As a Buffalo, New York resident and snow lover, I was excited to read this copy of Snow by Giles Whittell. The book is front-loaded with a lot of technical information about the composition and behavior of snow. If you are a weather nerd (like me) you will especially enjoy this portion, if not, keep plowing through. The rest of the book is full of story-telling and anecdotes about avalanches, James Bond, the development of ski technology and more. You’ll learn about glacier melt and global warming as well. All around good read.

I am a Southern Californian desert girl who moved to Chicago. I absolutely loathe snow. But, when I saw this book, I was intrigued and wanted to learn more about it. Snow absolutely ruins every winter, but it was nice hearing about it from someone who clearly loves it.

I learned a lot from this book and found it really interesting: how snow has shaped human history, how people have sought it out for thrill-seeking for ages, and how we have adapted to living with it. Even as someone who dreads snow every year, I found it fascinating to read about: the science, history, and even speculation of the future of it. This is a fast-paced read filled to the brim with fun facts and stories. I wouldn't say go out of your way to read it, but if the subject seems interesting to you, you won't regret picking it up.

A version of this review previously appeared in Shelf Awareness and is republished here with permission.

When Giles Whittell's mother read him Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House in the Big Woods, it made an instant, indelible impression, like "air conditioning in book form" for an eight-year-old in the thick of a Nigerian summer. As an adult, Whittell's fixation gave rise to Snow, a comprehensive look at the science behind, impact of and somewhat surprisingly vast cultural influence of flakes. "Snow irrigates. It gives skiers something to slide on. It covers mountains... like thick icing. It is the only thing on Earth that brings quiet to New York City, and it makes curlicues out of molasses."

From this soul-felt introduction, U.K. journalist Whittell shovels into heady science, including the mystery of snow's formation. "We can edit genes and create membranes a single atom thick, but we still don't know how snowflakes grow." Not that we aren't trying. Machines at Caltech create "the world's most perfect artificial snowflakes" for study. Who knew dust was a key? But why always six sides? The complex answer lies in angles, atoms, molecules and temperature.

Further evidence of the extraordinary nature of snow follows in chapters about snow's impact on the natural world (how polar bears came to be), culture (star of the most courageous stunt in cinema history) and transport (for survival and for chasing Olympic medals). Snow isn't all fun and games; it's big business, and a marker of seasons that some take for granted. Although our relationship with snow is "complicated and expensive," we must pay attention lest snow's retreat become irreversible.

Snow was always of paramount importance while growing up in northern Minnesota. Walking out to the main road to put the flag out for the snow plow could be easy or difficult depending on the quality of the snow. Fine powdery snow was fun, though I would get soaking wet. Meanwhile if there were a hard surface on top of the snow so each step had a hitch when breaking through, that was about as hard as it would get. We didn’t have fifty words for snow, but the different qualities mattered. It was that somewhat nostalgic connection to snow that led me to reading Snow by Gilles Whittell.

Whittel begins with the science of snow, how snowflakes are formed and why they are all unique. It was truly fascinating. He comes at the questions of snow from his own personal fascinations with skiing and the search for the world’s best powder. So, he explores what makes good snow, where it snows the most, and why. Then, he looks at high speed skiing. I love mountaineering and polar exploration memoirs. This was different, but close enough to my own fascinations to fit right in. I particularly liked his description of his attempts to ski the fastest high-speed track in the world. Like Falstaff, he decides discretion is the better part of valor.



I enjoyed Snow a lot and not just because I felt a sort of nostalgia for snow (not that I want any here!) It is well-structured, starting from the individual flake and expanding out to the whole world of snow and world competition skiing and Snowmads. The fanaticism of some of the snowmads is fascinating. Whittell is a good writer who can take complex scientific ideas and explain them clearly. He also conveys the excitement and thrill of rushing downhill so fast you can hardly breathe. Doing one or the other is what a reader expects, doing both so well is a gift.

I received an e-galley of Snow from the publisher through NetGalley.

