Clouds Books

Robert Cloud has taken a subject most people just think about or have read about and shows you the feelings and motivations behind those "forbidden" thoughts in such a way that you begin to root for David to realize his desires for his "toy". As for Toy, she finds her way through a stringent upbringing and the expectations of her mother to the fulfillment of the feelings buried deep in her heart and soul. Quite an enjoyable read and I'm looking forward to the next in this series of books.

Robert Cloud intense novel has passion and sexual tension, which moves this novel forward.It is STRONG ADULT FICTION, so if you are faint of heart...you been warned

The character of David is almost written as Cloud himself is the character. I do not know the man personally, but it seems if David was Cloud himself, I would embrace him as friend. His Acquisition andf his search will show a sexual underbelly unseen in many mainstream novels

The weak spot of the novel is the voice he creates for the character of Toy. Her submission is foreshadowed even before she walks onto a page. She seems sometimes almost be too good to be true. Cloud creates her with limited depth, which maybe good or bad..depending on the adult that reads this work. Her written underdevelopement is not a charcter flaw that Cloud put it, He smartly leads the reader to flesh her out for themselves

As I read this work, I savored this ADULT novel. It moved at a fast pace, which is lacking with most ADULT pieces on the market these days..and make no mistake it is a STRONG adult piece of fiction. It was not sexual POPCORN work as I have read lately.

I would enjoy seeing what Cloud comes up with a follow up to this book. Keep me in mind of a copy...and Mr Cloud, when are you putting this piece in an audiobook?

Bennet Pomerantz AUDIOWORLD

This was an extremely intense, descriptive novel that was hard to read, but at the same time hard to put down. Mr. Cloud writes from both perspectives so we the reader can sympathize with both characters. I have to say the novel seamed more like a real account than fiction! When I asked the author, he denied that any of it was real- he's just very good at putting thoughts and actions into words. Wow!

These are great reference maps for generalized recreational activities. Not as detailed as a topo map, but still packed full of outstanding information. I have one for every state and I don't leave home with out them. An improvement over simple highway maps.

The map is beautiful and (reasonably) accurate, but its small scale limits its use for hiking. Many of the contours are so closely spaced, faint, or interrupted by text that they are nearly useless. The publishers tried to squeeze the entire national monument onto one map sheet, which makes for a good overview and planning map, but a poor hiking map.
Unfortunately, you have rather limited options, at least when it comes to paper maps: The USGS 7.5 minute topo sheets are great, but they don't show the trails, local hiking maps are hit and miss (some can be great). State-wide mapping software that lets you print customized hiking maps might be the way to go, but I haven't tried them yet.

This map is part of the Trails Illustrated series covering many national parks. These are all sturdy and convenient.

Your map choices are essentially this one, the National Park Service map, and USGS topos. The NPS map is fine if you're staying at Rock Harbor Lodge and doing light day activities from that base.

If you're backpacking, or doing long day hikes, the Trails Illustrated map is absolutely essential because the USGS topographic maps are outdated. For example, the topo shows a no-longer-existent East Feldtmann trail on the southwest part of the island.

The topo also shows inaccurately the trail that goes over White Oak Ridge in the same area. The Trails Illustrated map shows the trails correctly.

This map also shows (1) group and individual campsites and (2) distances between trail junctions that accord with the NPS signage. Both features make it useful for planning your trip.

Does the father/daughter connection last forever? I think that we all hope for something so deep. I am blessed with a relationship such as this, and I found that same feeling in "Walks on the Beach with Angie." A father's story of undying love for his daughter. The two had weathered everything life threw at them, until life was interrupted by death.
At the age of 22, Cystic Fibrosis took the final breaths of Angie Warner. Don Warner does a wonderful job sharing his daughter's life's story and their struggles with overcoming Cystic Fibrosis. Grieving is tough stuff and Don is able to create a wonderful story of self-examination, friendship, love and his daughter's courageous journey to make a difference on this Earth. Don shares his grief with readers through a lifetime's reflections of his daughter, their life together, their family's struggles with cystic fibrosis, his own personal struggles with his loss and his desire to go on.
Here is a book that takes raw emotion of a man and makes it an offering to help others who are grieving. The real emotion is evident, and Mr Warner shares the disbelief, the utter sadness and devastation that we go through when we lose someone so close to us, to help educate others on cystic fibrosis. This is more than a memoir but a meaningful message to those who are struggling with this disease state and its many challenges. It is also a tale of a family coping in their own way, one day at a time and of a young girl who was brave and showed that life is truly not measured by the years you live but by the things you do with the time you have.
Grief is different for all of us, but so similar too, that sharing with another can only be helpful in some way. Through the friendship and love that continue to surround Don and his wife, he has begun to cope and heal and help others who are stricken with Cystic Fibrosis. For anyone who knows what it is like to lose a loved one or battle a disease this book is for you.
This book is an intense tale of some of the lessons we must learn on life's journey. The story touched home for me having a friend's child suffer through the challenges of Cystic Fibrosis - being given a "life sentence" of under 20 years, having a lung transplant and recently celebrating her 30th birthday - you learn that life is fragile and unpredictable. Thank you Don for "sharing your daughter with me" through this book.
Kimberly Cheryl - author: Shattered Reality

