Wow, what a great read! Larson makes the science understandable to a layperson, as I was able to essentially grasp the bare basics of meteorology. His more notable achievement though is imbuing the story with human interest as he follows Isaac Klein's story as the main thread through the book. Klein is the chief weather observer/meteorologist in Galveston at the time of the disaster, and Larson weaves his story into the narrative along with other townspeople in those fateful days. 
 Larson also looks at how humans do science, which has been a theme for me of late. In an area of human endeavor where one would think objectivity would reign, subjectivity and personality crop up as primary movers in the advancement of knowledge. 
 At any rate, the more time you spend reading this review is less time you spend reading this great book. Absolutely recommended.