Buy new:
-20% $34.49
FREE delivery Friday, May 17 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Ships from: Amazon
Sold by: HMK TRADING CORP
$34.49 with 20 percent savings
List Price: $43.00

The List Price is the suggested retail price of a new product as provided by a manufacturer, supplier, or seller. Except for books, Amazon will display a List Price if the product was purchased by customers on Amazon or offered by other retailers at or above the List Price in at least the past 90 days. List prices may not necessarily reflect the product's prevailing market price.
Learn more
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
FREE delivery Friday, May 17 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35. Order within 19 hrs 38 mins
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
$$34.49 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$34.49
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon
Ships from
Amazon
Returns
30-day easy returns
30-day easy returns
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Returns
30-day easy returns
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Payment
Secure transaction
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
$16.30
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
Ships direct from Amazon! Qualifies for Prime Shipping and FREE standard shipping for orders over $35. Ships direct from Amazon! Qualifies for Prime Shipping and FREE standard shipping for orders over $35. See less
FREE delivery Friday, May 17 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35. Order within 19 hrs 38 mins
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
$$34.49 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$34.49
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the authors

Jack Williams
+ Follow
Jack Williams
+ Follow
See all
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

The AMS Weather Book: The Ultimate Guide to America's Weather Hardcover – June 1, 2009

by Jack Williams (Author), Rick Anthes (Foreword), Stephanie Abrams (Foreword)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 95 ratings
See all formats and editions
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$34.49","priceAmount":34.49,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"34","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"49","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"k61rqpGin%2FcwUANEtIeygsAeSh5gNpfRLHj65I8jOcBWutJrsUs4KzClqyUVBLjH5ipjjvVLWJMvyB9U3J68O%2B49R9d7Fi3MEZ0dF7YnbsWorFcRf73v%2BViTNcpItycow3mafjvAUxmAsRd6gGQ8YFzBikFQ9s2uwlBU%2FOyezs21TLtWGEhuoWEmflG%2BOKCC","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$16.30","priceAmount":16.30,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"16","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"30","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"k61rqpGin%2FcwUANEtIeygsAeSh5gNpfRgGVcQgTyVYogg%2FhPOmKIyIeFwqmJlA41ATS7ojf6kNUatceo3s%2BgUX91GvYNJ6KrAdtzR63br4hdP6h3jY87xWeKwvE%2FvaToAjjFBmbEigp0RB8W9SBdyyPyEqUe0lY4zWdkBTG0lJeuqLNTUKgfBQ%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons



America has some of the most varied and dynamic weather in the world. Every year, the Gulf Coast is battered by hurricanes, the Great Plains are ravaged by tornados, the Midwest is pummeled by blizzards, and the temperature in the Southwest reaches a sweltering 120 degrees. Extreme weather can be a matter of life and death, but even when it is pleasant—72 degrees and sunny—weather is still central to the lives of all Americans. Indeed, it’s hard to imagine a topic of greater collective interest. Whether we want to know if we should close the storm shutters or just carry an umbrella to work, we turn to forecasts. But few of us really understand the science behind them.

All that changes with The AMS Weather Book. The most comprehensive and up-to-date guide to our weather and our atmosphere, it is the ultimate resource for anyone who wants to understand how hurricanes form, why tornados twirl, or even why the sky is cerulean blue. Written by esteemed science journalist and former USA Today weather editor Jack Williams, The AMS Weather Book, copublished with the American Meteorological Society, covers everything from daily weather patterns, air pollution, and global warming to the stories of people coping with severe weather and those who devote their lives to understanding the atmosphere, oceans, and climate. Words alone, of course, are not adequate to explain many meteorological concepts, so The AMS Weather Book is filled with engaging full-color graphics that explain such concepts as why winds blow in a particular direction, how Doppler weather radar works, what happens inside hurricanes, how clouds create wind and snow, and what’s really affecting the earth’s climate.

For Weather Channel junkies, amateur meteorologists, and storm chasers alike, The AMS Weather Book is an invaluable tool for anyone who wants to better understand how weather works and how it affects our lives.



Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Print length
    368 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    University of Chicago Press
  4. Publication date
    June 1, 2009
  5. Dimensions
    8.5 x 0.9 x 10.88 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0226898989
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0226898988
  8. See all details
Next page
The Amazon Book Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Frequently bought together

The AMS Weather Book: The Ultimate Guide to America's Weather
$34.49
Get it as soon as Friday, May 17
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
Sold by HMK TRADING CORP and ships from Amazon Fulfillment.
+
National Geographic Pocket Guide to the Weather of North America
$12.99
Get it as soon as Friday, May 17
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
Field Guide to the Weather: Learn to Identify Clouds and Storms, Forecast the Weather, and Stay Safe
$11.29
Get it as soon as Friday, May 17
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Details
Added to Cart
Some of these items ship sooner than the others.
Show details Hide details
Choose items to buy together.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“I am often asked what book I would recommend to aspiring young meteorologists or climatologists. I will be spreading the word about this one. Whether for the weather enthusiast or the reader simply curious about the many faces of our ever-changing atmosphere, The AMS Weather Book is a must read! Meticulously researched and beautifully written, Jack Williams’ book is incredible.”

-- Tom Skilling, WGN/ Chicago Tribune Chief Meteorologist

"Pilots and students of aviation will find relevant information throughout the book—especially in the chapters on winds and currents, global appterns (which also addresses fronts), weather observation, forecasting, and thunderstorms and tornados." -- Mike Collins ― Flight Training Magazine

"A clearly written, profusely illustrated narrative guide to weather...with its attractive, easy-to-understand graphics, [it] offers a useful, engaging basic introduction to a wide variety of weather-related topics. Highly recommended." ― Choice Published On: 2009-10-01

"[The book] fits the description of being 'new and improved' as it is both. It is full of the same type of rich color explanatory graphics from before but they are even brighter, csisper and up-to-date. . . . Though brand new right now, I am sure that soon this will be another of my dog-eared, close at hand favorite weather books." ― Examiner.com

"I give [this book] my highest recommendation.. It not only belongs on every weather lover's bookshelf (alongside its predecessor and Jack Williams other books), but also makes a wonderful gift for anyone beginning their interest in weather and meteorology. . . . A great one ffor your summer (and any season) reading list." -- Keith C. Heldorn ― The Weather Doctor

About the Author

Jack Williams is former editor of the USA Today Weather Page and author of The USA Today Weather Book. He is currently public outreach coordinator for the American Meteorological Society.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ University of Chicago Press; 5.2.2009 edition (June 1, 2009)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 368 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0226898989
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0226898988
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.81 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.5 x 0.9 x 10.88 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 95 ratings

About the authors

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Previous page
  1. Jack Williams

    Jack Williams

    Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

    See more on the author's page
  2. Jack Williams

    Jack Williams

    Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    The "AMS Weather Book: The Ultimate Guide to America's Weather" is Jack Williams' sixth book.

    He was the founding editor of the USA TODAY weather page in 1982 and took on additional duties as online weather editor when USATODAY.com was established in 1995. He retired from USA TODAY in 2005 and became the Coordinator of Public Outreach for the American Meteorological Society.

    He wrote the "AMS Weather Book" while working for the AMS. He is now a freelance science writer, which includes writing the monthly "The Weather Never Sleeps" for Flight Training Magazine.

    Williams' first book was the "USA TODAY Weather Book" with two editions, the first in 1991 and second in 1996.

    His other books are: "The USA TODAY Weather Almanac" in 1993, co-author of "Hurricane Watch: Forecasting the Deadliest Storms on Earth" in 2001, with Dr. Bob Sheets, retired director of the National Hurricane Center, "The Complete Idiots Guide to the Arctic and Antarctic," in 2003, and co-author with Stephen Leatherman of "Hurricanes: Causes, Effects, and the Future

    in 2008.

    The AMS awarded Williams its "Louis J. Battan Author's Award" for the "Weather Book" in January 1994, and Williams and Sheets the same award in 2004 for "Hurricane Watch."

    Williams became fascinated with weather in the late 1970s when he earned a private pilots license. At the time, he was a copy editor at the Democrat and Chronicle in Rochester, N.Y. He took courses in meteorology at the State University of New York College at Brockport, and began writing a weekly weather column for the Democrat and Chronicle, which is owned by Gannett Corp., Inc.

    When Gannett decided in 1981 to look into publishing a new national newspaper to be known as USA TODAY, Williams was assigned to work with the editors and artists designing the new national newspaper. When the company decided to publish the paper in early 1982 Williams moved to the Washington, D.C. area as a member of the paper's founding staff.

