Wind: How the Flow of Air Has Shaped Life, Myth, and the Land

Think about it. If someone asked you to write a non-fiction (but also not totally scientific) book about the wind, how much could you write? A few paragraphs? A few pages? Jan DeBlieu has written nearly 300 pages not only about the wind, but also its effects. Her inspiration came from living on the Outer Banks of North Carolina and watching the wind blast this land, break the trees, scatter the wildlife and discourage the people.In the book, DeBlieu discusses many facets to the wind and its effects: mythology of the wind, the effect of the wind on history (due to prevailing winds, Europeans had sailed to Brazil long before they set foot in western Africa), as well as trees, birds, sand, ocean currents and man himself. Man's attempts to confront the wind (such as skyscrapers whose windows are blown out in strong winds) and to use the wind (such as windmills for energy) are also discussed. But the facts presented in this book are only half the story. This is not a scientific book written in dry language. If that were so, this book would not be particularly interesting to a casual reader. But, as the blurb on the back cover states, "Jan DeBlieu brings a poet's voice and a scientist's eye" to her study of the wind. And that is what makes the book so interesting. DeBlieu takes scientific descriptions and transforms them into sentences where you think "I wish I could write like that". For example:"Just as it has shaped the history of mankind, the seasonal paths of animals, and the spread of vegetation, wind chisels the crust of the earth. It whistles around mountains and through passes, eroding rock as it gains speed. Bit by bit it skims the tops off plowed fields. It scatters ash from volcanic explosions and so creates some of the richest soil on earth."If you enjoy learning about the world around you, but are put off by the scientific language, you will find this book to be - I can't avoid it - a breath of fresh air.

I kayak on Lake Superior, where the wind often whips up some steep waves. My kayaking pals know that my knowledge of nature is usually confined to realizing that birds have wings, that rain falls from the sky and leaves are green. This summer, after reading Wind, I was able to wow them with my detailed knowledge of how the winds are formed and why, so often, they seem to be blowing in our faces when we're out on the water. This is a dose of science for the science-phobic, a nicely constructed and beautifully written examination of how people have related to the wind over the millenia, and how it affects us today. A bonus feature: Deblieu's writing about the wind has a sensual nature that makes this much more than another nature book.

I start any books about the sciences with apprehension. My non-work reading generally begins and ends with fiction. But after a couple summers spent kayaking on wind-blown Lake Superior, I was eager to know more about the forces that were tossing me about. I picked up "Wind" and found it a perfect match for my interest. DeBlieu manages to explain how the winds are created and evoke their sensual nature at the same time. To my non-scientific eye, that's an amazing feat.

Imagine combining John McPhee and Annie Dillard, with a little of Rachel Carson thrown in for the marine connection and you'll get some notion of this most pleasant book. It combines warm and engaging prose, personal experiences (of both author and others), interesting characters, and fascinating facts. I can't think of much that would be better to read while lying on a beach, feeling the breeze, and awaiting the next hurricane.