May 08, 2006: Book Review - "Secrets of the Snow"
(First posted on Avalanche-Blog.com, the original date has been kept and only a few small changes have been made.)
Summer is the time when I can try to read a few things, avalanche related and not. I usually purchase various new and archival publications to add to the library. Among my recent purchases is "Secrets of the Snow - Visual Clues to Avalanche and Ski Conditions" by Ed LaChapelle.
This won't be a detailed review but more of a brief commentary. Bottom line - this is an excellent book and recommended for anyone. While the photos and explanations stand on their own some basic background (i.e. a "Level 1") will be helpful in understanding some of the topics. Since it's largely visual it doesn't take long to read.
This book gave me some new ideas on how to incorporate photos into my own courses, including those now offered through the Avalanche Institute here.
This is a newer companion book to "Field Guide to Snow Crystals" which is also excellent. These are published in part through the International Glaciology Society, which makes them hard to find in your local store. (I wanted to add the Field Guide to the Avalanche Center Store but it was too difficult to handle the logistics. And since this post was first written we have stopped selling books at all because we can't compete with the likes of Amazon.) However, both should be easy to find online through various online outlets these days.
The third avalanche book with LaChapelle as co-author is the old "ABC of Avalanche Safety". I'll leave the details for another time, but I find that one to be lacking and don't recommend it. But go ahead and buy these two companion books - you'll find them worthwhile.
Summer is the time when I can try to read a few things, avalanche related and not. I usually purchase various new and archival publications to add to the library. Among my recent purchases is "Secrets of the Snow - Visual Clues to Avalanche and Ski Conditions" by Ed LaChapelle.
This won't be a detailed review but more of a brief commentary. Bottom line - this is an excellent book and recommended for anyone. While the photos and explanations stand on their own some basic background (i.e. a "Level 1") will be helpful in understanding some of the topics. Since it's largely visual it doesn't take long to read.
This book gave me some new ideas on how to incorporate photos into my own courses, including those now offered through the Avalanche Institute here.
This is a newer companion book to "Field Guide to Snow Crystals" which is also excellent. These are published in part through the International Glaciology Society, which makes them hard to find in your local store. (I wanted to add the Field Guide to the Avalanche Center Store but it was too difficult to handle the logistics. And since this post was first written we have stopped selling books at all because we can't compete with the likes of Amazon.) However, both should be easy to find online through various online outlets these days.
The third avalanche book with LaChapelle as co-author is the old "ABC of Avalanche Safety". I'll leave the details for another time, but I find that one to be lacking and don't recommend it. But go ahead and buy these two companion books - you'll find them worthwhile.
