Book excerpt: In Inside the Hurricane, Pete Davies sweeps readers from the Caribbean to the Bay of Bengal, describing both the horrifying violence and the eerie beauty of hurricanes. He explains the weather conditions that foster them; discusses in lucid detail how scientists predict, measure, and track them; and delves into mysteries scientists are still trying to solve. From apocalyptic devastation in Central America to a frantic race against time in Miami, Pete Davies take you as close to the storm as it's possible to go. He tracks the greatest hurricanes in history and takes you along for a wild ride as he recounts his experiences following and flying directly into the worst storms of 1999 with the scientists who do it for living; he explores the science of why hurricanes occur and how to predict their onslaughts more accurately; and he describes the mounting panic of those frantically making preparations as 1999's biggest storm, Floyd, looms. A winning combination of history, science, and adventure, Inside the Hurricane leaves readers with a chilling reminder of nature's enduring domination over man. Going face to face with nature at its most violent, Inside the Hurricane is a gripping, frightening, and brilliantly instructive book about the deadliest storms known to man.