Snow at Atria Books | Simon & Schuster
Gilles Whittell on Twitter

Well, it’s fair to say by now that White Christmas is going to remain in the land of dreaming where I live and since I do tend to live through books, reading about snow seemed like the next best thing. This book title promises scientific and cultural takes on snow and delivers both. Ok, the scientific one was ever so slightly too detailed, but the rest was just great. From avalanches to Yetis (oh hey, that would be a nice tagline too), this book covers the subject as thoroughly as…well, a solid cover of snow. The author has traveled extensively and the book has a global span and also an extensive historical one. Whittell is thorough too, from snow in art to snow in the Arctic, from people whose life is built around it to people who get buried in it, this book pretty much has all the snow related information you can think of and then some. I’ve learned some new things and was delighted to revisit things I knew. This is the kind of nonfiction I enjoy, it’s informative and engaging equally. Learning should be enjoyable and Whittell’s clever, erudite, dynamic writing ensures that. The man knows his subject and knows how to make it exciting for others to learn about. The narrative moves along with a professional skier’s agility, it doesn’t get dragged down by excessive footnotes or tedious asides. It’s just fun to read, playing in the snow level of fun to read. There are terrific historical snow related facts, some disturbing, some amusing, all very interesting to learn about. And snow is disappearing too, another victim of global warming, less and less snowstorms every decade, less and less chance of snowpocalypse (or all of its fun synonyms author provides). Sad to think. I’m not even that much of a snow person, it isn’t really the same in the city, it turns into a mess or obstacles or both all too quickly. And yet there were times when sitting in my apartment looking out through a fairly large window onto the world when it snows was just like being inside of a lovely snow globe, something magical, almost fairytale like about it and the world doesn’t have that much magic to spare so yes, snow will be missed. This year thus far of snow there’s just been a few quickly dissipating flake. And this book. And a newly acquired knowledge of the atmospheric conditions required for snow. Because it’s just good to know things. So if you’ve got no place to go…let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. Great book. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

Giles Whittell has written an entertaining and informative deep dive into snow. I am an avid fan of nonfiction written in this style, a mixture of science and popular culture that gives me something interesting to add to idle conversation. As a recent newcomer to a snowy region, I grew up without much exposure to snow and I’ve learned a lot very quickly, mostly as a means of survival. This book gave me an opportunity to learn more. I appreciated Whittell’s even writing style and obvious enthusiasm for the subject, and I’m looking forward to putting this book on my library’s order list to add to our “Snow Many Books!” display. Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for giving me the chance to preview this book!

A really fascinating look at the snow - how it forms, how it behaves, how it affect our lives. I kept looking up pictures of the places author mentions or YouTube videos (if available) of events he described.

From an author who, if the zeal reflected in his prose is the sole indicator, deserves to author a book about the subject.

Switching from explorations on how it forms, enthralls, delays, surprises and incorporates into our lives (not to mention how it kills via avalanche), Whittell wishes to tell us just about everything we can fit into a book about snow, save for photographs (although the history of those are even mentioned). Just exactly why are no two flakes the same? Is it snowing less or more? How do melting ice caps figure into this?

Our fascination with snow, although usually not on full display lest we broadcast it via media like this book, is pointedly remarked upon, its imprint (pun not intended) obvious in our past. From performing death-defying stunts on it (there's a great recollection of a great Bond stunt you'll want to check out) to obtaining near-celebrity status from being able to clear it off of an airport runway quickly, there's plenty of reason given by Whittell to pause for reflection, awe, worry, nostalgia--maybe even all of the above and more.

So, to sum it up: Want to know more about snow? Read this, then. Pay special attention to the climate change effects, if at all possible.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advance read.

For the snow lover, just your cup of tea! I remember my childhood when getting up early for school was a chore, but when it snowed you couldn't keep me in the house. I never skied or owned a sled to go coasting, I just liked to walk in it, feel the crunch under my feet, make paths in it to take imaginary journeys, listen to the silvery quiet (and the jingle of the car chains!). (Shoveling snow and driving in it? Not so much; snow loses a lot once you become an adult.)

Whittell tackles all aspects of snow, from the science of how a flake forms to the different textures of snow to the power of avelanches to the increasing need to have to make snow in ski areas. He likes to ski and that shows; most of the second half of the book has some aspect of skiing as its focus, and the ski slope talk (and the crazy stunts they do) do get a bit dull after a while. The first half of the book is great, though!

