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    Rain: A Natural and Cultural History
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    Rain: A Natural and Cultural History
    Unavailable
    Rain: A Natural and Cultural History
    Audiobook11 hours

    Rain: A Natural and Cultural History

    Written by Cynthia Barnett

    Narrated by Christina Traister

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    A natural history of rain, told through a lyrical blend of science, cultural history, and human drama

    It is elemental, mysterious, precious, destructive. It is the subject of countless poems and paintings; the top of the weather report; the source of all the world's water. Yet this is the first audiobook 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 science-the true shape of a raindrop, the mysteries of colored rains-with the human story of our attempts 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 Morrissey's mopes and Kurt Cobain's 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 an audiobook for everyone who has ever experienced it.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateApr 21, 2015
    ISBN9781501224676
    Unavailable
    Rain: A Natural and Cultural History

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    Reviews for Rain

    4/5

    180 ratings75 reviews

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    • 4/5
      From the rain cycle to the shape of raindrops to the smell of rain, Cynthia Barnett's "Rain: A Natural and Culture History" hits all the most interesting stories about the life-giving rain we sometimes take for granted.

      Barnett explores the Mackintosh, the rainiest places on Earth, and, of course, how rain is being affected by climate change.

      But this isn't a thinly veiled agenda book. It's a well thought out exploration of how rain makes us human, and our response to the rainy days in our lives.

      Read more of my reviews at Ralphsbooks.

      I received this book for free in exchange for a review.
    • 4/5
      Absolutely wonderful writing in this book, linking science with literature and human history in a masterful way.
    • 5/5
      I was skeptical that a whole book could be written about rain, but as a fan of micro-histories with one-word titles, I signed up to win a preview copy of Rain. When I got my copy, I dived in to find that Cynthia Barnnett crafted a very interesting and enlightening book. Her writing style ranges from factual, as one would expect from a non-fiction book, to wonderfully lyrical at other times. I enjoyed reading Rain as much as I enjoy snuggling by the fireplace during a thunderstorm.
    • 4/5
      Lovely book. The author has captured both the scientific and the poetic importance of rain. The book travels all over the world and all over a diverse range of topics and approaches but never meanders or loses its way. Rain seems ubiquitous and ever present, but Barnett captures the specificity of rain in particular instances all over the world. I learned several facts from this book. But mostly my memory is of sitting and enjoying the experience of reading.I received this book for free through the Early Reviewers program
    • 4/5
      Combining historical narrative with contemporary interviews and observations, Cynthia Barnett's "Rain: A Natural and Cultural History" is an insightful and informative look at the place of rain in our history and cultural imagination. I especially enjoyed the section on rain in American history and the many forgotten stories about how precipitation (or the lack thereof) shaped the contours of a budding nation.Barnett's style is straight forward and nearly languid. At times she almost lets a subject overstay its welcome (I could have done with one less story of American rainmakers) as she chases details. I found myself picking up the book and reading bits at a time (and even skipping ahead to new subjects) rather than reading long passages.N.B.: A received a free review copy of this book from LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program.
    • 3/5
      3.5 stars: I enjoyed this one. The subject matter ranges from the formation of rain and water on the early Earth to effects on weather and rain due to Climate Change. There is even a chapter on Mackintosh raincoats.

