This book investigates the historical shift in human perception of climate from a tangible, immediate environmental force to an abstract, distant concept. Michael Boyden, an academic specializing in American literature and culture, examines how travel narratives from the late 18th to the mid-19th century documented this transformation. By analyzing the writings of American travelers in the Caribbean, the author argues that these accounts were instrumental in shaping modern conceptualizations of climate during a period of significant geopolitical and environmental change.

Scholars in the fields of environmental humanities and American studies frequently cite this work for its nuanced exploration of how aesthetic frameworks influence environmental perception. Experts highlight the text as a rigorous contribution to the study of how historical travel writing informs contemporary understandings of the natural world.