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Customer Reviews (5)

An insightful new theory
The author make some very interesting connections between the biblical text and geological, climatological, archeological, literary and extra-biblical source materials. The result is an intriguing theory which posits that the story that has come down to us in the bible is really an amalgamation of 2 separate "exodus" events involving Semitic groups which were somehow under the control of Egyptian authorities. In the first exodus event those Egyptian authorities were actually Hyksos rulers, a Semitic group that had somehow established control of Egypt from their base in the north Delta region. The 2 events occurred almost 2 centuries apart. The author explains how recent studies of how various non-literate cultures process events of their shared history into a verbal legacy that is told and retold for generations before it is ever put to paper. This usually happens when the societal group later develops a system and culture of writing, as happened with the early Israelites. During the retelling phases of the storytelling the incidents being transmitted can undergo various different types of distortions, one of which is the melding of 2 separate events into one. The author does an excellent job of explaining her theory. Where I think it falls short a bit is in trying too hard to connect all the dots and to try to explain all the anomalies and stories in the books of the Torah with geological/climatological etc. rationales. In particular it feels like overreaching when trying to use the bubonic and other plagues for various parts of the story which is drawn from rather scant evidence. Certainly her main thesis is well underpinned with excellent data and she makes a solid and scholarly case for it. This is no Velikovsky type treatment.However some of the minor points seem a bit too much of a reach. Despite this minor flaw, I believe most students of ancient near eastern history and biblical archaeology will find this book a fascinating read. I devoured this book in a few days, and anticipate I will come be coming back to it again and again for reference purposes. This is a major new contribution to the field and I can envision it being the springboard for much future debate and research.

Excellent new theory about Exodus
In the past six years I have researched questions related to the Exodus in a lot of depth.I have read and personally rejected a long list of theories.I have a shelf and a half of books related to this topic.

In March 2009, a new book came out with another new proposal for resolving this very question.

The book is:
Sivertsen, Barbara J. The Parting of the Sea: How Volcanoes, Earthquakes, and Plagues Shaped the Exodus Story. Princeton: Princeton University Press. (2009)

One of the editorial reviews says that Barbara Sivertsen's book The Parting of the Sea, "provid[es] what may be the most coherent correlation yet of ancient Egyptian history, the archeology of both Egypt and Palestine, and the biblical traditions of pre-literate Israel. ... This outstanding accomplishment should be a source of research direction for years to come."

I agree strongly with this assessment.

In an interview Barbara Sivertsen stated, "I'm convinced my hypothesis explains the events much better than others."

I agree with this assessment too.

The book gives a lot of supporting argumentation for the thesis that, "the Exodus was in fact two separate exoduses".I think that the arguments are coherent.I think that it would be possible to add a few additional arguments that do not even appear in the book.

This book is not a warmed over, repackaged version of Hans Goedicke, Ian Wilson, or Simcha Jacobovici.It is a new theory with many new and highly original ideas.This book does an exceptional job of weaving the textual and archaeological evidence together in a way that works without resorting to revisionist chronologies and far-fetched scenarios that have been discredited by other scholars.It is well researched and it is very "coherent".It does an exceptional job of fitting the seemingly discrepant pieces of the puzzle together in a way that ends up making a lot of sense.I recommend it to everyone for thoughtful consideration.

Parting of the sea, Exodus
This was a very interesting discussion of the effects of volcanic eruptions on stories passed down from long ago. I was intrigued by the evidence the author presents.

For the Serious Biblical History Enthusiast
In this often-challenging book, the author attempts to reconcile events that are recounted in the Bible (mainly Exodus) with various natural disasters, i.e., volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and plagues, that are known to have occurred in ancient times. Using geological records, archaeological finds, ancient texts and known historical facts, the author attempts to shed some light on many biblical passages by explaining various inconsistencies and reconstructing the course of events. She explains how events that have occurred in the distant past and that are recounted orally from generation to generation tend to become seriously distorted with regards to the way things really happened. She points out that events that have occurred at significantly different times and that involved different people can often get merged into one single (and often confusing) story. This, she claims, is a significant contributor to the many inconsistencies in the biblical stories. The writing style is clear, authoritative and scholarly; some parts are also engaging and quite fascinating. However, I found many passages to be rather long-winded and tedious to go through. This is mainly because of the fine details (biblical and historical) that the author discusses in order to make her case. As a result, I believe that serious biblical history buffs would likely appreciate this book the most. Nevertheless, a general reader/ancient history enthusiast can learn quite a bit from this book, as I did.

food for thought
Firstly know that I have not read this book.However, after reading the summary description of its contents I realized that Barbara should have taken the time to see the film "The Exodus Decoded," because The Exodus Decoded details volcanic related arguments that -- like The Parting of the Red Sea does -- explain the potential science behind the exodus and also seems to have more developed solutions for the other involved aspects of the exodus that this author explains ad hock.I have found all books I have read that deal with a scientific exploration of the history of the exodus and other biblical events to be fascinating and enlightening and would expect from this authors reputation and the subject matter explored that this would be a book worth reading.

