As you go in
Cloud Appreciation Association Declaration
cloud chart
Cloud classification table

low clouds

1 Cumulus clouds
2 Cumulonimbus clouds
3-story cloud
4-layer cumulus clouds

mid-level clouds

5 altocumulus clouds
6 altostratus clouds
7 Nimbostratus clouds

high clouds

8 Cirrus
9 Cumulus clouds
10 Cirrus clouds

Clouds we must not forget…

11 Other clouds
12 contrails
13 Morning Glory

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Acknowledgements for the inclusion of photos and quotes
Acknowledgements
Translator's Note
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Cloud Observer Graduation Exam

If Carl Sagan had been a meteorologist who studied clouds
I would have written this book instead of Cosmos.
- Ji Woong-bae (astronomer)

* Official Guidebook of the Cloud Viewing Association
* TEDGlobal talk 1.3 million views
* Sunday Times bestseller (200,000 copies sold in the UK)

How to fall in love with clouds

"Is there anything in nature as diverse and dramatic as clouds? If the majestic, sweeping sky, bathed in sunset, were a rare sight, perhaps seen only once in a generation, that spectacle would surely remain one of the legends of our time."

Cumulus clouds (cumulus clouds) are fluffy, fluffy bundles of fluffy clouds, and cirrus clouds (feathery clouds) are fluttered in delicate strands like angel hair.
High clouds that paint the sky a ruby-red color at dawn.
If there's one natural phenomenon that often displays miraculous beauty but doesn't get its due, it's clouds.
Clouds display their "poetry of Mother Nature" above us every day, yet few people pay much attention to them, and some even criticize them as a nuisance, blocking the sun or bringing rain before an afternoon outing or a tennis match.

The Cloud Watcher's Guide was Gavin Pretterfinney's first book, written after he founded the Cloud Watchers' Association, to champion his "fluffy friends" (as the author affectionately calls them).
This book became the basis for the follow-up bestseller, A Cloud Every Day, and also greatly increased the fame of the Cloud Appreciation Society (with over 50,000 members in 120 countries around the world).
In this book, the author shows off his excellent metaphors and witty banter, guiding readers into the fascinating world of clouds.
From scientific principles to differentiation methods, interesting myths and art, and even how to appreciate clouds, this book contains everything about clouds.
But the real goal of this book is different.
Fighting against the "blue sky" mentality that favors a cloudless sky ("just a blue, monotonous sky"), and learning to enjoy and contemplate the clouds.
Breaking the prejudice that “a book that chases after dreams like this will ever sell?” (it was rejected by 27 publishers), the book became a hot topic, selling over 200,000 copies in the UK alone.


The author's consistent love of clouds is amazing.
Visit a fish market to check out fish scales that resemble cloud patterns, track cloud changes from a moving train, and fly in a glider to follow Australia's giant cloud, Morning Glory.
By this point, even readers who weren't particularly interested in clouds will find themselves smiling at the sight of the happy author immersed in them.


The magical and fascinating world of clouds

How to enjoy as much as you know.
The world of clouds is the same.
Like a seasoned instructor, Gavin uses captivating cloud photography (many of which were taken by members of the Cloud Appreciation Association) and engaging graphics (including an illustration of his own face) to capture readers' attention.
The author, with his witty and ingenious remarks, explains the classification of clouds, their formation principles, and the characteristics of each cloud through captivating storytelling, leaving readers unfazed.


The book introduces ten major cloud types (genera), including cumulonimbus clouds, the "king of clouds," and cirrocumulus clouds, which decorate the high skies like ripples. It also covers the various species and varieties within the genus, from lenticular clouds, which look like UFOs temporarily parked behind tall mountains by aliens wandering through space, to unique tower clouds, honeycomb clouds, scroll clouds, radiant clouds, and silken clouds.
Also, all kinds of clouds are wonderfully introduced, including the luminous clouds of the mesosphere, whose very existence is a mystery, the mother-of-pearl clouds that boast the most beauty of clouds, the thick shelf-shaped arch clouds that give an ominous feeling, the breast clouds that spread out like the round and smooth udders of a cow or goat hanging from them, and even clouds with additional characteristics such as tail clouds, hole clouds, wall clouds, and hat clouds.