Since childhood snow has held a great fascination for the author Giles Whittell. Luckily, for readers, this love of snow has never left him. Coupled with Whittell’s keen writing abilities, sense of humor, and journalistic investigative skills, I enjoyed facts previously ignored or unknown by me. There is the physics of snow, avalanches, history of epic snowfalls, snow gear and machines, ski resorts and races, and even the story behind that iconic James Bond opening. Each chapter opens up another intriguing snowy dimension. I can hardly wait for winter. Highly recommended.

Thank you Atria Books for providing me a free e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!  When I saw this book available I was so excited because as a weather lover and armchair meteorologist (hey, when I started university, meteorology was my first major!) at heart I have a fondness for anything that relates to weather or that can teach me.  And of course, I LOVE snow, perhaps too much and it was never something that I thought about scientifically or culturally.  

This book is divided into several chapters, each focusing on a specific subject or topic as it relates to snow.  This book covers so much in the way of snow, snow use, snow creation, the science behind snow, fake snow, and major snow events in history.  

I will admit, I wasn't sure impressed with this book by the time I got about 3/4 of the way through, mainly because it really seems to shift from being a book about snow to a book about skiing.  As a person who has never skied, and probably will never, I didn't really find much interest in these parts.  It becomes clear that the author, Giles Whittell is an avid skier and loves the past time/sport as he gives pages and pages detailing major skiing history, significant figures, stats and records, the science of skiing, and the best places to ski.  This makes sense, and I don't fault the author of this book at all but I wish that this had been made more clear on the title, perhaps in the subtitle.  If skiing is your passion or interest, this would probably be a great book for you.

While I did enjoy the overall discussion of snow and the mechanics and science that has to happen for it to occur, I really enjoyed the author's take on climate change and how he seems to inject his beliefs into this book each chance he gets.  He seems to obviously believe that climate change is real (duh!) and makes it his job in this book to add bits of the scientific proof and gives varying viewpoints of scientists on climate change and how it will affect the climate if it already isn't.  It is also nice to read a current book that has stats and information from literally last year, versus something that is dated.    

This book really brings it back home, the magic that snow is and what has to align perfectly to make it happen.  I have always loved the fluffy white stuff and I can not appreciate even more when it does snow.  There is something so magical about it and now know a little about what goes into making those ice crystals make it even better for me.  

I certainly love a good book about weather phenomena; last year I read a book about rain that was also cultural and scientific history and loved it.  I was really hoping that this book would be the same or similar to that book, but it didn't fully deliver as much as I had hoped.  As noted earlier, there was a distinct place where the book really shifted towards skiing.  There didn't seem to be as much on the science and culture of snow as I had hoped, but instead, it focused on the skiing and winter sports cultures. While not 100% for me, this book could definitely be right up someone else's alley.  Again, thank you Atria Books for providing me with an e-ARC; it was a pleasure to read!

Though much of the world’s population lives in areas that do not receive much, if any, natural snow, the human race has an obsession with the white stuff. We like to slide down it on skis and sleds. We rely upon it for water to drink and to irrigate our crops. We enjoy pictures of snow and the idea of it coating our homes in fluffy white in time for the holidays. But the science of snow– how it forms, why it is slippery, and even why no two snowflakes are ever identical– is not something we generally think about. In his new book Snow: A Scientific and Cultural Exploration, self-proclaimed snow addict Giles Whittell sets out to investigate the riddle of snow’s slipperiness, its uniqueness (both in the shape of its snowflakes and as a general phenomenon in space), and to investigate where in the world gets the most snow every year. Along the way, he discusses the greatest possible amount of snow that could fall in a single day, the notion that the worst snowstorm ever could still be ahead of us, and the future of snow in an era of climate change.

It would be easy to take a subject like snowflake formation and explain in dry terms rife with scientific jargon. It would also be easy to drone on and on about the worst snowstorms in recorded history, turning a series of disasters into a rambling list of dates and places that go in one ear and out the other. Or a passionate writer could blast the reader with the intensity of their love of the subject, turning away all but the most passionate readers. But like any good science writer, Whittell doesn’t let his passion for the subject override his sense and intrude on a good story. The tale of a freak snowstorm in the French Alps is the background for a story of millionaires complaining about the lack of good wine in the middle of a natural disaster. Explanations of the causes of avalanches are interspersed with the human cost of being caught in the midst them.

