Home Feed
Home
Search
Search
Add Review, Blurb, Quote
Add
Activity
Activity
Profile
Profile
Rain
Rain: A Natural and Cultural History | Cynthia Barnett
Rain is elemental, mysterious, precious, destructive. It is the subject of countless poems and paintings; the top of the weather report; the source of the world's water. Yet this is the first book to tell the story of rain. Cynthia Barnett's Rain begins four billion years ago with the torrents that filled the oceans, and builds to the storms of climate change. It weaves together sciencethe true shape of a raindrop, the mysteries of frog and fish rainswith the human story of our ambition to control rain, from ancient rain dances to the 2,203 miles of levees that attempt to straitjacket the Mississippi River. It offers a glimpse of our "founding forecaster," Thomas Jefferson, who measured every drizzle long before modern meteorology. Two centuries later, rainy skies would help inspire Morrisseys mopes and Kurt Cobains grunge. Rain is also a travelogue, taking readers to Scotland to tell the surprising story of the mackintosh raincoat, and to India, where villagers extract the scent of rain from the monsoon-drenched earth and turn it into perfume. Now, after thousands of years spent praying for rain or worshiping it; burning witches at the stake to stop rain or sacrificing small children to bring it; mocking rain with irrigated agriculture and cities built in floodplains; even trying to blast rain out of the sky with mortars meant for war, humanity has finally managed to change the rain. Only not in ways we intended. As climate change upends rainfall patterns and unleashes increasingly severe storms and drought, Barnett shows rain to be a unifying force in a fractured world. Too much and not nearly enough, rain is a conversation we share, and this is a book for everyone who has ever experienced it. From the Hardcover edition.
Amazon Indiebound Barnes and Noble WorldCat Goodreads LibraryThing
Pick icon
100%
review
iread2much
post image
Pickpick

This was a really interesting book, I learned a lot. Some of the the things discussed seemed a bit off topic, like music inspired by the rain because a whole thing about musicians who grew up in rainy places, but I really enjoyed learning about the science of rain and the places and people who have been fascinated by rain. It would be benefit from in text citations. 3.5/5 stars, read if you enjoy micro histories and want to learn about rain

blurb
Lizpixie
post image

Today‘s #Bookmail is highly appropriate considering the weather Australia is having right now. We‘re in the grip of another La Niña & it‘s been constant rain for weeks with a lot more in sight. Normally it‘s thunderstorm season but this is just wet. At least there should be no major bushfires this summer?The tagged book is by an environmental journalist about the origins of rain, types of rain & it‘s significance to human cultures?⛈?

