Experience the most devastating storms of the last fifty years through the eyes of the scientific visionaries who took them on and tamed them. For decades, the author, a pioneering meteorologist, has dedicated himself to saving lives by combining science, experience, and instinct. The struggle to understand nature's fury provides fascinating insights into the natural forces that shape our world, and the turbulent politics that influence our scientific establishment. Tracing the Herculean effort to improve weather forecasting and advanced warning systems, the author draws fascinating biographical sketches of the scientists behind the breakthroughs, such as Dr. Theodore Fujita, creator of the Fujita Scale for tornado measurement. With its gripping story-telling approach to major natural disasters, Warnings is narrative nonfiction at its heart-pounding best. ''I highly recommend this exceptional book.'' --Roger Pielke, Sr., Pielke Climate Science blog ''The weatherman's version of The Right Stuff--Mike Smith's Warnings. I recommend it highly.'' --Tom Fuller, The Examiner ''A fascinating journey inside the world of weather and the mind and heart of the meteorologist. A great read for anyone.'' --Bob Ryan, chief meteorologist, WRC TV (NBC), Washington DC, former president, American Meteorological Society ''This book chronicles the remarkable advances that have occurred in meteorology over the past 50 years--not through dry statistics but through very personal stories. The book discusses the virtual elimination of airline crashes due to wind shear and the thousands of lives saved by hurricane warnings. Its primary focus is on severe storms in the Midwestern U.S., but the issues raised about the evolution of forecasting the weather, and the impact those forecasts have on the people and commerce, are much more universal. The narrative throughout the book is engaging and compelling, and I found it very hard to put down after reading just the first few pages.This book is not just for hard-core weather enthusiasts or those who work in weather-related fields (though they will love it). Anyone who has ever watched a stormy sky on warm afternoon or felt moved by the images on the news following the Greensburg tornado or Hurricane Katrina (both of which are covered in this book) will get pulled into the narrative of this book.'' --Keith Seitter, Executive Director, American Meteorological Society Boston