Walks on the Beach with Angie is Don Warner's tribute to his daughter who died at age 21 due to complications resulting from cystic fibrosis, a fatal genetic disease. He talks realistically about giving treatments by pounding methodically on Angie's back while she lay on his knee. He talks about the normalcy she created for herself growing up. She decided when she went to school that she did not want her classmates or friends to know about her disease and kept it a secret until she turned 19. Don talks about trips they took to Laguna Beach. Angie did serious shopping with her mom Linda during the day and had serious conversations with her dad at night while walking along the beach. This true story gives description of a real life and making the best choices possible given limited time on earth. She was a real kid and lived not that far from me, not that long ago. I found it easy to relate to each person described.

While the disease is awful, this story did not dramatize what happened. In some places, the author spared the reader gruesome details from Angie's last days in the hospital and simply told us the effect something had. It would be quite academically interesting to compare this book with Frank Deford's Alex: The Life of a Child. The writing style is quite different as are parts of the cystic fibrosis experience due to living at different times with different knowledge and technology available. Angela's honesty and normalcy drew me in. I cried while reading about the very last days Angie had. My heart goes out to the family. The closing of the book talks about the family's grief and how they continued living after Angie's death. They created a foundation, an endowment fund, and a Children's Memorial and Prayer Garden all to honor Angela's memory. This is a heartwarming and sad love story between parents and daughter, and is accurate in descriptions of cystic fibrosis. For anyone who knows what it is like to lose a loved one or battle a disease, or anyone who simply wants to walk a day in someone else's shoes and learn a new perspective on life, this book is for you.

Angie Warner was a bright, pretty fun-loving teenager with a secret. And for over twenty years she kept that secret from nearly everyone but her closest family members. Throughout those twenty years she lived an apparently normal life. She did well in school, was a varsity cheerleader, dated on and off, had time for close friends, and reached out to everyone with a brilliant smile.

And through it all she carried within her a chronic illness that would periodically sap her strength, would require never-ending daily multiple therapies and periodic hospitalization and would take her from this earth early: Cystic Fibrosis. I can identify with this story because my two youngest sons, Andrew and John, now in their mid 20s have the same disease and have been treated at the same hospital with the same doctors.

Don Warner tells Angie's story through a father's eyes. It is a story not only of Angie's love for her parents, Don and Linda, and for her many friends, but also a story of their love for her. It chronicles her unique decision to not let anyone outside of a small inner circle know of her disease to avoid misplaced pity and to experience as much of the normal life her friends experienced as possible.

The title of the book comes from the many walks Angie and her Dad took on her favorite beach at their favorite vacation spot. It is a father's recollection of their many conversations, the tough choices she needed to make, and the grace and peace with which she led her life-including the final 86 painful days.

Read this book if you want to understand how one girl and her family chose to live life to the fullest despite a chronic and debilitating illness. Read this book if you want to experience examples of unconditional love. Read this book if you want to see how options can be explored and choices made-when there don't seem to be any options or choices. Read this book if you want to be reminded of the strength of the human spirit.

Armchair Interviews says: Many good reasons to read this book full of love

This is a provocative, thoughtful, and well-written story of the spiritual journey of two women--both former executives and producers in public television--as they move through a series of life-altering transformations.
Some of these take place in locations and situations that readers will readily recognize (Northern California, Colorado) but others occur in a kind of alternate reality, high in the mountains of the Himalayas. The two worlds are juxtaposed throughout the novel in a style that is never intrusive or exploitative; rather, they end up complementing each other in surprising ways. By the end of the story, we have gained a number of profound and oftentimes moving insights about the nature of friendship between very different women, work, relationships, travel, and spirituality (via both Daoist and Buddhist traditions). Readers should not approach this novel looking for the generic plot twists, sordid romances, violence, and other marketing ploys of much contemporary fiction. What they will find instead is a solid and compelling story, engaging characters, and a wonderfully realized journey into the cultures and spiritual traditions of the Himalayan region.