Cinfhen I love your wind-chime!!!! How are you, darlin??? 3y
Lizpixie @Cinfhen thank you love! I think I bought it at a craft market years ago, my house is covered with them, inside too. It soothes me. I‘m so-so, at least I‘m home which is infinitely better than hospital. Missing my love bug grandson, he‘s starting to smile & coo now😍How are you? I heard the new strain is in Israel already. You guys ok? 3y
Cinfhen Are you still in lockdown?? I didn‘t realize you have a new baby grandson/ congrats 🎉 💙We‘re well & we‘ve been enjoying a few “normal” months but yes, sadly the newest strain is now here in Israel. And there is talk of a fifth wave and another lockdown situation. 😭😭😭so frustrating. I‘m glad you‘re home and able to read because I remember your sight was affected at some point. 3y
See All 10 Comments
Lizpixie @Cinfhen no, just no visitors in the hospital, didn‘t want to risk him. Yes, he‘s gorgeous, almost 9 weeks old now and the light of my life. Him & his mum are doing it tough, he‘s refluxy plus in a cast for most of his life so far with a brace now till he‘s 6, talipes of the left foot. Lockdowns suck, I think it‘s our new normal though until vaccines become more efficient. Yes, my eyes are affected by my disease, some days more than others👇 3y
Lizpixie @Cinfhen that‘s when I thank god for audiobooks! I really hope this year hurries up and buggers off, but the way things are going it‘s not getting better anytime soon🤷🏻‍♀️ (edited) 3y
Cinfhen Prayers and strength to his mom / that‘s difficult to be in a cast. What‘s his name?? I‘m sure he‘s a beautiful boy. And yes, audiobooks are the BEST!! 3y
Lizpixie @Cinfhen his name is Jaxon Allan. I‘ll post a photo of him so you can see, Ciara sent me one yesterday of him laughing. I wish we could post videos, I have one from last week where I‘m talking to him & he‘s smiling & cooing at me for the 1st time, it‘s sooo cute! The cast annoys him coz it‘s so heavy to move & he‘s such a wrigglebutt. Congrats on becoming a MIL btw, are you a grandma yet? 3y
Cinfhen Oh, that‘s a beautiful name and congrats to Ciara 😘nope, only a fur baby for me! My daughter told me I could probably expect another puppy before a baby 🙄 3y
Lizpixie @Cinfhen fingers crossed you get to be a grandma soon! It‘s one of my main reasons for living now, to see their smiles & hear their laughter.There‘s nothing like holding your new grandbaby in your arms. I have 6 so far but just one granddaughter. I‘m hoping the next one is a little girl💕But a puppy would be awesome too, hubs and I are actually looking for one now, our last dog passed away last year. Trying to decide on a breed but I want a corgi! 3y
Hooked_on_books If you like this one even half as much as I did, you‘ll love it! It‘s fascinating! 3y
47 likes1 stack add10 comments
review
Hooked_on_books
post image
Pickpick

This book is absolutely fascinating! It‘s an engaging, compelling exploration of rain and how it has impacted human societies. This was a broader sketch than I had expected, and I just loved it. Plus, I read most while listening to the rain. Perfect!

#doublespin

BarbaraBB Sounds great! 4y
ChaoticMissAdventures I love nonfiction books that look at one topic like this! So fascinating. 4y
See All 8 Comments
TrishB Great review and pic 👍🏻 4y
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 4y
Librariana Perfect weather to accompany your reading selection 😊 And perfect weather for reading period! It's rainy here in Washington today... overcast and lovely... my favorite kind of weather 🥰 Makes me wish I could be home reading, too! But there are plenty of books that need adding to the catalog 😉 4y
Hooked_on_books @Librariana We have lots of rain here, so it‘s often great reading weather. It‘s also weather we have to learn to work in, since the work is outside. I‘ve been known to wear a wetsuit on cooler days! 😆 4y
Librariana @Hooked_on_books - your new home state is on the bucket list, Holly! Would love to visit some day 🌺🌈🌴 And if it's rainy whenever I'm lucky enough to be there, even better! Give me cloudy weather any day 😊 But this little Mexican gal also has her eyes set on England and Ireland. The world has so many beautiful places I'd love to visit/see some day 💜 4y
65 likes5 stack adds8 comments
blurb
Hooked_on_books
post image

I‘ve had a string of NF for physical books lately, so I‘m not sure if I‘ll start this one later today or choose a fiction option. But with the current deluge, this would be a good choice! (That‘s our roof drainage pond overflowing in the background. It was empty on Sunday and only partially full yesterday. Life in a rain shadow!)

review
Tera66
post image
Bailedbailed

I love rain, and I so wanted to love this book. But it was a little dry😀 ba da dumdum🥁 I tried reading it on paper, couldn't get into it. Got it on audio, nope. So I rarely give up on a book, especially after spending the better part of 2 weeks. But I found myself looking for anything else to do but this book. So I bailed. 😞

quote
cocomass
post image

When it rains, it pours ☔️

StillLookingForCarmenSanDiego 🤔 did not know that 6y
30 likes1 comment
review
monalyisha
post image
Bailedbailed

I‘m giving up on this one. It‘s not the text itself but the audio performance. If I weren‘t listening to it, it might be a completely different story.

