A family moves into a new home on a windswept hilltop in suburban Tokyo. Around them is the sky, forests, farms. But the developers are coming, and the children are growing up. There are meals, quandaries, conversations....

A masterpiece of quiet lyricism set against a backdrop of change and renewal in suburban Tokyo. The most celebrated work by one of Japan's master literary stylists, Evening Clouds is a book filled with delicate images of ordinary life, richly and precisely observed. A family moves into a new home on a windswept hilltop in western Tokyo. Around them are forests and farms. But the developers are coming, and the children are growing up. There are meals, quandaries, conversations...Life appears comfortable and serene, yet Shōno's portrayal has a strange and evocative undercurrent, as the most minute details slowly resonate out through a universe that is changing and unforgiving. Evening Clouds combines the crafted naturalism of haiku with the Ozu-like clarity of film to produce a story that is wistful and real. Read Shōno slowly, a luxuriate in his vision.

The Weather Companion An Album of Meteorological History, Science, Legend, and Folklore Throughout history, as farmer, sailor, hunter, and artist, humans have watched and worried about the weather. We have devised ways to observe it, to predict it, to protect ourselves from it, to take advantage of it. It plays a major role in the science and folklore of every culture. Gary Lockhart's The Weather Companion is a fascinating compendium of meteorological facts and fables, from ancient myths to the latest research, from the rain forests to the desert regions. You'll learn about the meteorology of Noah's flood; methods of forecasting; the behavior of weather cycles; weather predictors such as the thickness of corn husks, the height of saw grass, and the behavior of animals; weather prophets; and much more. Gary Lockhart reveals what makes rain "smell," how natural barometers work, and the long history of weather fish, once kept to predict rain, and revived during China's Cultural Revolution. You'll even learn the best time to go fishing! Beautifully illustrated, captivating and original, The Weather Companion is a delightful experience for all ages. Your skies and sunsets will never be the same.

Clouds have been objects of delight and fascination throughout human history, their fleeting magnificence and endless variety having inspired scientists and daydreamers alike. Described by Aristophanes as “the patron goddesses of idle men,” clouds and the ever-changing patterns they create have long symbolized the restlessness and unpredictability of nature, and yet they are also the source of life-giving rains. In this book, Richard Hamblyn examines clouds in their cultural, historic, and scientific contexts, exploring their prevalence in our skies as well as in our literature, art, and music. As Hamblyn shows, clouds function not only as a crucial means of circulating water around the globe but also as a finely tuned thermostat regulating the planet’s temperature. He discusses the many different kinds of clouds, from high, scattered cirrus clouds to the plump thought-bubbles of cumulus clouds, even exploring man-made clouds and clouds on other planets. He also shows how clouds have featured as meaningful symbols in human culture, whether as ominous portents of coming calamities or as ethereal figures giving shape to the heavens, whether in Wordsworth’s poetry or today’s tech speak. Comprehensive yet compact, cogent and beautifully illustrated, this is the ultimate guidebook to those shapeshifters of the sky.

Man's fascination with clouds is legendary: their appearance, their formation, their beauty. Meteorologists use clouds to help predict weather. There's even a Cloud Appreciation Society with more than 34,000 members who share pictures and stories of clouds. Clouds also remind us of God's majesty, power, and beauty in creation. Indeed, the heavens declare the majesty of God. In Clouds Are the Dust of His Feet! author H. Wayne Sampson shares the role of clouds in Scripture. He examined each of the 157 references in the Bible referring to clouds and then organized them into several similar groupings to determine their function or role in the verse. In the course of this study, Dr. Sampson discovered that clouds in Scripture reveal an array of characteristics of the almighty God, such as His might, creative power, mercy, and gracious provision, as well as the promise of security by our heavenly Father. Dr. Sampson also demonstrates God's imagination in using clouds as transporters, His kindness in establishing a way for the frightened Israelites to speak to him, and His guidance and protective power. Clouds are the Dust of His Feet! communicates that clouds, as well as all the other wonders of nature, should remind us of the loving creator.