This first novel by journalist, television producer, and environmental consultant Martha Glessing explores the bonds of love and support between Jen and Marisa, two glamorous public television executives. They battle bureaucracies to bring cultural nourishment to a starved consumer culture. They explore the complexities of work and personal relationships as they crisscross the earth, exploring nature, right livelihood, and confronting the inner and outer demons of their lives. Jen catches cancer and romantic love at the same time. As Jen dies, Marisa shares in her care. Marisa's grief and confusion give way to total acceptance of death.

Woven throughout are the memories they share of having met in a prior lifetime at Wind Cloud, a mountain retreat. They will meet again. Journeying through lifetimes, they share the wisdom of Buddhist and Taoist philosophy, the practice of meditation, and the sacredness of friendship to heighten their - and the reader's - consciousness.

This first novel by journalist, television producer, and environmental consultant Martha Glessing explores the bonds of love and support between Jen and Marisa, two glamorous public television executives. They battle bureaucracies to bring cultural nourishment to a consumer culture starved for it. They explore the complexities of work and personal relationships as they crisscross the earth, exploring nature, right livelihood, and confronting the inner and outer demons of their lives. Jen catches breast cancer and romantic love at the same time. Marisa shares in Jen's care and as Jen dies, Marisa's grief and confusion give way to total acceptance.

Threaded throughout the story is the memories they share of having met in a prior lifetime at Wind Cloud, a bardo-like mountain retreat. They will meet again. Across lifetimes, they share the wisdom of Buddhist and Taoist philosophy, the practice of meditation, and the sacredness of friendship to heighten their - and the reader's - consciousness.

Better known for translating the great Greek tragedies, Peter Meineck has now turned his pen on the comedies, with generally positive results. Like other translations published by Hackett, this one is aimed squarely at today's college students. It has plenty of historical background for those who want it, or can be read just for the plays.

Translating comedy is trickier than tragedy, because jokes are so fickle. What one society finds hilarious, another might find distasteful. Meineck does his best to render the old Greek jokes and still be funny. He doesn't always succeed. His skills at punning are not as great as Aristophanes', nor do the jokes about minor Athenian figures like Theorus and Cardopion add much to a performance text.

And these are performance texts. No matter how faithful to the original, no matter how many footnotes and endnotes the translator provides, a student should still be wary of changes made for modern performance. Today's theater operates under an entirely different set of conventions.

The plays themselves are three genuine classics, WASPS being less known than CLOUDS and BIRDS, but in this book, perhaps the best. Procleon's obsession with jury service and the headaches it causes his son translates very well, and Meineck is surprisingly adept at rendering the political understory that subliminally critizes the Athenian leader Cleon.

BIRDS is the story of two friends who come up with one of the great comic plans: a utopia named Cloudcuckooland where they, with the help of the birds, rule both the gods and men. And it works!

CLOUDS is read most often because it features a comic version of Socrates and his 'Pondertorium.' While Meineck and Introduction writer Ian C. Storey conclude the portrayal of Socrates is entirely innaccurate, it sure is funny. CLOUDS is really more of a father-son story, a father convincing his profligate son to get an education in order to argue the father's way out of the accumulating debts. What the father doesn't bank on is his son using new-learned rhetorical skills to argue that a son has the right to beat his father.

Meineck is British, so the slang in the plays is full of 'poofters' and 'arses.' I will say this much, only recently have translations of the Greek comic playwrights begun to reflect how genuinely bawdy they were. Some of Meineck's best footnotes let you in on the double-entendres.

It's all a lot of silly mischief, and in the final reckoning Aristophanes comes through loud and clear, despite such devices as rhymed doggerel passages (no rhymes in classical Greek) and confusing name translations like Makemedo. The title of this book is ARISTOPHANES I, and let us hope that professor Meineck is at work on an ARISTOPHANES II that will include some of Aristophanes lesser-known works as well as perennial favorite LYSISTRATA.