The prose is a torrent of both science & poetry; the voice actor, Christina Traister, isn‘t particularly adept at the unconventional amalgamation. It sounds as if she‘s struggling to make the words flow together, even on a basic sentence-structure level. Also, the copy I borrowed skips. 😪

Moray_Reads That's a shame, the book sound interesting! 6y
sprainedbrain Some books just don‘t work on audio... 😬 6y
70 likes2 comments
blurb
monalyisha
post image

tfw your new nonfiction audiobook (about the rain) randomly begins with a tribute to Ray Bradbury‘s fictional settings & you know you‘re gonna get along just fine. ✌🏻🚀🌧

RealLifeReading Yay rain! We‘ve just gotten our first rain here in months! I‘m so excited 6y
78 likes1 comment
blurb
parasolofdoom
post image

My mil made a snotty comment but my kids LOVED splashing around in our little "pond" from all the rain and melt after preschool on our first 70° day in months.

Tamra Exactly what they should be doing! 7y
parasolofdoom @Tamra I feel like puddles are an essential part of childhood! After months of negative cold, I just couldn't bear to keep them inside when it's so warm 😍. 7y
Nebklvr Looks like fun 7y
14 likes3 comments
review
Thndrstd
post image
Pickpick

The natural world has played a huge development in the our culture, art, and history. This book attempts to show how rain has influenced us. It is full of good information, well-researched, and interesting. The book suffers a bit from trying to do too much; each chapter here could be a book on its own. The subject is interesting and there are a lot of fascinating tidbits and it is a worthwhile read.

blurb
Giabow
post image

Two chapters in and I already know more than I ever wanted to about rain. @bookriot #2018readharderchallenge #bookaboutnature

blurb
Thndrstd
post image

Currently reading. Fascinating.

21 likes1 stack add
blurb
mynamerhymes
post image

Perfectly timed shower for me to snuggle up and spend the evening with my current #NonFictionNovember read ☔

quote
keithmalek

Iceland produces more authors and books per capita than anywhere else in the world. It is said that one in ten Icelanders will publish a book. Clouds cover the capital city, Reykjavik, 90 percent of the time. The probability of rain (usually moderate showers or drizzles) rarely falls below 70 percent. The cozy national pasttime of writing and reading (you can buy books at gas stations) dates back to the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries.

Suet624 That's so interesting! 7y
19 likes1 comment
blurb
Brie
post image

From the #TBR. I love a good microhistory. #rain #jubilantjuly

40 likes2 stack adds
blurb
lycomayflower
post image
blurb
littleblogofbooks
post image

Had the opportunity today for a childless visit to my local independent bookstore, I picked this up. It's really unlike anything else I own but has been on my TBR for a while. In the mood for some #nonfiction Notice the sparkly spots on the cover to resemble the rain!

blurb
CoveredInRust
post image

My favorite type of day: rainy. Going home for tea and reading.

tea_stankovic Mine too. But in a few days my classes start and I'll not have so much time for 'tea plus book' moments 😔 8y
CoveredInRust @tea.stankovic I know what you mean. My classes have started and it's cut down on pleasure reading considerably. 😑 8y
tea_stankovic Ohh 😔 Good luck whit your classes ! 😊 8y
25 likes1 stack add3 comments
review
Reading_E
post image
Mehso-so

I love Non-fiction and this was good but not great. Overall I really enjoyed learning about different aspects of rain but parts were so heavy on dates and facts and political opinions that they were hard to trudge through. I would definitely recommend it but with some words of caution. This book is probably best suited for a pro Non-fiction reader not a rookie 😊 ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2⭐️

MrBook Great review! 😊👏🏻👍🏻 8y
16 likes1 comment
review
Mimi28
post image
Pickpick

#nonfictionlove This is like a great science book written by a female friend. It's fascinating and reads really easily. I had it out from the library and I liked it so much I bought it! It mentions Carl Sagan's Cosmos and Ray Bradbury and several other authors whose books I wanted to read after even the first few chapters. Great book!! ❤️❤️👍👍😻😻📚📚🌦⛈🌧✨

MrBook Great review! 😊👍🏻 8y
Mimi28 @MrBook Thanks! 🌞😎 8y
15 likes1 stack add2 comments
blurb
Reading_E
post image

Love the history! Now visiting the world's oldest brolly shop is firmly on my bucket list!