That’s not to say that Whittell skimps on information about snow in its many forms. The science of snow abounds but is balanced out by human stories that emphasize science. We learn how shifting air pressure systems from the Azores to Iceland affect winter train schedules in England, why Europe’s Alps have nothing on the Sierra Nevada range in California in terms of yearly snowfall, or why a mountain in Costa Rica might beat them all from year to year. All of these stories are told with straightforward prose that knows how to have a bit of fun.

“If rain is a rushed and irritable waiter nearing the end of his shift, an overnight fall of fern-like stellar dendrites is a stealth team of metteurs-en-scene who spread out through the banquet hall with dishes under silver domes which they remove with an understated flourish, whispering as one, ‘voilà!'”

Whittell also gives us a look at the lifestyles of the rich and famous, at least where they intersect with snow. There is the story of the Winter Olympics in Sochi that were nearly a disaster when snow failed to fall in area known more for its palm trees, and the cringe-worthy story of massive amounts of money flung at cable-car projects that would allow tourists to arrive in style at a few European ski resorts.

Sadly, though, Snow is not all about fun, games, and fluffy snowflakes. Whittell also speaks with meteorologists and climatologists regarding the future of snow itself, and the news isn’t good. Though warming air helps to create massive snowstorms, eventually that effect will end. The lower levels of the atmosphere will grow too warm for water to remain frozen, and our winter snows will turn to winter rains. If the effects of climate change are not stopped, we could all end up only dreaming of a white Christmas forevermore.

The sum total of Snow, though, is a celebration of this common but little understood phenomenon. While many dread the onset of winter, snow is a precious thing that is getting rarer, so if you live in a place lucky enough to see regular snowfall, Whittell’s advice is this: put on your coat, gloves, and hat, and then head outside to make the most of this delightful– if chilly– by-product of living on this marvelous planet.



Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with a free ebook in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion.

4 stars for an interesting, informative read.
This eBook is full of interesting facts and figures about snow--such as moisture content, how much snow falls in a year, why all snowflakes are unique and much more. If you are a science/nature fan, you will love this book.. There is a whole chapter devoted to skiing and to the scene of James Bond skiing off a mountain in "The Spy Who Loved Me."
The scene was filmed with an amateur skier who had skied off El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. So there is something for Bond fans also.
One quote on snow:
"Snow needs an atmosphere that can hold water vapor without changing the chemical composition. It needs dramatic upward movements of moist air, either over rising or over other, colder air masses. This movement has to lower the temperature of the moisture to freezing or below, and the air has to be naturally seeded with billions of microscopic dust particles around which ice crystals .can form.
The odds against all these conditions existing in one place are high, but on Earth it happens all the time. In the thin layer of gas we call the troposphere .the ingredients of snow come together routinely, as if in defiance of the cosmos."
I live in Western New York state, where we average 100 inches of snow each winter.. In the Blizzard of 1977, we received 100 inches in 1 weekend.. I had to dig a tunnel to my front door. Then President Carter sent in the National Guard to dig us out..
Thanks to Giles Whittell and Atria Books for sending me this eARC through NetGalley.

Snow: The Biography

Did you know dust is an essential element of a snowflake? Do you know how many snowflakes it takes to make a snowman? Or how many snowmen can be made from Earth’s daily snowfall in just ten minutes? Besides information about snowflakes and other types of snow, the book provides mind-boggling knowledge such as the Earth might once have been a snowball, or the largest snowfalls in a single day, or how much snow drops on the Earth every day. It has even snowed in both northern Africa and South America. It will utterly surprise the reader because the amount of snow far exceeds expectations. Why does it snow? What causes snow to be so slippery? How does the Earth benefit from snow? These topics bring up the entertainment snow has provided humans, and its dangers such as avalanches.