"Aristophanes I" brings together three of the Greek comedians earliest extant comedies. The legend is that when Aristophanes' comedy "The Clouds" was first performed in Athens in 423 B.C., his target, Socrates, stood throughout the performance so that everyone in the audience was aware that he was there and hearing what was said of him. The portrait of Socrates clearly satirical and most critics consider it to be inaccurate. But Aristophanes is making fun of Athens' renowned "Think-tank" the "Phrontisterion," the school where the rich young men of Athens were taught the fine art of rhetoric. Instead of anything lofty the comic poet suggests the primary purpose of such an education is to be clever and out-reason greedy creditors. This is an especially good translation of the play, which includes insightful notes and essays on both Old Comedy and the Theater of Dionysus that helps readers understand the conventions of staged comedy at the time of Aristophanes.

In this comedy Socrates is consulted by an old rogue, Strepsiades (sometimes translated as "Twisterson"), who is upset with the mountain of debts his playboy son Phidippides, who loves fast horses and fast living. Phidippides agrees to go to Socrates' school of logic where he can learn to make a wrong argument sound right. After graduation is able to use the system of "unjust logic" to outwit his father and kick him out of the family home. The Chorus of Clouds comments on the proceedings and in the end the Phrontisterion is burned to the ground by Strepsiades. The flaw of the play is Aristophanes is trying to satirize the Sophists, who were popularizing a new philosophy that denied the possibility of ever reaching objective truth, he picked the wrong target. The Sophists were mostly teachers who were not native to Athens, such as Isocartes and Gorgias. "Sophist" basically meant teacher, so while Socrates was a "sophist" he was not a "Sophist." Twenty-four years later, when Socrates was condemned to death for "corrupting the youth of Athens," the only accuser he said he could name was a certain "comic poet" who renamed nameless.

The version of "The Clouds" that has passed down to us is not the original version, which was defeated by Cratinus' "Wine Flask" at a comedy competition during the Great Dionysia celebrations. We know this is a revised version because the Chorus complains about Aristophanes finishing third in that competition. However, critics assume it is essentially the same play, albeit a more polished version. Once you forgive Aristophanes for his unfair characterization of Socrates, "The Clouds" is a great comedy employing all of his standard tricks of the trade from fantasy and ribaldry to funny songs and obscene words.

"Wasps" ("Sphekes") appeals to contemporary audiences because it satirizes the litigiousness of the Athenians. Actually, the play, produced in 422 B.C., is more about the permanent tensions between conservative and liberal politics. Aristophanes is attacking the practice of the politician Cleon's exploitation of the large subsidized juries used in by the Athenian legal system. Bdelcylen ("Cleon-hater"), representing the position of the playwright, maintains that pay for public service is the device of demagogues to purchase loyalty. His father Philocleon("Cleon-lover"), a mean and waspish old man who has a passion for serving on juries, represents the Athenians.

Bdelcylen arranges for a court to be held at home to hear Philocleon's stupid little case of accusing the dog of the house of stealing cheese. The old man is cured of his passion for juries, becoming a drunkard instead. The best scenes in "Wasps" are Philocleon's attempts to escape when Bdelcyclen locks him up and the scene where the poor dog is tried. Certainly this play is representative of Aristophanes as a reformer, who wanted to persuade his audiences to change their foolish ways by ridiculing them on stage.

The problem with "The Birds" ("Ornithes") is that for once Aristophanes does not seem to be attacking some specific abuse in Athens. Still, we suspect that even this little fantasy is not simply escapist entertainment. Certainly there are those who see it as a political satire about the imperialistic dreams that resulted in the disastrous invasion of Sicily (which happened the year before his play was produced in 414 B.C.). Then again, this could just be Aristophanes bemoaning the decline of Athens.

Pisthetaerus ("Trusting") and Euelpides ("Hopeful") have grown tired of life in Athens and decide to build a utopia in the sky with the help of the birds, which they will name Necphelococcygia (which translates roughly as "Cloud Cuckoo Land"). Pisthetaerus and his feathered friends have to fight off those unworthy humans, malefactors and public nuisances all, who try and join their utopia. Then there are the gods, who come to make some sort of agreement with the new city because they have created a bottleneck for sacrifices coming from earth. Because it is a more general satire, "The Birds" tends to work better with younger audiences than most comedies by Aristophanes. Besides, the chorus of birds lends itself to fantastic costumes, which is always a plus with young theater goers.

In studying any of the Greek plays that remain it is important to I have always maintained that in studying Greek plays you want to know the dramatic conventions of these plays like the distinction between episodes and stasimons (scenes and songs), the "agon" (a formal debate on the crucial issue of the play), and the "parabasis" (in which the Chorus partially abandons its dramatic role and addresses the audience directly). Understanding these really enhances your enjoyment of the play.

