Review by Choice Review
Meyer (Clark Univ.) does not discuss the impact of climate on society but rather examines how human activities have continually changed the significance of climate. He notes how observers in the 19th century considered that the climate in the previous century had been more severe. However, the thesis of this book is that the changes in the perception of climate are associated with changes in such aspects of life as clothing, house construction, transportation, and other aspects of "life." The volume consists of an introduction, five specific chapters, a conclusion, a voluminous 52 pages of citations and notes, and an 11-page index. The introduction explains the scope and central thesis of the volume. Chapter 1--"Climate, Cultures, and Founding Myths"--sets out to undermine the concept of climate determinism whereby pivotal events in the course of history are linked with major climatic perturbations. The chapters that follow are titled "Antebellum America" (chapter 2), "Postbellum America" (chapter 3), and "Modernizing America" (chapter 4); the final chapter considers the post-1945 period. In his conclusion, Meyer notes that terms that describe climate, such as better or worse, are used within the context of an individual's wish. Upper-division undergraduates and up. J. T. Andrews University of Colorado at Boulder
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
