The Invention of Clouds - How an Amateur Meteorologist Forged the Language of the Skies (Paperback, New edition)

The early 19th century was the heyday of the amateur scientist. The scientific revolution, which began in the mid-17th century, spawned a huge public interest in science as a way of explaining the way the world worked. Young men, largely self-taught, pursued their own lines of scientific inquiry and presented them at large public meetings. It was a time when many natural phenomena remained unexplored and unexamined: the opportunities for making new discoveries were endless. Luke Howard was one such young man. Born in 1772, the son of a self-employed manufacturer and Quaker, he developed an early interest in meteorology, specifically cloud formations. Although it seems odd now, no-one at that time had developed either a completely successful explanation of how clouds were formed or a plausible system for classifying the different kinds of clouds. Hamblyn's biography tells the story of how Howard, who became a full-time pharmacist, developed his early interest in clouds to the point where he was able to deliver a public lecture in 1802 giving the first coherent account of how clouds worked or, as Hamblyn puts it, the 'penetrating... insight that clouds have many individual shapes but few basic forms'. The three basic types that Howard identified cirrus, cumulus and stratus are still used today. Howard's achievement was instantly and widely recognized: his admirers included both Constable and Goethe, who wrote a poem about him. Hamblyn does an excellent job of showing why Howard's work excited so much interest and admiration. He gives a clear explanation of Howard's theories and provides a detailed contextual picture, both of the history of meteorology and the 19th century's fascination with classification and measurement. The biographical detail is thin, but that doesn't matter: the story is of the scientist, rather than the man, and Hamblyn conveys beautifully the excitement and importance of Howard's scientific discovery. (Kirkus UK)

This volume tells the story of shy Quaker Luke Howard, and his pioneering work in 1802 to define what had hitherto seemed random and mysterious structures - clouds. It also focuses on other issues of the day, such as religion, aesthetics and literature.

General

Imprint:	Picador
Country of origin:	United Kingdom
Release date:	June 2010
Authors:	Richard Hamblyn
Dimensions:	196 x 130 x 19mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Paperback - B-format
Pages:	304
Edition:	New edition
ISBN-13:	978-0-330-39195-5
Categories:	Books > Language & Literature > Biography & autobiography > Historical, political & military Books > Science & Mathematics > Science: general issues > History of science Books > Science & Mathematics > Science: general issues > Popular science Books > Sport & Leisure > Natural history, country life & pets > General Books > Earth & environment > Earth sciences > Meteorology > General Books > Biography > Historical, political & military Promotions
LSN:	0-330-39195-X
Barcode:	9780330391955

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