Weather Matters : University Press of Kansas : 9780700616114 : 070061611X : 01 Oct 2008 : Everybody talks about it?and why not? From tornadoes in the Heartland to hurricanes in the Gulf, blizzards in the Midwest to droughts across the South, weather matters to Americans and makes a difference in their daily lives. Bernard Mergen's captivating and kaleidoscopic new book illuminates our inevitable obsession with weather?as both physical reality and evocative metaphor?in all of its myriad forms, focusing on the ways in which it is perceived, feared, embraced, managed, and even marketed. From the roaring winds atop Mount Washington to the reflective calm of the poet's lair, he takes a long-overdue look at public response to weather in art, literature, and the media. In the process, he reveals the cross-pollination of ideas and perceptions about weather across many fields, including science, government, education, and consumer culture. Rich in detail and anecdote, Weather Matters is fille