The book also doesn't forget to provide guidance on special clouds.
It features contrails, the "illegitimate children of the cloud world" that first appeared in the Earth's skies in the early 20th century (they are pretty to look at, but they contribute to global warming), and morning glory, the famous scroll cloud of Burketown, Australia. In particular, seeing glider pilots gathered in a small fishing village in search of the scroll cloud reminds me of sailors about to set out to catch the legendary whale.

The fascinating and surprising stories surrounding the clouds add to the book's appeal.
Readers can see “Zeus and Io,” “the most erotic, the last cloud porn ever put to canvas,” by the Renaissance painter Correggio, and encounter the Blur Building, built on Lake Neuchâtel in Switzerland, made entirely of fog, “without shape, size, surface, walls, or roof.”
The story of the 'cloud harp', which measures the height and brightness of clouds by shooting lasers into the sky and converts them into sound, and the story of the 'seismic cloud', a 'non-meteorological cloud' used to predict earthquakes, are surprising and hard to believe at first glance.


There are also stories that are like a movie.
In 1959, fighter pilot Lieutenant Colonel Rankin encountered a cumulonimbus cloud the size of Mount Everest over Virginia, bails out, and is said to have drifted like hail in the turbulent air for 40 minutes, well past the 10-minute descent time.
Lieutenant Colonel Rankin, who came back from the brink of death, “took cloud observation to a new level,” as the author puts it. The dangerous history of using clouds as a weapon of war cannot be left out either.
During the Vietnam War, the United States secretly conducted artificial rain operations to impede enemy movement.
It began on May 20, 1967, and lasted for six years in Laos, North Vietnam, South Vietnam, and parts of Cambodia, with rainfall reportedly increasing by up to 30 percent in the actual operational areas.
The main character in all these stories is, of course, 'Cloud'.
Readers who enjoyed Carl Sagan's Cosmos will discover that the world of clouds is just as wondrous and fascinating as the vast expanse of stars.

What clouds are floating in your sky today?

"The Cloud Observer's Guide" is a book that is enjoyable just to watch the author's passion.
There are many books that explain clouds from a meteorological perspective, but there are some special things that only someone who truly loves clouds can convey.
This book is like that.
The author praises "cloud observation as a life-affirming hobby," encouraging readers to spend time free from the heavy burdens of the world and that it's okay.


The author's rather poignant declaration, written when he founded the Cloud Appreciation Society (which was first listed on Yahoo's list of "Weird and Awesome Websites" in 2005), reads:
“Raise your head and look at the sky.
Marvel at its fleeting beauty.
And live life as if your head is in the clouds, enjoying daydreaming.” An attitude that allows you to enjoy life without any worries or goals.
This is why the Sunday Times described cloud watching as a new religion in its review.

The book contains questions from the Cloud Observer graduation exam.
Question 5 of them features a beautiful photograph of clouds and asks, "Why do these stratocumulus clouds make me feel so good?"
The answer given by the questioner Gavin is, 'No matter what reason you find, it's all correct!' There's no reason to like something.
Even if it seems useless to the world, don't be afraid and find something that will add vitality to your life.

So, what kind of clouds are floating in your sky today?

Let's become cloud observers.
This is a new religion!
- [The Sunday Times]

A book full of joy and wonder.

- [New York Times]

A lovely book that everyone should have in their car and on their kitchen windowsill.

- [Daily Telegraph]

The writing style is incredibly affectionate, and just seeing the author's passion makes me feel good.
This book is a small but magnificent spell for a way of life.

- [Metro]

It's so funny that your eyes will pop out.
You will come to realize that beautiful clouds are not just hanging in the sky for decoration.
Clouds are truly amazing things.

- [Daily Mail]