Arizona Getaways For The Incurably Romantic: 45 Sensational Destinations For Lovers is packed by travel author Pamela Swartz with locations, ideas, suggestions, and features to add color to any romantically involved vacation. Filled with listings of top-class hotels and breathtaking natural splendors, Arizona Getaways For The Incurably Romantic makes for a wondrous vacation-planning reference for honeymoon bound newlyweds -- and anyone else seeking a romantic adventure for a weekend or a week!

Arizona certainly qualifies as one of the most romantic states in the USA with so many places to explore, and unfortunately for many of us, so little time.

Pam Swartz, author of Arizona Getaways For The Incurably Romantic, has written an extremely informative guide providing the reader with a very good exposure of forty-five of the most uniquely romantic lodgings located in various areas of the state.

Through the eyes and ears of the author, readers have the opportunity to discover secret hideaways and romantic ideas that were accumulated over a number of years.
Swartz's familiarity with Arizona, where she moved to in 1978 from Buffalo, personalizes and adds a great deal of depth to her clear and concise text.

The author informed me that it had taken her two and one half years to research and write the guide- book. After reading the 254 pages crammed with extremely useful information, you can well understand why it had taken this length of time.

A good guide- book can go a long way in making a vacation trip much more pleasurable, particularly if the book is well organized and reader friendly.
Herein lies the strength of Arizona Getaways For The Incurably Romantic.

Divided into eleven chapters and an appendix, the reader receives a well-rounded picture of how to evaluate romantic lodgings and locations.
Essential ingredients such as: surroundings, ambience/atmosphere, level of privacy, uniqueness, distance from home, overall quality of service, are dealt with at length.

In addition, there is a detailed description of each of the forty- five properties that the author had visited.
Moreover, sprinkled throughout the guide-book are sidebars providing various tips about which rooms to reserve in the inn or resort to reserve, what to expect in the way of extras such as, wine and appetizers that may be served on certain evenings, which cottages have Jacuzzis, etc.

Swartz also provides suggestions as to how to plan the romantic getaway, setting the stage, whetting the appetite, making the trip magical, where to travel, and ideas as to how to spend your days and nights.
Comprehensive charts listing amenities and features for each selection and comparison of accommodations are included at the back of the book.
All of this information gives the book a substance well beyond the usual mundane guide- books.

I do hope this author continues her travels and tells us more about the various pearls and gems that can be discovered in Arizona.

This review together with an interview with the author first appeared on the reviewer's own site: Bookpleasures.com

The story of the rediscovery of The Autobiography Of Red Cloud is told in the introduction. Though much edited, the narrative derives from talks between Red Cloud and Samuel Deon, an old trader friend, recounted to Charles Allen, contemporary postmaster at Pine Ridge. The Autobiography Of Red Cloud spans the life experiences of Red Cloud up to 1865-66, the time when the Oglala chose the war path against whites. Written in the third person and otherwise heavily edited, The Autobiography Of Red Cloud tells much of Oglala life and war practices prior to 1865. These reminiscences detail Red Cloud's experience in war with his Tribe's traditional enemies - Shoshones, Pawnees, Arikaras, Arapaho, and Crow. A vivid picture of Lakota plains life at the height of glory days emerges. The high regard for honorable battle with a worthy adversary, the daily and seasonal patterns and activities of the tribe and many daring exploits establish the foundation for Red Cloud's well deserved reputation as war leader. A picture of a shrewd, astute man with uncanny timing emerges. Also delineated like a war bonnet is the habit of command, not always easily held among the Lakota. Another of Red Cloud's demonstrated skills is the ability to analyze a natural setting and then use it to tactical advantage, as well as to predict the plans and moves of his enemy. The sometimes close relationship between enemy tribes is richly described or inferred. To read The Autobiography Of Red Cloud is to have some experience of that 200 plus year old life of the Plains Indians - hunting buffalo, riding and stealing horses, following the game in season, etc. that so briefly held full flower before white settlement took over. In the aftermath even today, it will be a valuable mirror to the world of the culture, the nation, and the man.

Nancy Lorraine Reviewer

This is quick read, but well worth it. On occasion the editor lacks detail, but the content is very useful for anyone seeking a greater grasp of life as an Oglalas Sioux.

I've finished reading the quartet of "the Magician's house". All of them are real good and exciting. Once you've started reading the book, you can't put it down again. Morever, the writing techniques and the desciprtions of the outdoors are fantastic. However, i found the fourth book somehow condusing. But overall, this book is an exciting adventure for young readers.

