Product Description

This revealing book synthesizes research from many fields to offer the first complete history of the roles played by weather and climate in American life from colonial times to the present. Author William B. Meyer characterizes weather events as neutral phenomena that are inherently neither hazards nor resources, but can become either depending on the activities with which they interact. Meyer documents the ways in which different kinds of weather throughout history have represented hazards and resources not only for such exposed outdoor pursuits as agriculture, warfare, transportation, construction, and recreation, but for other realms of life ranging from manufacturing to migration to human health. He points out that while the weather and climate by themselves have never determined the course of human events, their significance as been continuously altered for better and for worse by the evolution of American life.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #673072 in Books
• Published on: 2000-06-29
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: 1.23 pounds
• Binding: Hardcover
• 288 pages

About the Author
William B. Meyer is Assistant Research Professor at George Perkins Marsh Institute, Clark University, and Associate at the Center for Science and International Affairs, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.