A very lovely book that I wish I could afford to purchase, instead of get from the library. I say this because the book is set up so that you can keep notes on which clouds you've seen where - collect them, basically! As I am a birder, this aspect of "listing" clouds appeals to me. I can go birdwatching and cloudwatching at the same time! Keep a yard list of clouds, just like I do birds! A ferry list! An airplane list! Travel list! Oooo, cloud twitchers?

I wish there were more photos of each cloud type, and better descriptions of the differences between similar cloud types - side by side photo comparisons, for instance.

But what there is in this slim volume is very good. A few pithy comments scattered here and there liven up the descriptions and made me smile. But not too many of them - just enough. ( )

I've never been accused of having my head in the clouds, but I should have been because it's one of my favorite things to do-- especially during the summer here in the Sonoran Desert. I knew all the different types of clouds had names, but didn't know them past cumulus and cirrus. When I stumbled across The Cloud Collector's Handbook, I knew I had to have a copy; I'm the type of person who likes to know the names of things.

This little hardcover is broken into five basic chapters: Ten Main Cloud Types, Notable Species and Varieties, Accessory Clouds and Supplementary Features, Other Clouds, and Cloud Optical Effects. It also contains handy indexes of technical terms, images and more in the back.

The book is filled with gorgeous photographs of all the more recognizable types of clouds, and author Gavin Pretor-Pinney tells readers what causes them to form and under what conditions they may be seen. If you're the type of person who likes to keep lists or to score yourself on how many different types of clouds you've seen, you can keep track with this book.

I loved examining all the photographs, and I learned a great deal from reading the text. The next time I look up at the sky, I'm going to be much better informed, and The Cloud Collector's Handbook is now an important addition to my reference shelf. ( )