ESSENTIALS OF METEOROLOGY: AN INVITATION TO THE ATMOSPHERE is written by the most widely read and authoritative author in introductory meteorology, Donald Ahrens, together with a new coauthor -- meteorologist and award-winning science writer Robert Henson. Their ability to explain relatively complicated ideas in a student-friendly way allows both science and nonscience majors to visualize the principles of meteorology. The 8th edition's clear and inviting narrative is supplemented by pedagogical features that encourage observing, calculating, and synthesizing information, and recent weather and climate events are incorporated to enhance student interest. Online animations available through MindTap help students to understand the underlying meteorological principles. Suggested activities to interact with the data make it easier to assign student projects for developing critical thinking and quantitative skills using meteorological data.