The Exodus Decoded (History Channel) ... Read more

Product Description
Part of a series, this book explores volcanoes and also examines the subject in relation to history, art, music, geography, language, mathematics and many other aspects of knowledge and culture. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A superbly designed and presented science book.
On The Spot: Volcanoes employs see-through windows and interactive features like pop-ups and flaps to show the young reader the wonder andawesome power of an erupting volcano. This superbly designed and presentedscience book is ideal for young readers ages 6 to 8. Also very highlyrecommended is the companion book On The Spot:Oceans as well as the otherimpressive titles in the Reader's Digest "On The Spot series" forchildren including Pyramids, and Space. ... Read more

Product Description
1936. Spain explodes as fascist generals launch an uprising to kill the new democracy. Hitler and Mussolini rush to the side of the brutal General Franco. But the democracies of the world refuse to aid the Spaniards fighting for their lives against the coming slaughter.

Tom Johnson is an American idealist who hears the bursting volcano and goes to help make Madrid the tomb of fascism. Johnson and his comrades risk all they have to save the Spanish people from tyranny, but the Spanish Army and the International Brigades are no match for the fascist-nazi machine. Johnson escapes and returns to America, where his radical past puts him in desperate danger. The Cold War approaches the freezing point. The Red Scare now haunts America. Johnson is torn from his beloved wife and son and forced to stand trial for his ideals.

During the trial, Johnson cries out boldly for freedom, equality, and justice. A Volcano Heard Afar is a thrilling tale of Johnson and his friends who fight against the Axis powers years before Pearl Harbor. They could be called “the Greatest Generation’s Earliest Patriots.”
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A richly illustrated, compelling saga and biography, this unsentimental social history follows the adventures of more than five generations of families that made their mark on both Atlanta and Paris. The narrative especially highlights one grandmother's brave work with the French Resistance in World War II and her untiring efforts to successfully help her only son escape from Nazi prisoner of war camps. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

In We Were Dancing on a Volcano, the Author Chronicles the Travails of His Family in a Frank, and at Times Painful Memoir
Genealogies have perhaps never been so popular, which is ironic.Genealogical studies are always a mixed bag for the family member or members conducting them.They can yield exhilarating facts about ancestors.Just as often, however, they can dredge up dark family secrets.They can unveil murders, suicides, devastating tragedies, humiliations, frailties, dispiriting failures, and reprehensible behavior.Such is the case with Joseph Gatins' We Were Dancing on a Volcano.

At present, Joseph Gatins is an unpretentious retiree who maintains a small garden in the mountains of north Georgia, but his roots are impressive, to say the least.His great-grandfather- Joseph F. Gatins, Sr.- was a Wall Street tycoon who amassed, by 1910, a fortune estimated to be about $10,000,000.00, the equivalent of $228,000,000.00 today.Among other things, he founded the Georgian Terrace Hotel, one of Atlanta, Ga.'s most luxurious buildings.His maternal lineage is, if possible, even more amazing.His grandmother, Egle, was the spawn of French nobility.Her family was old, too, dating back to the Crusades.Gatins' ancestors were so prominent that major newspapers like the Atlanta Journal regularly chronicled their vacations overseas, whom they were dating at the time, and their ritzy soirees.

Still, there were numerous cracks in a surprisingly fragile façade.His great-grandfather may have been a gifted financier and entrepreneur, but he was also a con man.He was arrested for stock fraud, which is, of course, a serious crime.In 1913, he narrowly escaped a two-year prison sentence through a plea bargain.He agreed to plead guilty and quietly paid a $9,000.00 fine.Egle's family may have been old and wealthy, but it also had a checkered past.Much of the clan's fortune stemmed from a pirate who dabbled in the slave trade.Her ancestors also included Royalists who resented the lower classes.During the French Revolution, they would pay for such scorn-filled attitudes:several of them were guillotined.The family was also scandal-ridden.Egle's father committed suicide, causing her much grief in a Catholic-predominating nation that believed that such persons automatically went to Hell.

Misfortunes occur in all families.What makes Gatins' memoir so unforgettable is how he treats them.Throughout the work, the author maintains an unflinching honesty in response to a history that must have been quite distressing for him.Indeed, Gatins seems heroic at times, treating ancestors and their troubles with an objectivity that doesn't quite seem possible.

