Check nearby libraries
Buy this book
The odds of being hit by lightning each year are only about 1 in 750,000 in the U.S. And yet this rare phenomenon has inspired both fear and fascination for thousands of years. In this groundbreaking, brilliantly researched book, journalist John S. Friedman probes lightning's scientific, spiritual, and cultural roots. Blending vibrant history with riveting first-hand accounts of those who have clashed with lightning and lived to tell about it, Out of the Blue charts an extraordinary journey across the ages that explores our awe and dread in the face of one of nature's most fearsome spectacles.Herman Melville called it "God's burning finger." The ancient Romans feared it as the wrath of God. Today we have a more scientific understanding, so why our eternal fascination with lightning? Out of the Blue attempts to understand this towering force of nature, exploring the changing perceptions of lightning from the earliest civilizations through Ben Franklin's revolutionary experiments to the hair-raising adventures of storm chasers like David Hoadley, who's been chronicling extreme weather for half a century. And Friedman describes one of the most treacherous rescues ever attempted in American mountain climbing.Friedman profiles a Virginia ranger who was struck by lightning seven times--and dubbed the human lightning rod--along with scores of others who tell astonishing tales of rescue and survival. And he charts lightning's profound, life-altering effects on the emotional and spiritual lives of its victims.Combining captivating fact with thrilling personal stories, Out of the Blue tells a remarkable true tale of fate and coincidence, discovery and divine retribution, science and superstition. As entertaining as it is informative, it is a book for outdoor adventurers, sports enthusiasts, science and weather buffs, nature lovers, and anyone who has ever been awed or frightened by the sight of lightning.From the Hardcover edition.
Check nearby libraries
Buy this book
Previews available in: English
Showing 3 featured editions. View all 3 editions?
Edition | Availability |
---|---|
1
Out of the blue: a history of lightning : science, superstition, and amazing stories of survival
2008, Bantam Dell
in English
0385341156 9780385341158
|
aaaa
Libraries near you:
WorldCat
|
2
Out of the Blue
2008, Random House Publishing Group
Electronic resource
in English
0440337828 9780440337829
|
zzzz
Libraries near you:
WorldCat
|
3
Out of the Blue: A History of Lightning: Science, Superstition, and Amazing Stories of Survival
May 20, 2008, Delacorte Press
Hardcover
in English
0385341156 9780385341158
|
eeee
Libraries near you:
WorldCat
|
Book Details
Edition Notes
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Classifications
The Physical Object
ID Numbers
Community Reviews (0)
Feedback?History
- Created October 9, 2008
- 9 revisions
Wikipedia citation
×CloseCopy and paste this code into your Wikipedia page. Need help?
May 18, 2020 | Edited by CoverBot | Added new cover |
January 11, 2020 | Edited by ImportBot | import existing book |
August 18, 2010 | Edited by IdentifierBot | added LibraryThing ID |
April 16, 2010 | Edited by bgimpertBot | Added goodreads ID. |
October 9, 2008 | Created by ImportBot | Imported from Library of Congress MARC record |