READING & BOOK SIGNING WITH AWARD-WINNING METEOROLOGIST MIKE SMITH May 6, 2011

The Barnes & Noble at Bradley Fair, located at 1920 N. Rock Road, will host a reading and book signing of Warnings: The True Story of How Science Tamed the Weather by local television broadcaster and award-winning meteorologist Mike Smith on Friday, May 6th, at 7:00 pm. The author will read an excerpt of his book, discuss his experiences with severe weather, and sign copies of his book. With the onset of what is estimated as the one of the worst tornado seasons in history and the recent devastation in St. Louis, this book is a relevant and exciting read for anyone who is interested in severe weather.
Well-known, local meteorologist and one of the creators of the modern storm warning system, Mike Smith, takes us into the eye of America’s most devastating storms and traces the Herculean effort to create the national weather warning system in his book Warnings: The True Story of How Science Tamed the Weather. In his book you will witness the most devastating storms of the last thirty years through the eyes of the visionaries who saw them coming and who struggled to understand nature’s fury, as well as improve weather forecasting and advance warning systems. Warnings is an insider’s perspective on the science and history of weather forecasting that includes gripping and fast-paced narratives of natural disasters and fascinating biographical sketches of the most renowned meteorologists. The book depicts the personalities behind the breakthroughs and provides insights into the turbulent world of America’s scientific establishment.
Part memoir, part science account, Smith’s tale begins in the late 1940s, when weathermen were actually forbidden to broadcast tornado warnings. The book’s narrative continues to the present day, as the author delivers a moment-by-moment account of the monster tornado that leveled Greensburg, Kansas, in 2007 as well as a damning account of governmental incompetence in the leadup to Hurricane Katrina. Warnings is a fascinating window into the world of scientific investigation and its impact on all of us.
Mike Smith has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Meteorology from the University of Oklahoma. He has worked for television stations in Oklahoma City, St. Louis and Wichita. In 1981, he founded WeatherData, a custom weather forecasting service. Mike is a Certified Consulting Meteorologist and Fellow of the American Meteorological Society. In 1992, Mike won the American Meteorological Society’s Award for Outstanding Contribution to Applied Meteorology and shared in WeatherData’s 2000 Award for Outstanding Service to Meteorology by a Corporation. He is the recipient of five U.S. patents, and is a speaker and published author and photographer in the field of meteorology. You can visit his blog at http://meteorologicalmusings.blogspot.com/ .

Official Website: http://store-locator.barnesandnoble.com/event/3096082