He relates additional troubles as the strangely subdued narrative rolls on.Joseph F. Gatins, Sr. sires a son, Joseph Francis Gatins, Jr.One might assume that the son enjoyed near-unlimited privilege.Actually, Junior's life was quite horrendous.Because of a severe infection, he loses an arm, a problem that would cripple him not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually as well.He grew up to be handsome and charismatic and a world-traveler to boot. In Paris, he meets Egle Marie de Villelume-Sombreuil, who is instantly smitten with him.They marry, but the union isn't a happy one.Junior may have been a dandy to a point, but he also yearned for a purpose in life.During the World War I era, he tries to enlist in the United States military, eager to contribute his services.Because he is an amputee, his request is denied, and an emasculated Junior retreats into alcoholism and womanizing.He fathers a child- Francis- but he makes no attempt to support either him or his wife.This dire situation prompts yet another family scandal.A hurt Egle files for divorce in a time when such a thing is unheard of.For one, she was a woman filing for divorce, and for another, she was an otherwise devout Catholic.She then leaves America for France with young Francis in tow.In retrospect, the author has this to say about the doomed couple:"...both of them could be battered souls looking for safe haven."The author also notes sadly that "dysfunction has coursed through Gatins family genes."Indeed, poor Junior- he was often referred to as "Joe"- provided a grim blueprint for succeeding Gatins:alcoholism, depression, and anxiety would hound them sans mercy.

This all happens in the first third of the book.The author was a longtime newspaperman, and it shows.His prose is an effusion of dates, titles, experiences, and sensations.Most of the time, the startling amount of detail is quite lyrical.At other times, it's overpowering, making the first third a bit turgid at times.Then, however, he switches gears dramatically, placing the focus on Francis (Joseph Francis Gatins, Jr).At this point, the book becomes a breathless, spellbinding cat-and-mouse narrative.The author's father inherits many of his own father's excesses.He drinks too much, and despite a strong intellect, he frequently gets into trouble (he at times devises cruel practical jokes).As an early adult, he finds a good woman- Sylvia- who manages to anchor him in many ways.Then, Francis becomes a French soldier on the eve of World War II.His letters to Sylvia are in many ways disturbing.In one, he displays a hatred that smacks of fascism.With much bravado, he tells her that he yearns "to kill as many Germans as possible, including women and children..."He also exhibits a rank anti-Semitism.In another letter to the long-suffering Sylvia, he writes:

A young Jewish man...despite his obvious upbringing, made as if he could not understand our [his fellow "Aryan" soldiers] anti-Semitic allusions.One day, we jumped on his wife (a small Rumanian girl) and we made her speak against the Jews in front of her husband.He got the hell out of there the next day.Shortly after, we got rid of another compatriot, who was trying to get himself demobilized.In fact, he succeeded.The only pleasure (other than your letters and the two remaining in the farmhouse) is to find one of those many Jews back at the depot barracks and to tell him that I've got a good tip- that he's going up to the front the next day.You should see their look.

Francis' bravado doesn't last long.Shortly after the German invasion of France, he is taken prisoner and sent to a prisoner of war camp.Surprisingly enough, the first camp isn't so bad:he and the other prisoners have enough to eat and they aren't abused.Francis, though, jeopardizes his life repeatedly in actions that could be described either as dash or simple stupidity.During his three years of imprisonment, he tries to escape time and time again.Eventually, he would be dispatched from one punishment camp to another.At long last, he is sent to one of the most notorious of Nazi camps:Rawa-Ruska in the Ukraine, the site of the SS task forces that would shoot down roughly 1.4 million Jews and Russians in a time span of about one year.At Rawa-Ruska, he and his fellow prisoners endure beatings, torture, and prolonged hunger.To make matters worse, he is mistaken for a Jew because of a so-called "hook" nose.The former anti-Semite is mistreated especially by his captors.

Miraculously, he manages to escape, finding his way to Germany to work as a foreign laborer.Meanwhile, his mother Egle and Sylvia work tirelessly for the Red Cross and to bring Francis back alive.After the war's demise, he and Sylvia settle down and produce children, but the Gatins' dysfunction would rear its head yet again.By now, much of the family fortune is gone (to help insure the prisoner of war's survival, Egle pays off Nazi guards with jewelry and other valuables).Francis spirals into an existential angst that never really resolves itself.Being a prisoner of war- however terrible an experience- also offered him a comforting simplicity.He had two goals:survive and, if possible, escape to freedom.Francis finds post-war life to be too complicated, with a wife, children, and the awesome responsibility of supporting them.Like many Gatins, he begins to drink heavily again, and according to the author, he could be a mean drunk.In between binges, he toiled at dead-end jobs.The couple separates for a time, which posed real difficulties for the offspring.Half the time, they resided in the tranquil French countryside.The rest of the time, they lived in bustling, regimented Atlanta.

As the narrative comes to a close, the book begins to focus largely on the author himself, conveying the dilemma of not being truly American, and not being truly French either.To feel truly American, he fights in the Vietnam War, which merely makes him more confused.Compounding such alienation is the near-total loss of the family fortune, frittered away by war, bad investments, reckless spending, and, most of all, alcohol abuse.His ancestors were nobles.As for himself, he works in construction to help pay for college.The author- honest to the last- admits to having his own problems with alcohol and depression.
In all, it's a powerful, potent read.The author's frankness is refreshing, and he has an engrossing story to tell.Through it all, he displays a compelling world view.Now in middle age, his work reflects the viewpoint of an experienced man who realizes that perfection in life is impossible, and that all families enjoy good times but must also endure bad ones as well.In short, it's a very mature work for mature readers.It's also surprisingly scholarly:the book comes with an exhaustive "Endnotes" section, as well as an extensive bibliography and index.The book is by no means flawless.At times, Gatins uses sentence fragments and colloquialisms like "that's cool."Given that it is so scholarly, such informalities really aren't appropriate.Still, it's an excellent book to be enjoyed by adults.