Snow captivates author Giles Whittell, a correspondent for England’s The Times, who has traveled the world both for his work and for his obsession with snow. Besides explaining snow fall, he tells how snow, which once covered our mountain tops and far northern and southern climes, is now receding, and how its reflective qualities have helped stabilize the Earth’s temperatures. Some unfamiliar scientific terminology might slow reading, but SNOW provides fascinating realities about snow and gives warning that snow may end this century. This could lead not only to economic disaster for some countries but also will increase global warming.

In SNOW, the author provides a history of human involvement with the cold, white (actually transparent as all light waves reflect off it making it seem white) substance. As a ski enthusiast, he gives great examples of skiing and mountain climbing extremes and achievements involving dangerous or at least risky snow conditions.

Snow is an engrossing book whether you live in a snowy area or not.

Snow: love it for its beauty, hate it for its pain in the butt qualities, sometimes.

So interesting to learn more about what it is, how it falls, sticks and melts. Fascinating stuff, both the science and how snow affects us. Well written, easy to read, super interesting. Whether you have to deal with it or simply look at pictures of it, so much more to understand.

"This scientific and cultural history opens our eyes to the wonders of one of nature's most delicate, delightful and deadly phenomena". The beauty of snow. The density of snow. The uniqueness of each snowflake and why this is so. The many Eskimo words for snow [snow on the ground, falling snow, drifting snow, snow drift, fine snow, deep snow, snow floating on water].

Tribiology is the study of friction, and, when humans discovered the slipperiness of snow, all kinds of things began to happen. There was a Norse god of skiing before there was a Greek god of war. Cross country skiing was invented in Norway, probably as a way to get to the food supply.

SNOW. Kids love it! Grownups, too, as long as they don't have to drive in it. What can beat the beautiful stillness of freshly fallen snow? This is a truly fascinating book, well worth your time to read.

My wish for this book was granted by Atria Books and Net Galley; pub date 11/19/19

A fascinating look at snow from a variety of angles. With scintillating facts and interesting anecdotes and stories, this contains a lot of surprising and fun info told in an engaging way. Seemed extremely well researched, too. Highly recommended.

I really appreciate the review copy!!

Grew up in Canada and didn’t know all this about snow

I enjoyed this book. Giles Whittell writes with a conversational tone and with a good sense of humor. The book is a broad discussion of snow including science (that never gets technical) and sports. This close look at snow turns the mundane or even the troublesome into a fascinating phenomenon of nature. I will try to remember this next winter.

It’s not difficult to find nonfiction that is well written in the sense that the book is impeccably researched and immensely knowledgeable. What’s much harder to find is nonfiction that reads well; Not just for those who are highly interested in/knowledgeable about a given topic, but also for those who might be dabbling hobbyists or just intellectually curious.

Whittell’s book on snow is an excellent example of one of those rare instances in nonfiction where the author writes so compellingly that even the minutiae of the topic becomes interesting to the layman.

Researchers, particularly those in science, are generally not known for their ability to write entertaining nonfiction for the masses. But it’s here that Whittell excels. The science, the painstaking research...it’s all there. But he’s also an outstanding “reader’s writer,” meaning that he can take erudite, nuanced concepts specific to his field and make them palatable for the Everyman.

I’m a researcher by training too, so I can appreciate the difficulty of presenting complex concepts from one’s field in a manner that is both thorough and complete and also entertaining and appealing to those outside one’s area of expertise.

Whittell nails this perfectly, using novels, art, even Bond films to help explain the science of snow and snowflakes. Great stuff for anyone from skiers to history buffs to those who just happen to like snow.

4 out of 5 Stars

Title: Agent Jack: The True Story of MI5's Secret Nazi Hunters

Author: Robert Hutton

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

This book is about the search for German sympathizers within England during World War II. It revolves around former banker Eric Roberts known as "Jack Kelly" to the British Union which was full of German sympathizers. The book is well written which makes for an interesting read. None of the exposed Nazi "friendlies" that Roberts interacted with were ever sent to prison as that would have exposed his alias.

I recommend this book for those looking for what went on within Great Britian itself during World War II with MI5 looking for agents or potential agents of Nazi Germany.

I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my nonfiction book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook  page.