      The only fault I found with this book is it covers too much territory, and the reader can feel overwhelmed at times with the constant shifting of focus. All in all, a very enlightening popular science book about rain, and one I would recommend.
    • 4/5
      I was unsure of what to expect from this title before I began. I've read about water, and the effects of rainfall, in the past, but never rain, in it's purest form. I expected the book to be full of scientific facts and data, and while it is (truthfully, it is incredibly well researched), it reads more as a series of essays. At times, the factual data seems redundant and points are driven home harder than needed, but that doesn't take away from the overall easiness and pleasure of reading this piece. I didn't think that the sections needed to be read in order, but that readers could instead highlight those that are most appealing to them. Overall, an accessible and enjoyable blend of culture and science. I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
    • 5/5
      Rain as life; love; sex; death; Janus, the two-faced god; masculinity; chaos; enemy; weapon; memory; inspiration. Phew, talk about a lyrical history. In Rain, Cynthia Barnett creates a personable and inviting history of rain and water. Moving water is life for fragile humanity yet we are incapable of mastering it. The world lives by rain, adapts to rain, dies by rain. Honestly, this is one of the best natural and cultural histories I've read because it's so incredibly engaging and visual. Barnett paints images with her writing that are as vivid as color after a storm.Rain is separated into five subsections centered on a different aspect of rain. Section 1, Elemental Rain, was my favorite section. It described how humanity evolved with rain and how both rain and drought influenced humanity's and civilization's development from the very beginning of evolution. (Finger wrinkles after being in water, anyone?) Section 2, Chance of Rain, described how humans tried to predict, define, and protect from rain. Section 3, American Rain, is pretty self-explanatory. Apparently Americans have always been big on trying to control everything, including the elements, without really paying attention to science. Section 4, Capturing the Rain, is about how artists, including writers, have used the rain as inspiration and setting; how the smell of rain can define a culture; and how cities have fought rain and, more recently, tried to work with rain to create a sustainable and healthy region. The last section, 5, Mercurial Rain, is about "strange" rain, maybe a frog or two, and climate change. I really, really enjoyed this book, though it was a little jarring when the author inserted her own personal narratives, especially in the later sections. The book is well organized and very well written. It satisfied both the history/science nerd part of me and the yearning for lyricism part. This book even inspired me to a tweet my amusement with a line jabbing at inefficient political systems. Barnett's sources are nicely varied, though leaning toward secondary and news articles. Plus, I always appreciate an index. Overall, if you're interested in natural history or human nature at all, or just enjoy a well written poetic non-fiction, read it!
    • 3/5
      The first six paragraphs of Chapter One, "Cloudy with a Chance of Ccivilization" are stunning. The words fall as if they were musical notes and one is prepared to fall in love with the book. However the rest of the book is rendered in a more clinical fashion.There are all sorts of interesting aspects of rain included in this 'cultural history' - the making of the Macintosh raincoat, the history of the umbrella, how rain (and the lack of it) brought the Black Plague to Europe, Noah, the Mississippi, the villagers of Kannauj, India who can capture the scent of rain in a bottle.Barnett also discusses the formation of the Weather Bureau and Cleveland Abbe who 'taught' its personnel how to forecast. It has grown into an reliable source of weather forecasting for the most part; but she fails to mention how thirty years after its establishment the Bureau turned deaf ears to Cuban meteorologists who warned that the hurricane which had hit Cuba would make landfall in Texas. The US Bureau believed the storm would go north and hit Florida. The result of this miscalculation was the deadliest natural disaster in the US. Between six and twelve thousand people (the count is usually given as eight thousand) lost their lives when the Hurricane hit Galvaston, TX. (Hurricane Katrina's death count was 1,800)She also describes the efforts of the rainmakers to bring rain, both the kind who brought drums and loud noise (Remember Burt Lancaster as the Rainmaker?) and the 'scientific' efforts of seeding clouds.The books is interesting, but often I found myself skipping pages. She makes her point, gives examples to validate her point, and then instead of going on she keeps giving more and more examples. It wore me out and towards the end of the book I was skipping large portions.It is very appropriate that it happens to be raining, here, at the moment.