---Jonathan Maxwell is the author of Murderous Intellectuals:German Elites and the Nazi SS.

Very entertaining and educational, picks up the pace as you read
Dancing on Volcano was indeed a very entertaining and educational book.J Gatins does a fantastic job of researching and providing many facts, events, etc, that take you back to the turn of the last century, right up to the present.The book starts out a little slow, and then picks up wonderfully as Gatins takes the reader back, to the lead up to and the horrific events that occur during his Father's participation in WWII.If one is a history buff, this book will give you a very different and enlightening description of the challenges, tragic events, and various efforts of regular people, just to survive during WWII, and the sections on the POW camps and what prisoners did to survive, was particularly enlightening and educations.A good read, and well done by Joe Gatins.
James Campbell, Atlanta

Riveting History of a Family
What a family of strong, determined, creative, and occasionally unruly individuals.Gatins skillfully folds their stories into the family history that is a great American story.Characters from Ireland and France, then Spain and Germany via Colombia, forge a fortune and a narrative that is emblematic of this country.Each new immigrant takes on the challenges of its generation as he or she joins the family.The reader's joy is taking up with each inimitable personality to follow how trials are met and how good fortune is dealt with.Gatins' fine research creates a vivid milieu for his family, and difficulties of character and decisions are handled with honesty and sensitivity.

some forgotten history
This is part of Atlanta history I never heard truth about. Joe takes extreme measure with his research and tells it very objectively considering it is his family roots. His honesty is welcoming and the blend of immigrants in his background so indicitive of America then and now. A great reminder that we all began as immigrants and it is how we treat them in each society that is telling of our destiny.

As fascinating as the Kennedys....
Family history is not a popular genre these days, unless the families being written about are the Tudors, the Romanovs or the Kennedys. Nor it is an easy one to write especially for a family member; the tendency to sentimentalize, to over-dramatize the family's historical impact while ignoring or sanitizing their foibles is hard to overcome.
Despite the fact the Gatins is not a well-known name outside of Atlanta, and that this history was written by a family member, readers of We Were Dancing on a Volcano by Joseph Gatins are in for a pleasant surprise. Not only is the family as fascinating as the Kennedys to whom they bear some surface similarities (Irish Catholic, a rich scion with a disreputable past, a war hero and international impact), but the authoris able to keep his distance and cast a cold critical eye on the family curse of alcoholism and its insidious legacy.
The Gatins family story begins with the founder's acquisition of considerable wealth through illegal speculation in New York, his investments in real estate in Atlanta and the building of the Georgia Terrace Hotel which provided income for the next three generations. Where the book evolves from interesting to fascinating, however, is with the founder's marriage to a French noblewoman and the subsequent connections to Paris which would continue in the succeeding generations.The most compelling is the tale of Joseph Francis Gatins III, the author's father who served in the French Army during World War II, was captured by the Germans, tortured because they thought he was Jewish, and who escaped several times only to be transferred to more and more horrible prison camps. With the help of his mother, Eglé Gatins, who smuggled gold coins to him in tins of honey via Red Cross care packages, he was able to bribe prison guards and get transferred finally to a work detail from which he finally made his way to freedom. This whole section with escape attempts being foiled, prisoners being executed, and the boxcars of Jewish prisoners transported to death camps as part of the Third Reich's "Final Solution" is as compelling as an action novel.
For more sophisticated readers, Eglé's own life "entre deux guerres" in Paris is as rich as Hemingway's A Moveable Feast. She knew Hemingway, of course, and Gertrude Stein, Paul Valery, de la Rochefoucauld, and Paul Claudel. Another of her friends was Sylvia Beach, the founder of the famous Shakespeare and Company Bookstore in Paris. She was a cousin of the well-know paleontologist Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. These wonderful years between the wars give the book its title, to quote Eglé in her own letter: "We were dancing on a volcano," the German resentment over Versailles which would eventually plunge the world into a devastating war. Soon the invasion of Paris would come and the end to life as Eglé and most Europeans knew it. During the war, she not only worked to get her son out of the German Stalag, but she also labored to help other prisoners through the International Red Cross, and operated as a liaison for the French Resistance. For her services she received France's highest award, the Legion of Honor.
Joesph Gatins' research is extensive and the book contains a useful index as well as voluminous end- notes and a bibliography. It is the work of a careful historian with a journalist's eye for the telling detail, as well as the compulsion to tell the whole truth even when it might sometimes be embarrassing to other family members. The book itself is handsomely designed and rich with photographs which show us not only the colorful characters that enlivened four generations of the Gatins family but a mini-documentary of their lives and the times.
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This novel is by the author of "The Sea and Poison", "Wonderful Fool", "Science", "When I Whistle", "The Samurai" and "Stained Glass Elegies". ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Do not go gently into that good night
This is a rather short novel about three different entities dealing with their retiring years.One of the entities is the director of a provencial Japanese weather station who is the local expert on a dormant volcano.Another is an apostate Catholic Priest who senses that his life ceased its' meaning when he ceased his calling.The last entity is the volcano itself.Although we don't sense a personality to the volcano, it is a metaphor to the other two;is there life left in it or has it spent all it had already.

