Why people recommend it
Rain: A Natural and Cultural History by Cynthia Barnett is a comprehensive non-fiction examination of humanity's relationship with precipitation throughout history, exploring weather patterns, culture, and science. The book was discussed on the podcast Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, where the hosts expressed their appreciation for Barnett's work and praised her for writing about a remarkably specific topic, giving her a dedicated shout-out as longtime fans of books focused on niche subjects. Separately, the book was mentioned on the Lex Fridman Podcast by guest Jeff Hawkins, who discussed his own writing regarding how neurons physically generate predictions. While the contexts differed between the two shows, the mentions underscored the broad appeal of detailed non-fiction research and the ways in which specialized studies inform broader conversations about science and human culture across popular podcasts.
Who recommended it
Mentioned on the show without a named speaker — 1
“But we do owe a shout-out to the amazing author Cynthia Barnett, who wrote "Rain: A Natural and Cultural History." You guys know, longtime listeners, we love books about cartoonishly specific things!”
Other mentions (1: passing, ad reads, own books)
“and i write about this in the book about and then we ask how do neurons actually make predictions physically”