been appreciated to explain the direction of winds and moisture in geographical locations where it snows. Having to stop and search some of the more local spots and then chart out how the atmosphere was churning to cause the discussed results was a bit of a roadblock in continuing the book.

[Tom Concannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable book on snow, especially from a cultural perspective. Though I wanted a more in-depth scientific approach, the author focused more on our relationship with snow, its past, its (bleak) future, and how to navigate in snow (from surviving an avalanche to skiing on some of the best slopes in the world). I enjoyed the first third more than the rest mainly because of the science, but learned interesting factoids and read fun anecdotes in the latter parts of the book, enough to keep my interest.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grew up in Canada and didn’t know all this about snow

I enjoyed this book. Giles Whittell writes with a conversational tone and with a good sense of humor. The book is a broad discussion of snow including science (that never gets technical) and sports. This close look at snow turns the mundane or even the troublesome into a fascinating phenomenon of nature. I will try to remember this next winter.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley for review purposes.

[Cindy Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Snow: love it for its beauty, hate it for its pain in the butt qualities, sometimes.

So interesting to learn more about what it is, how it falls, sticks and melts. Fascinating stuff, both the science and how snow affects us. Well written, easy to read, super interesting. Whether you have to deal with it or simply look at pictures of it, so much more to understand.

[Hindley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Featuring bits about science, recreation, history, and weather statistics, I enjoyed this book about all things snow. I was hoping there would be a bit more culture in the book, such as explanations of where the ancient world believed snow to come from and how that has evolved, but the content itself was interesting to read, if a bit long-winded at points.

[Aubree · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this exploration of snow as I am a snow lover. ❄️❄️❄️There were chapters on all sorts of things such as movie stunts, the history of snow in art, record snow falls, and the future of snow. It was really interesting. I do have to fact check the author who said that Brigham Young died in a wagon as he entered Utah, so I hope that everything else was correct. 😜

[Leilani · Rating 2 out of 5]

not exactly what I'd expected, though I'm not sure what I expected at all
very much just an infodump on everything snow. lives up to the title. lots more skiing and anecdotes than I'd expected and far less of the science, but still entertaining enough for a nonfic book.
overall: whittell had a hyperfixation and made a book about it and I respect that so much

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating look at snow from a variety of angles. With scintillating facts and interesting anecdotes and stories, this contains a lot of surprising and fun info told in an engaging way. Seemed extremely well researched, too. Highly recommended.

I really appreciate the review copy!!