There is a good deal of reflection by the two human characters about their lives.The director discovers that his obsession with the volcano cost him the love of his family.The apostate priest is "tolerated" in his declining years.He is obsessed with proving his theory that Japanese culture is incompatable with Christianity.He bases this on his theory that Japanese do not sense guilt as Western cultures do.Thus Christ's death on the cross loses its' meaning.

We read on in hopes for an epiphany of sorts that would allow the two men to resurrect their lives.In the end we are left only wondering about the future of one of the entities. ... Read more

Product Description
The Volcano Adventure Guide is the first book of its type. It contains vital information for anyone wishing to visit, explore, and photograph active volcanoes safely and enjoyably. Following an introduction that discusses eruption styles of different types of volcanoes, how to prepare for a volcano trip, and how to avoid volcanic dangers, the book presents guides to visiting 42 different volcanoes around the world. This section is packed full of practical information including tour itineraries, maps, transportation details, and warnings of possible non-volcanic dangers. Three appendices at the end of the book direct the reader to a wealth of further volcano resources. Aimed at non-specialist readers who wish to explore volcanoes without being foolhardy, it will fascinate amateur enthusiasts and professional volcanologists alike. The stunning colour photographs throughout the book will delight armchair travellers as well as inspire the adventurous to get out and explore volcanoes for themselves. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

A good guide for volcano vacations
Lots of good info from a volcanologist on all aspects of visiting volcanos, including safety ratings for each. You will want to get your airline tickets right away!

Pleasant and highly useful, but contains a few flaws
THE VOLCANO ADVENTURE GUIDE by Rosaly Lopes is a precious addition to the more common volcano guides aimed at a more academic audience. Volcanoes represent one of the main attractions on Earth mostly non-expert visitors. From personal experience (on Etna and Stromboli, two active volcanoes in Italy) I know that many volcano visitors do not have much knowledge about the place they are visiting - even when their principal reason for coming IS the volcano. Nearly all deaths and injuries on Etna and Stromboli that can be attributed to eruptions and other causes such as bad weather, lightning, and mountain accidents in general, are due to a lack of knowledge of the site and its various hazards. People carefully reading THE VOLCANO ADVENTURE GUIDE will have a better knowledge of such hazards and at receive crucial logistical information about volcanoes worth to be visited.

Concerning the contents of the book, there is little that I can add to previous reviews (the one written by my colleague Tom Pfeiffer is particularly enlightening). What I would like to point out here is my overall appreciation of THE VOLCANO ADVENTURE GUIDE - it is useful, and it is a pleasant, entertaining read - and a few issues that I found problematic.

There are a few minor errors and inconsistencies in the book, such as in the section about Mauna Loa volcano, Hawaii. The text and maps correctly state that the most recent eruption of this volcano to date occurred in 1984. The previous eruption, however, is once given as 1974, and then as 1975 (the latter is correct).

Sharing the fate of all printed guides to active volcanoes, a few portions of this book have already been rendered obsolete by the course of events. For example, Montserrat island in the Caribbean, which has strongly suffered from the impact of the ongoing eruption of its volcano Soufrière Hills since 1995, is described in a way that certainly reflects the situation at the time the book was written. However, my experience during a visit to Montserrat in December 2005 is very different from what I would have expected from reading the book. Although the volcano is still active, most people that I encountered in Montserrat were very positive, laid back and serene, and the overall felling was one of everybody starting over again with a lot of confidence - in spite of the volcano being still active. Although one phrase in this section begins with "as of 2004", the narrative of the eruption fails to mention the extraordinarily massive collapse of the Soufrière Hill's lava dome in July 2003, the largest such collapse documented from any historical volcanic eruption. Furthermore, in the book it is written that the island cannot be reached by airplane - since the spring of 2005 (the opening of the new airport) airplanes are the only available means to get there!

The same is true for Etna. The major eruptions in 2001 and 2002-2003 changed a lot of things for visitors. One of the two tourist stations (which is not even mentioned in the book) was overrun and devastated by lava flows during the second of these recent eruptions, the other was partially damaged in both events and subsequently reconstructed - bigger (and more expensive) than ever before.