    • 4/5
      The author has done a lot of research on rain, focused mainly on cultural aspects such as how it affected settlement, it's prevalence in art, the emergence of weather forecasting and of scientific (and not so scientific) attempts to make it rain, or stop raining. The book is informative, insightful and easy to read....what more could a general interest reader like me ask for?
    • 5/5
      Summary: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. My take: 5 looks I was intrigued by the premise of writing about rain. Not water, not floods, not weather. Rain. When I started it, I will admit that it was a tiny bit on the dry side (hehe). However, Barnett's skill at segueing from one topic to another, while weaving both scientific facts with myths, stories, and real events soon became quite mesmerizing. I have never used so many sticky tabs in a book to remember to make notes later. It's hard to resist a sentence that contains "C. Leonard Woolley - think Indiana Jones with high cheekbones and kneesocks - ..."; and this book abounds with them. From the first meteorologists to the de-feminization of the umbrella, the story of rain as presented by Barnett is both educational and compelling. Oh, and read the book yourself to find out why I am going to start calling windshield wipers "marys". Highly recommended. Thank you to Blogging for Books for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
    • 4/5
      Exactly as described -- an enjoyable blend of cultural and science-for-layman exploration of rain. It reminded me (in a good way!) of Victoria Finlay's approach in Color: A Natural History of the Palette, as it is guided structurally largely from anecdotes and experiences from the author, on subjects ranging from poetic interpretations to climate change/the coming water wars.
    • 5/5
      Absolutely gorgeous book, which reminded me a lot of the work of Diane Ackerman in its organization and scope. Barnett weaves in connections to philosophy, literature, and the sciences, among other things. Personally, one of my favorite novels is Amelie Nothomb's "The Character of Rain" and I look forward to reading it again in light of Barnett's book, for added awareness of the significance of rain historically and cross-culturally.
    • 5/5
      My deep interest in science (understanding the universe) and my appreciation of the beauty of nature led me to read this book. It is hard to combine the two in one, so I was not quite sure what to expect. I ended up pleasantly surprised that the author covered the subject quite comprehensively. The scientific explanation is quite complete and understandable, while the descriptions of the sensory effects of rain are wonderfully poetic. These contrasting threads are woven together in a historical chronology and they blend together into an enjoyable whole. At the end it is a bit surprising when the author joins right into the narrative, but you are drawn right along into the experience. This is an excellent book which fulfills its title.
    • 5/5
      A fascinating and well researched and written book about the history of precipitation. How was rain regarded in ancient times? Can you artificially produce rain? What about flooding and droughts? Everything is studied. One thing I really enjoyed was the section on Morton Salt. Apparently this company was the first to find an agent that would stop salt from clumping during humid weather. They would then come up with the marketing slogan "when it rains it pours" and put the little girl with the umbrella on their packaging. A justly deserved award winning book.
    • 4/5
      This reader is too extreme in her mannered enunciation most distracting
    • 3/5
      An enjoyably chatty journey through the phenomenon of rain, debunking a few myths (Manchester and Seattle aren't as rainy as they are made out to be, for example) and explaining a few puzzling details along the way. Nothing really earth-shattering, unless you have been living in a cave for the past fifty years and haven't heard about climate change, but presented in a reasonably straightforward way, without too much obvious dumbing-down. Barnett is from Florida, so the focus is inevitably on weather and water-management in the USA, but there are a few visits to Asia and Europe along the way too.
    • 3/5
      El subtítulo del libro no miente, es una historia natural y cultural de la lluvia, aunque habría que hacerle una aclaración, una historia cultural desde Inglaterra y los Estados Unidos, el resto del mundo es apenas mencionado —salvo para apuntar alguna curiosidad con respecto a la lluvia—. Fuera de ese sesgo, el libro se disfruta y ofrece una aproximación a un fenómeno cotidiano como la lluvia.
    • 5/5
      A love story to rain. It's almost as if this book was written for me, and for me only.
    • 3/5
      Narration: 1/5 -- I found the sound of this woman's voice annoying, especially the way she sounds so aloof and so often trailed of at the end of sentences. She also tries too hard. And her pronunciation of Sanskrit and other Indian words is horrible.

