Snow

Book excerpt: Snow has had an astonishing influence on the shape of the land and human history. Ruth Kirk writes perceptively of how animals and people survive in the snow; of glaciers, continental ice sheets, blizzards, and avalanches; and of the awesome hazards of Arctic and Antarctic exploration. She discusses both our battles against snow and our uses of it, showing its importance to agriculture, climate, and the future. Through scientific reports and interviews with experts in various fields--from Antarctic explorers to atmospheric physicists--Kirk surveys the scope of snow's influence.