Likewise, the most recent significant events at the nearby volcano of Stromboli are not included in the information - a major lava flow accompanied by a modest flank collapse triggering a damaging tsunami, and one of the most powerful explosions on record in 2002-2003. These events led to much of the volcano being declared off-limits to visitors for a prolonged period, and although visits are now again possible, they are limited to very small groups accompanied by professional guides. Also the access paths are now different from how they were before.

There is an extensive chapter on Mount St. Helens, unfortunately the volcano became active just about the time the book was to be released, and its shape has undergone significant changes since then.

The one major flaw in the book is the section dealing with the disastrous 8 May 1902 eruption of Montagne Pelée, Martinique (Caribbean), which led to the total devastation of the city of St. Pierre and the death of nearly all of its about 28,000 inhabitants. As famous as this event is, many descriptions of it are seriously contorted if not false at all. One particular myth that is difficult to get rid of is the alleged attempt of the then Governor of Martinique, Mouttet, to prevent the anxious population of St. Pierre from leaving the town. There is even word that Mouttet ordered roads exiting the town to be blocked by military in order to keep its population there, because elections were due. The essence of such reports is that Mouttet was directly responsible for approximately 28,000 deaths! Unfortunately, these stories have found their way into THE VOLCANO ADVENTURE GUIDE, although recent reconstructions of the events have proved that things went very differently in 1902. One main reason for this repetition of the false accusations against Mouttet (who died himself in the event, because he stayed in St. Pierre at the moment of the eruption, evidently oblivious of the real danger) is that two books rectifying this bit of history were published just about the time THE VOLCANO ADVENTURE GUIDE went to the press. One of these books, which are cited below, is mentioned in the reference list as having just been released - too late for its important information to be incorporated in the VOLCANO ADVENTURE GUIDE. However, Lopes also cites a little French book published first in 1988, which documents the events leading up to the devastating event on 8 May 1902. This little book - "La montagne Pelée se réveille", by Simone Chrétien and Robert Brousse - explicitly denies most of the accusations against Mouttet, coming to the conclusion that nobody, at the time, could have known what Montagne Pelée held in store for the poor people of St. Pierre. The phenomenon that killed them - pyroclastic flows - was essentially unknown even to the few volcanologists of that time. It was this very event which led to the recognition of pyroclastic flows and their devastating, lethal potential.

For these reasons, I recommend all readers of this book who are interested in the Montagne Pelée - St. Pierre history to read at least one of the following two books (they were published just a few months apart at the 100th anniversary of the Martinique tragedy).

"The last days of St. Pierre: The Volcanic Disaster that Claimed 30,000 Lives" by Ernest Zebrowski (2002)

"LA Catastrophe: The Eruption of Mount Pelee, the Worst Volcanic Disaster of the 20th Century" by Alwyn Scarth (2002)

In summary, however, THE VOLCANO ADVENTURE GUIDE is an entertaining, friendly and very useful book - not only for those intending to visit volcanoes they have not visited before, but also for anybody interested in volcanoes. It is well illustrated, and the price is surprisingly low for a book of that quality. I hope that it will be so successful that Rosaly Lopes will release a second edition sometime, without the flaws that I stumbled about.

Boris Behncke - INGV, Catania, Sicily

Volcano Adventure Guide--great for basics
This book is written very well and it's incredible how many world volcanoes it covers.There are plenty of exciting photographs and explanations throughout the entire book--it could keep me busy for hours just looking at the pictures.

From a student of volcanology's point of view, I wish there had been more detailed information on the hazards and particulars of visiting some or all of the volcanoes.It seems to be very much so directed at the typical layperson reader.

Fun for anyone but mostly for people planning a vacation in volcano tourism or those wanting to get a great tour by the book alone.

Just like being there
A beautiful book that exceeded my expectations, which were pretty high to begin with. I particularly enjoyed the descriptions of the Hawaiian volcanos, which I had never fully appreciated or understood until now. Having heard Rosaly Lopes speak on several occasions, her unique style - clear, precise and also very personal - comes through in the text. She is the guide you would want to accompany you to any of the volcanic sites discussed in the book, whether on Earth or Io. This is the next best thing.

Volcano tours, geological and travel maps, tour descriptions
The Volcano Adventure Guide by Rosaly Lopes (a planetary volcanism expert for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California) is a marvel for both amateur volcano enthusiasts and professional volcanologists. Written especially for those who desire to personally explore volcanoes without being foolish or taking reckless risks, chapters are packed with advice for preparing for a volcano trip, including how to avoid common dangers, contact details for societies and holiday companies offering volcano tours, geological and travel maps, tour descriptions of 42 different volcanoes and much more. As enjoyable for the armchair traveler as it is for the gung-ho enthusiast determined to see a volcano up close and personal, The Volcano Adventure Guide is a delight enhanced with full-color photographs cover to cover.
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Product Description
In this lay reader's introduction to the most spectacular and devastating of all geological events, Rolf Schick describes how earthquakes and volcanoes are related, and how they are an integral part of Earth's structure. Tracing the latest findings and theories in plate tectonics, he helps readers ask and answer the basic questions: What was it during the formation of Earth that led to these phenomena? Why do they occur in certain areas and not in others? How can we, within reason, protect ourselves from their devastation? And how far have we come, and how far can we go, in predicting when they will strike? For the reader who wants a concise and accessible guide to what makes the ground shake and explode, this is the perfect introduction. ... Read more