      Writing: 2.5/5 -- Neutral, the work of a reporter not an author. And she appears to be writing for junior high school students with no understanding of world geography. Example: "Lake Victoria, Uganda, Africa."

      Content: 3/5 -- The book just tries to cover too much.

      Expectations: Science, religion, and the history of rain. I think the author presented much of those and more. Yet I felt 'hungry' as if I had a full but not satisfying meal where the taste and aroma was nothing like the picture on the menu. I wanted more than a list of facts.

      Disappointments: The author is a researcher, like someone who collects newspaper clippings and does some travelling too. I found the book dry (!), despite the subject having great potential.

      Context: I live in a drizzly place (what globally should be called the Pacific North-East). I like rain -- serious downpours like I experienced during the rainy season in Cambodia. I have visited Cherrapunji in Meghalaya, what Ms. Traister calls 'mega-leya', which is far from the 'Bay of Bangle'.
    • 4/5
      What a great work! I've wanted to read this from my initial discovery! Rain – it is our lifeblood: with it we thrive; without it we perish. Barnett presents the scientific, educational aspect of this life-giving substance in an easy-to-read format without be pedantic. She also gives readers a look into how rain has affected culture and entertainment, especially in music. This book is both entertaining and educating and readers are guaranteed to come away looking at this critical meteorological phenomenon with new enlightenment.
    • 5/5
      Throughout the pandemic, I’ve found comfort in long walks and audiobooks - especially in audiobooks about nature. Rain was a beautiful history about something that we can all relate and understand personally. It was wonderful to lean about how much we can learn about our cyclical relationship with the natural rhythms. Very much enjoyed this! If you liked this one, check out other natural histories: The Hidden Lives of Trees and Underland.
    • 3/5
      A history of rain and its effects on human race. This book is a well researched popular science book that takes a wide topical area, provides lots of research (more than most will want), and then breaks everything down into distinct chapter that should be accessible to a lay audience. Not as exciting as some of her prior works.
    • 4/5
      A lot of books like this end up being just a hodge-podge of facts. This book doesn't fall into that trap. It is well-organized, well-researched, wide-ranging, and most importantly, interesting throughout. It covers a wide variety of topics: geological history of rain, how rain influenced human history from the dawn of time to recent centuries, the relationship between rain and art, and how climate change is changing rain. A very interesting read!
    • 5/5
      As a weather geek, I was intending to add Ms. Barnett's book to my "specialized" section, to add to my books about snow and wind and clouds and forecasting and storms, but this book proved to be so much more. It is an absolutely marvelous compilation about every aspect of rain that any one could think of and extends far beyond the mere act of precipitation itself. a short (very short) list of the subjects covered in this most enjoyable book include: why our fingers wrinkle; the effects of drought on ancient civilizations; incredibly delayed sea voyages in he age of sail; witchcraft trials and the weather; a (short) history of radio (and then television) weather forecasting programs; the history of rainwear; the invention of windshield wipers (spoiler alert: it was a woman); Thomas Jefferson's mistake on the mount; Frank Lloyd Wright's "appreciation" of rain; Manifest Destiny; the lack of regard for black laborers working on Mississippi levees; the contenious history of Rain Making, including the U.S. miliary's attempt to flood the Ho Chi Minh Trail; the origin of the Post Office Motto; rain and the arts (with a short but intense dive into music, from Chopin to Morrissey); a terrific section on the chemistry of that magic "smell of rain", both before and after a storm and the magic of Indian perfumers and the clay and sands of their native Kannauj District in Uttar Pradesh; the folly of channelizing rivers and streams in Florida and Southern California, it's disaterous results and the beginnings of attempts to rectify yet another man-made disaster; rains of fish and frogs, red rains and black rains; the deadlyLondon Fogs; and, finally, the effect of climate change on that Mecca of rain, Cherrapunji, India. In short, nothing is left out. This book is like that fount of all knowledge, the legendary Junior Woodchuck Guidebook, but with it's scope narrowed to rain. An absolutely marvelous read, a must for weather lovers and an indispensable tool for newcomers to the joy of reading about weather and climate.
    • 4/5
      This book struck me, style-wise, as a compilation of various New Yorker articles written on the same topic over time - and I mean that as a compliment. Or at least a descriptor of something I enjoyed. Easy to pop in and out of, chapter by chapter, and definitely written for a casual, general-interest audience.
    • 3/5
      Rain is the ultimate life giving substance. Without rain, there would be no life. Down through the ages humans have measured rainfall. Prayed for it to arrive and water their crops and celebrated it with great ritual. We've also tried to harness it, predict it and at times avoid it. Rain: A Natural and Cultural History examines the many ways humans have coped with too little or too much water. it also examines the ways in which people have tried to take cover from it. From our architecture, rain clothes and umbrellas. Love it or hate it, there is no way to do with out rain.
    • 4/5
      This was like picking up a box of chocolates with just a few left rattling around in the box. I wasn't sure what I was going to get.This book is neither dry or all wet. The author did a lot of research and it shows. Combining history with personal experiences the obvious topic of flooding is covered but also forecasting, rainmaking, and the diverse subject of how weather affects the creative process in music and writing in addition to others.Both informative and entertaining this is a must read for those interested in meteorology or for anyone who wants to know more about something we often take for granted.
    • 5/5
      I found this book fascinating right from the start. Barnett shows how rain played a part in history, from creation, through religion, witchcraft, and Shakespeare's writing. Of course there is much relating to weather: how forecasts began as a way to prevent shipwrecks and grew to include Tv, puppets, costumes and weathergirls to a 24 hour channel dedicated to weather. There the inventions of the MacKintoch, umbrellas, and windshield wipers, which you'll be calling "marys" after reading this book.This book covers the great floods, droughts and dustbowl years, acid rain and Frank Lloyd Wright's notoriously leaky roofs. And a whole chapter on the scent of rain.Barnett ends the book where you'd expect in the rainiest place on the planet.This wonderful book is full of stories and fascinating information. It is very well written and easy to read. I highly recommend it to everyone!
    • 4/5
      Throughout my life, the sound of the rain has helped me to write. If it is raining, I will feel compelled to take up my journal. I love the sound of rain. I welcome thunderstorms and sudden, drenching downpours . My grandmother loved to look at clouds. I belong to the Cloud Appreciation Society in her memory.Why have I never read a single book devoted to rain before Ms. Barnett's? This book was a great tour through science, history, and culture. All focused on rain. We all learn "how" and "why" it rains in grade school. From then rain is just weather. We learn to love it (like me), hate it or tolerate it because it is a) preferable over snow or b) good for the garden. This book calls the reader out on how much they never learned about rain. My favorite part was mitti attar and the scent of rain. I had never heard of so much that is covered in this book.highly recommend