A Philosopher Looks at the Weather

From barometers to the famous BBC shipping forecast, we have – over the centuries – developed the means to predict, harness, and shield ourselves from what is happening in the atmosphere. Attitudes about the planet's weather, as well as about human identity, have thereby taken on new meanings. In an era of climatic anxiety, what weather is and how weather behaves have taken on additional currency. Benjamin Hale weaves together philosophy and anecdote into a many-faceted exploration of this powerful force that shapes who we are and how we think about our place in the world. He argues that in our drive to 'scientize' weather, with all the technological advances in managing, anticipating, and understanding it, we also risk distancing ourselves from weather and losing a complete sense of what it is. This entertaining book reminds us that the weather is and always will be in some sense outside our control, and that consequently we are and forever will be learning to live alongside it.

• Evergreen: the weather is a topic of perpetual fascination – this book explains why it exerts such a powerful hold over us
• Urgent: in a context of extreme weather anxiety, the book explores the consequences of trying to control a phenomenon that remains mostly uncontrollable
• Illuminating: brings acute insights to bear on a topic whose philosophy is not self-evident, helping us to understand what the weather really means for us