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Rumblings from a long dormant volcano provoke a crisis in the village of Smoldering Pines. Desperate to escape the flow of molten lava, the inhabitants meet to create a plan—and are soon at each other’s throats! But led by Milo, a group of neighbors discover a new way of talking and listening that taps fresh sources of creativity and unleashes the magic of collective thinking. While everyone knows how to engage in conversation, few of us practice the kind of meaningful dialogue that is crucial to leveraging an organization’s best thinking. Listening to the Volcano offers an engaging introduction to conversation as a disciplined workplace practice for sparking generative thinking, improving decision-making, and creating effective action. The fable features hilarious (and thought-provoking) plot lines and character illustrations and concludes with a group discussion guide to help you apply the ideas from the story to issues you face in your own organization. ... Read more

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A selection of poetry written in memory of her late husband, especially the central work, ""Widow's Walk,"" captures the poet's journey through the stages of grief as she tries to understand his death and celebrate his life. Reprint. LJ. PW. ... Read more

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The majestic Cascade Mountains serve as the centerpiece for the Northwest's renowned beauty, with their rugged, snow-capped peaks drawing thousands of visitors to their flanks each summer. Several of the region's national parks are centered on these mountains, including North Cascades National Park, Mount Rainier National Park, and Crater Lake National Park.

Underlying their elegance, however, is the disquieting fact that the range's major peaks are potentially hazardous volcanoes. On average, two eruptions occur per century. In the last century, explosive eruptions at Lassen Peak and Mount St. Helens left onlookers in awe.

This easy-to-understand book provides residents and visitors with a good understanding of each peak's distinctive nature and how the volcanoes are linked by their geologic underpinnings. Accessible prose by award-winning science writer Richard L. Hill, paired with clear illustrations and photographs, show each peak's individual characteristics, as well as the plate processes at work beneath them.
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Customer Reviews (2)

Very informational, succinct
I decided to buy this book after reading it on loan from the library. It contains as much information as a small book can and presents it in a very readable format. It is very simply designed and laid out so that you can read your way through the Cascades or choose one of the volcanoes in particular for a refresher. I stop short of five stars only because this book, as the majority, present uniformitarian/evolutionary timescales as indisputable fact, which is simply not true. If you can read around those claims, this is a great introductory book on the dominant features of The Great Northwest.

A Most enjoyable Book
I found it to be very interesting and wtih excelent photos. I would defintly recomend it to anyone intrested in volcanoes of the northwest United States ... Read more

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The second edition of Volcanoes discusses the impact of volcanic eruptions on the Earth's environment-a cause of debate and extensive research by leading academics worldwide. Featuring excellent illustrations, the text includes a new chapter on volcanic hazards, which looks at complex scientific and sociological issues surrounding risk mitigation. In addition, it provides updated information on new eruptions, research findings, and planetary studies while preserving the strengths of the first edition-accessibility, clarity, and wit. Volcanoes, 2/e is ideal for undergraduate courses in geology, earth science, geography, environmental science and planetary science. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Volcanoes - Peter Francis Review
The book arrived a little over a month after it was ordered internationally, which was well before the expected time. The book arrived in very good quality with a muchly appreciated assurance from Bellweather Books if this product was defected.

Excellent review of eruptions and explanation of physical basis of volcanism
This the very interestingly writen book, in which physical backgrounds of the volcanic phenomena are explained very accessibly. Particularly interesting are vivid descriptions of several, the most known, explosve eruptions and explanations of the physical bases of pyrocalstic currents. The book contains numerous fascinating photographs, well illustrating the described events. It would be advantageous if they were published in colour.

A marvelous work on volcanology.
This reaches the high end of trade works on the subject, and I suggest that some exposure to the sciences, particulary physical geology, is probably appropriate before tackling this book.Having so stated, I believe this is one of the best books I have ever read on volcanoes.

The author is a person of considerable dry wit and humour, and has achieved a masterpiece by making the subject readily understandable through excellent draftsmanship.The photographs closely follow the text, and are unusually helpful.

I was particularly impressed by the fine work on the emerging science of pyroclastic flows; that most dangerous of volcanic phenomena.Notwithstanding the fact that this book is some 7 years old, the text is remarkably current, and a must for anyone interested in pyroclastic flows and their perils.

Although the author indicates otherwise in his preface, I really believe this book would be very useful as a collegiate text on the subject of volcanology.Obiously, I recommend the book very highly to all.

