The Cloudspotters Guide by Gavin-Prector Pinney

It is so easy in life to get swept up by the slew of demands and deadlines that are constantly demanding attention. The university semester can often feel like an anxious cycle of study, assignments, exams and results. In his book The Cloudspotter’s Guide, Gavin-Prector Pinney promotes the idea of taking time to slow down and be mindful of the present, simply through the act of looking up. As he puts it, cloud-gazing is the legitimisation of doing nothing and in the chaos, worry and constant pressure that comes with living in the digital age, the aimlessness of doing nothing can truly feel like a much needed breath of fresh air.

I loved the mindfulness that the Cloud-Spotters Guide promotes and its call to live life with your head in the clouds. The book itself is separated into chapters that detail the different classifications of clouds and the science behind their existence. Though natural history books can tend to become a bit dry, Pinney prevents this through fun anecdotes, stories and intriguing facts all about clouds. Ultimately, there is something almost grounding (pardon the pun) about going outside after reading this book, no matter where you are in the world, and being able to look up and somehow understand the pointless natural wonders that command the sky above.