Florida Weather (review)

Vol. XXX, No. 2 143 Although the content and organization seem complete, I would feel more comfortable if the tone of the book were not so proselytizing. Much of the evidence is tenuous and, as the subtitle states, is interpretive. For instance, the assertion that a "a common American dogtrot house consists of two Finnish-plan single-pen cabins facing a passage, without front or rear doors" may be correct for the core area, but another dogtrot house form apparently developed independently at the southern end of the Appalachians. There, the earliest extant log single-pen houses had centered front and rear doors but no gable-end door except when they were enlarged into double houses. All of the earliest extant log double house types retained separate front and rear doors, in addition to the connecting gable-side door. I suspect that both the frontier and later periods had much more diversity than the literature suggests. This book is well organized; is generally well illustrated with three dozen maps, nearly 60 photographs, and many line illustrations; and has 30 pages of notes and 40 pages of bibliography, including many references obscure to most American researchers. By presenting another perspective on pioneer culture, Jordan and Kaups have added substantially to the literature with this outstanding publication. We will not be able to write about the American frontier again without acknowledging the contributions of the North Europeans, especially the Finns. Eugene M. Wilson, Department of Geology and Geography, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36688. Florida Weather. Morton D. Winsberg. Orlando, FL: University of Central Florida Press, 1990. xii and 171 pp., photographs, maps, illustrations , tables, bibliography, index. $9.95 paper (ISBN 0-8130-0989-8) Morton Winsberg's new book on Florida weather and climate is one of very few works aimed at explaining regional weather patterns to a general audience. The paucity of such books is surprising given the degree to which daily weather is discussed by most citizens, and it is particularly ironic for a state whose economy is so highly dependent on its climate. Winsberg's very readable text is a welcome answer to this prior 144Southeastern Geographer absence. While directed at a general audience, it includes a thorough and accurate treatment of meteorological phenomena in the state. It is Winsberg's articulate style and simple organization which make this work so appealing. He begins with an introductory chapter describing the basic atmospheric processes which most strongly influence Florida's weather. His discussion benefits from clear, non-technical language , and a variety of statistical maps, photographs, and figures from several introductory-level meteorology textbooks. Four subsequent chapters highlight each of the seasons. Winsberg defines these seasons in an "admittedly subjective" fashion, using the average dates by which certain temperatures are exceeded to denote their beginning. However subjective, this organization allows him an appropriate structure to discuss seasonal changes in average temperature and precipitation and to focus on specific extreme elements of Florida weather during their predominant season of occurrence. He supplements his narrative with the extensive use of maps showing spatial patterns of temperature, precipitation , and other relevant meteorological variables. Most maps are generated from the raw data of Florida's first-order and cooperative weather station network. The special topics treated in the seasonal chapters include fog, tornadoes, droughts, floods, thunderstorms, lightning, and hurricanes. Winsberg seems to emphasize hazards which will attract the general reader's attention, and he takes the opportunity to urge safety measures appropriate to each. Throughout the text Winsberg successfully integrates his discussion of atmospheric phenomena with topics of general interest by presenting features of Florida's weather and climate with regard to human activities . For example, in the summer chapter he explains the computation and significance of cooling degree days. In the winter chapter he reviews the vulnerability of the citrus industry to frosts and cites economic changes which have resulted from these events. He frequently weaves historical anecdotes into explanations of meteorological phenomena to flavor his prose. The book includes numerous climatological tables, set apart at the end of the text to reduce the need for extensive lists within its body. Frequent reference is made to these statistics, allowing readers to...