杏吧原创

TORNADO chasing is, as Mark Svenvold describes it, an 鈥渆xtreme sport鈥�. Much of it, however, involves 鈥渆xtreme sitting鈥�. The 鈥渕aster of extreme sitting鈥� is his friend the one-legged master chaser Matt Biddle, who drives all day, never leaving his seat, even at gasoline stops. 鈥淲hen it came to extreme sitting, Matt has endurance. He could out-sit Rodin鈥檚 thinker, Whistler鈥檚 mother, the Buddha. He was the Iron Man of extreme sitting.鈥�

Svenvold is a gifted storyteller; he displays a wide knowledge of classical and general literature in an easy-going fashion powered with vivid anecdotes. That he knows little about science and meteorology frankly does not matter 鈥� because his book is about people and their reactions to storms and storm chasing.

Patiently, Svenvold spends half the book preparing us for a two-week storm chase in May 2004, through Nebraska, Kansas and Iowa. We follow the moods and minds of those who chase for passion or research, or for money or thrills. We learn the motives, we share experiences; we ride the highs, and we imbibe the boredom of waiting. At times all of America seems to be sitting, if not in cars, then in front of Weather Channel, captivated by the forces of extreme weather.

Svenvold grants the origins of tornado watching to ancient British pioneers because 鈥渁rchaeologists believe that 5000 years ago the inhabitants of Stonehenge honoured the storm god by digging ditches parallel to the tracks of tornadoes鈥�. What is it that draws today鈥檚 people to storm chasing and tornado watching? Yes, it is adventure and the triumph of success, but, ultimately, as storm chaser Roger Jensen says: 鈥淕osh, it鈥檚 for the awe at what you are seeing.鈥