William Corlett has once again produced an outstanding novel in the young adult series The Magician's House Quartet. This fourth and final book in the series, The Bridge in the Clouds, is set in the mysterious Golden Valley, where the three Constant children, William, Mary, and, Alice spend their holidays.
From the moment the Constant children arrive at the Golden House, where their Uncle Jack, his fiancée Phoebe, and their friend Meg live, they know something is not right. The children's friend, teacher, and the past owner of their Uncle's house, Stephen Tyler also known as the Magician, has not come to visit them since the beginning of their holiday. The children fear he is growing old and is too weak to time travel from his home in the 1930s, as he has done on previous holidays. Even the valley, which is usually bursting with life, seems to be peculiarly quiet. When the children finally get the chance to ask Spot, their Uncle's dog, what is going on he tells them the humans are fighting.
So, the children take matters into their own hands by trying to travel back to the Magician's time, to ask what is happening. The suspense increases when a terrible mistake occurs in the process and they bring part of the Magician's evil assistant and the antagonist, Morden into their time.
Throughout the book you can feel the tension and relief, which is almost the constant mood as slowly the children solve their problems. In this book the reader will witness the joy of the children's journey to finally begin to understand magic. The three characters are all people we can easily relate to and that, in the end, seem like one of our own friends.
This is an excellent book that I think everyone will enjoy reading. It may be confusing to new readers of The Magician's House Quartet, but if you have read the first three books in the series I'm sure you'll enjoy this final book.

What's out there in the cold dark depths of space? "The Cloud" tells of a presence that annihilates all life that it touches throughout the atmosphere. An otherworldly man flees his soon to be destroyed planet and heads toward its next destination - Earth. With only a farm girl as an ally, he must find some way to put an end to the needless destruction. "The Cloud" is a gripping and creative science fiction novel, highly recommended.

Part Superman and part Stranger in a Strange Place, this sci-fi novel, The Cloud holds a place of its own. Very nicely written and an engrossing read, author Elmore Hammes has spun a yarn that is hard to put down.

A huge, mist-like cloud that can encompass thousands of miles moves about space seeking energy to feed upon and leaves only death and dry waste behind. Just before destroying a very advanced planet, a master scientist fired off a rocket containing the infant life form of his son. Cruising in space for twenty years, this life form grew and absorbed knowledge from innumerable databases being fed to it. It had one driving agenda: to find and annihilate the source of his planet's extinction.

The cloud is now closing in on the rocket, seeking the energy it perceives there. However the cloud is unable to draw out the energy of this life form and instead, the young life form takes in some of the cloud, making it a part of the new developing being. Hurtling toward a viable planet of energy, the rocket to save and the cloud to destroy, the life form begins to change its structure to match that of the beings on this planet and takes the ship down to land-in Indiana. The now human-like being has three days to destroy the cloud and save Earth from complete destruction.

After hiding his ship on an isolated farm, the spaceman is befriended by Char Amberson and her father Larry who give him the name, Grant.

With the threat of imminent danger and an alien walking around, it is not long before all the powers that be begin to vie for control; some with altruistic goals and others more self-serving and dangerous. The first part of the novel is about love, friendship and sacrifice but the second part, entitled "The Rain," is harsh and horrific with unexpected events.

Armchair Interviews says: Overall, Hammes has written an interesting plot with some good characters and the ending, although anticlimactic, was certainly a surprise.

Good physical and mathematical description of the temporal behavior of all forms and types of clouds. Written at graduate level. Covers all aspects of cloud dynamics including fundamentals of atmospheric dynamics. Details of particular cloud classes from met viewpoint including measurements. Emphasis on measurements to support modeling.

Divided into two sections ("Fundamentals" and "Phenomena") Houze's book examines the general structure, physics, and evolution of a wide range of cloud types/forms. It's often difficult to blend these viewpoints together, but Houze does so with a healthy mix of equations (some difficult!), popular figures from the literature, and explanations.

The "Fundamentals" section (first 4 chapters) is a great reference item for anyone interested in meteorology: a pictorial cloud atlas, reviews of the equations of motion, of general microphysics (how particles in clouds form, grow, and decay), and a discussion of weather radar. "Phenomena" range from fog to cumulus clouds to hurricanes and even mid-latitude cyclones.

Houze applies the "fundamentals" to all of the "phenomena" he covers...once you master the fundamentals--senior undergraduates and beginning graduate students should be able to follow the math--discussion of the cloud processes becomes easier to read.