17 likes1 stack add
quote
Reading_E
post image

Some awesome tid bits on how other cultures describe rain 😂☔️☔️☔️

19 likes1 stack add
quote
Reading_E
post image

Beautiful and true first sentence. And I have never even considered how climate may influence the development of religion. Amazing book so far but does require lots of attention!

Laalaleighh 📚 8y
14 likes2 stack adds1 comment
blurb
Reading_E
post image

Labor day reading #biblioweekend

blurb
Reading_E
post image

New book and a new Rose.#readanddrink #septphotochallenge

BookishMarginalia I'm curious what you think of this -- I'm a sucker for this type of book! 8y
Reading_E @BookishMarginalia I love micro history books! So far it's amazing. I'm quarter of the way through. Definitely worth the read if you like these natural history type books. 8y
MrBook Nice pairing! 😊👍🏻 8y
25 likes1 stack add3 comments
blurb
Mimi28
post image

If it would do one I wouldn't need the other. Call me anti-social, but loud music AND fireworks makes my brain hurt. Taz agrees. I can still hear the bass of the loud music through my ear plugs. Gotta stop buying books and save up to move to the burbs. This is intolerable. Worst holiday 4 introverts

bookishkai I hear you! We got home from my in-laws and I couldn't park in front of my house! The neighbors are having a huge party and the kids have been shooting fireworks off all weekend, but it's really loud already tonight. 8y
Mimi28 Chicago police have enough issues anyway...And this is going to go on allllll night. Can't wait till tomorrow when these people go back to working hard, cuz they sure know how to play hard. Happy Birthday United States! Gotta go journal and write what I REALLY feel, lol. I love this outlet though ❤️ 8y
Mimi28 @bookishkris - thanks. I mean, geez, it's sooo loud! I can't even! I wish I lived in a burb where this was much better enforced and controlled off a lake somewhere. But oh well, lol. Thank God for ear plugs 😇😎👍😺 8y
3 likes3 comments
blurb
Mimi28
post image

I love your ideas Liberty! This is just one shelf of books I have at least started but have not completed. Bios by females (mostly) and mysteries, devotionals, books about outcasts: Lady of the Butterflies, The Language of Flowers, Roxane Gay, that's what I am mostly drawn to; bins of adult coloring

Mimi28 Bins of adult coloring books and National Geographic and even Oprah. 8y
2 likes1 comment
blurb
Mimi28
post image

I just decided to buy the darn book. I hate the heat! I'm miserable, but it's about to storm hard here in Chi-town. I have been yearning for this book. Plus, they traded Derrick Rose!! Crazy AF!! I just want to stay away from all media and chill out with something imaginative yet informative. (Sigh)

blurb
lynnomo
post image

Super excited to start this book!! Love the cover so much!!! 🌧🌦⛈💦☔️

blurb
Mimi28

Gonna finish this book listening to my rain app this weekend trying to not choke over the toxic fumes of everyone grilling outside. Me? Anti-social? Nooooo. Heh. Just dreading having to possibly use my inhaler. But I have my coping mechanisms :) The rain app is free and awesome!! Books and cats ^•^

review
BlueNoodleFritz
Pickpick

I absolutely LOVED this book (I happen to love rain too)

blurb
Mimi28
post image

Been trying to find the right "mood" to read this book. A nice cool morning with dewy showers and a ray of sun peeking through my window, laying on my bed with a cat by my head just chillin. With Chicago weather that will never happen, lol. After Shadowshaper, this is my next read.

1 stack add
blurb
Mollie
post image

Reading Rain in the park. The history of rain is such an interesting new perspective on something I always saw as just 'existing.' Written in a poetic scientific and eye-opening way- I'm a big fan so far!