Still the best book on volcanoes
Though I read quite a number of books on volcanism, I'd say, this is certainly the best (hard to believe, it is already 7 years old! and still mostly up-to-date). It covers virtually all important topics in a very clear way and should be understandable not only to the specialist but also to the educated layman. It contains certainly the best review of extraterrestrial volcanism I have read so far, though there are books specifically dedicated to that topic. 5 stars galore! ... Read more

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Volcanoes are essential elements in the delicate global balance of elemental forces that govern both the dynamic evolution of the Earth and the nature of Life itself. Without volcanic activity, life as we know it would not exist on our planet. Although beautiful to behold, volcanoes are also potentially destructive, and understanding their nature is critical to prevent major loss of life in the future.

Richly illustrated with over 300 original color photographs and diagrams the book is written in an informal manner, with minimum use of jargon, and relies heavily on first-person, eye-witness accounts of eruptive activity at both "red" (effusive) and "grey" (explosive) volcanoes to illustrate the full spectrum of volcanic processes and their products. Decades of teaching in university classrooms and fieldwork on active volcanoes throughout the world have provided the authors with unique experiences that they have distilled into a highly readable textbook of lasting value. Questions for Thought, Study, and Discussion, Suggestions for Further Reading, and a comprehensive list of source references make this work a major resource for further study of volcanology.

Volcanoes maintains three core foci:

• Global perspectives explain volcanoes in terms of their tectonic positions on Earth and their roles in earth history
• Environmental perspectives describe the essential role of volcanism in the moderation of terrestrial climate and atmosphere
• Humanitarian perspectives discuss the major influences of volcanoes on human societies. This latter is especially important as resource scarcities and environmental issues loom over our world, and as increasing numbers of people are threatened by volcanic hazards

Readership

Volcanologists, advanced undergraduate, and graduate students in earth science and related degree courses, and volcano enthusiasts worldwide.

A companion website is also available for this title at www.wiley.com/go/lockwood/volcanoes ... Read more

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This volume covers the chaotic events that cause the earth to'pusate lika a livingorganism'. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

If you have a passion for learning about disaster....
I purchased this book for a child, at his insistence that it was the book he "must have." I certainly had my doubts. It doesn't seem to be directed at a younger audience.

However, this advanced reader devoured Agents of Chaos: Earthquakes, Valcanoes, and Other Natural Disasters. It does not seem to be something he's been drawn to over and over again, but it certainly gave him the information that he wanted, and it did contain enough in the way of illustrations to keep him reading.

Catastrophists Rejoice !
Steven Harris taken what might be thought of as pretty boring "science" stuff and written an exciting book about how unstable our stable, or at least what we percieve as stable, world can be.Students of geology might find some of this stuff "old hat" and Harris, rightly so, has targeted his book to the layman.

Focusing on the western United States, he presents a look at natural catastrophies from a geologic standpoint that have happened (focusing on recent geological past events) and how these events could (and eventually will) create chaos to us more recent earth residents. Many readers are probably familiar with the major earthquake danger in California; however, I venture that most are unaware of the types of volcanic dangers presented in this book (and you thought the only real dangers in Yellowstone National Park were bears and RVs).

My only complaints have to do with a lack of good editing.Drawing on such a large bibliography of peer-reviewed scientific literature, one wishes that Harris would have borrowed more of the rigorious editing that is a staple of the science.The chapters of the book read somewhat like individual articles with repetition of some facts (almost verbatum) in almost every chapter (no real "flow" from chapter to chapter). Ditto some of the illustrations.Several of the maps were presented without scales and captions on some illustrations were confusing. With a good re-edit my rating would be 4-stars.

nice
I may not be majoring in geology, but I found this book to be an excellant read.I was suprised by some of the information that was presented in this book.

Informative book on geological events for the US.
Mr. Harris covers it all in this book. From earthquakes, volcanoes, and floods. One learns much about how much has happened here in the US, and what could happen next. Good coverage on the earthquake threat. The volcanoinformation is pretty much the same from his earlier book "FireMountains Of The West." But new information on why there is so muchlava in the Pacific Northwest may surprise you. Just as reading about thegreat floods that hit out west during the ice age. I like this book, andrecommend it. ... Read more

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Journey from the center of the Earth to the edge of the cosmos in this book of amazing, little known facts about the universe. It's not science fiction, it's the planet Earth. This book will give you a world of information about the planets, volcanoes, glaciers, water, and more! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Fun book
The book itself is great.Nice small compact, full of fun facts, great for variety of readers.Good for adults to read with young readers with short attention spans.Little facts are easy to share and understand.Independent readers can also enjoy on their own, read all or little bits at a time.

Wasn't happy with mailing process. Was buying several as gifts for a contest.12 were available and they were split up and came from different places.All arrived the same day just barely in time. ... Read more

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The perfect science fair idea books … Spectacular Science Projects Janice VanCleave’s Volcanoes

• Why do volcanoes erupt?
• How do scientists predict volcanoes?
• Where are most volcanoes found?

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volcanoScience Kids book ... Read more