    At USA TODAY Williams reported on atmospheric and other sciences, incuding polar science beginning in 1997 when the National Science Foundation selected him to travel to Greenland to report from a research camp on the Ice Sheet. In 1999 he reported from Antarctica, where he became a pioneer blogger from the South Pole and other parts of Antarctica with his daily "trip diary" reports for USATODAY.com. Between 1999 and 2004 Williams made three more reporting trips to Greenland's Ice Sheet, and a research icebreaker sailing the Arctic Ocean. He also reported from flights into hurricanes aboard National Oceanic Administration WP-3 airplanes.

    See more on the author's page
Next page

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
95 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

william r winkler
5.0 out of 5 stars AMS Weather Book review
Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2013
Verified Purchase
As a retired NOAA meteorologist I consider this book excellent for the general public and a quick reference and teaching tool for scientists. The text is clear and many of the color graphics outstanding.

The illustration of surface weather maps could be more detailed. The sections on tornadoes will need updating in a new edition because we are learning many new things about them.

Produced by the professional American Meteorological Society, the book is authoritative.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
SR
5.0 out of 5 stars Everything You Want to Know!
Reviewed in the United States on December 5, 2010
Verified Purchase
The Ultimate Guide to America's Weather is a great book. It's easy enough to read that you don't feel like you're struggling through high-level textbook jargon, but it's in-depth enough that you don't feel like you're getting the second-grade synopsis of important topics. The book has full color illustrations that really help you to understand the more complex atmospheric cycles. Plus, the chapters are only two to four pages on each topic. The brief topics, detailed discussion, and avoidance of the overly technical and confusing jargon make the book EXCELLENT for anyone looking to learn more about weather. Highly recommended!
8 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Wayne Hanway
5.0 out of 5 stars To learn about weather, get this book
Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2016
Verified Purchase
At last, a book on weather that is neither a textbook, academic tome, or overly simplified broad introduction. It is copiously illustrated, but it has a thorough text, very well-written, that is explaining more about weather to me than I thought I would ever learn. I have read three chapters so far and learned about winds, ocean currents, sun dogs, solar energy, tsunamis, and how tornadoes and hurricanes rip poorly constructed houses and buildings apart, plus a great deal more, with lots of fascinating sidebars. It is one of those books that will be over all too soon, but which I will enjoy returning to later. Very highly recommended.
3 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Mr. Steve
4.0 out of 5 stars Helpful
Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2017
Verified Purchase
I was looking to expand my current knowledge as a SKYWARN spotter and storm chaser with this guide. I learned quite a bit from this book so it was very helpful. It didn't get as much into specific severe storm dynamics as I would have liked to see but perhaps I just need a more focused weather book. I did feel the content jumped around a bit too much for my reading tastes and while I can understand recognizing some of the weather pioneers/figures in this country, it felt excessive at times. The diagrams were all pretty well done and easy to read. I'll keep this as a reference.
5 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
west
5.0 out of 5 stars Lots of cool information, well wtitten
Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2016
Verified Purchase
I bought this book for My husbad, and he loves it! Lots of cool information, well wtitten, and easy to understand
Helpful
 Report
Biker1111
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome so far
Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2012
Verified Purchase
I can't say much about the book yet cuz I've just started reading it. But so far so good. I've been obsessed with weather all my life and this book is very easy to understand. Even after all these years I'm learning a lot. I'll try to update my review at a later date. Oh and don't be afraid to save some money and order it used. My book arrived in like new condition.
3 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Kimberly Roberts
3.0 out of 5 stars Not many cool pictures
Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2019
Verified Purchase
Very well written book for anyone who loves weather. Not as many cool pictures as I thought, but if you are a meteroligcal student its a great book for you.
Helpful
 Report
Maynard E. Smith
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent guide for a diffcult subject.
Reviewed in the United States on October 23, 2009
Verified Purchase
This Guide is much needed in the field of meteorology. It is neither too obscure techincally, nor too juvenile for the average reader. Virtually every aspect of the subject is handled well, with excellent illustrations. Having dealt with such presentations during my entire career, I recommend it highly.

Maynard E. Smith
Fellow, American Meteorlogical Society
19 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report