Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded: August 27, 1883 (P.S.)

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It may seem a stretch to connect a volcanic eruption with civil and religious unrest in Indonesia today, but Simon Winchester makes a compelling case. Krakatoa tells the frightening tale of the biggest volcanic eruption in history using a blend of gentle geology and narrative history. Krakatoa erupted at a time when technologies like the telegraph were becoming commonplace and Asian trade routes were being expanded by northern European companies. This bustling colonial backdrop provides an effective canvas for the suspense leading up to August 27th, 1883, when the nearby island of Krakatoa would violently vaporize. Winchester describes the eruption through the eyes of its survivors, and readers will be as horrified and mesmerized as eyewitnesses were as the death toll reached nearly 40,000 (almost all of whom died from tsunamis generated by the unimaginably strong shock waves of the eruption). Ships were thrown miles inshore, endless rains of hot ash engulfed those towns not drowned by 100 foot waves, and vast rafts of pumice clogged the hot sea. The explosion was heard thousands of miles away, and the eruption's shock wave traveled around the world seven times. But the book's biggest surprise is not the riveting catalog of the volcano's effects; rather, it is Winchester's contention that the Dutch abandonment of their Indonesian colonies after the disaster left local survivors to seek comfort in radical Islam, setting the stage for a volatile future for the region. --Therese Littleton

Book Description

Simon Winchester, New York Times bestselling author of The Professor and the Madman, examines the legendary annihilation in 1883 of the volcano-island of Krakatoa, which was followed by an immense tsunami that killed nearly forty thousand people. The effects of the immense waves were felt as far away as France. Barometers in Bogotá and Washington, D.C., went haywire. Bodies were washed up in Zanzibar. The sound of the island's destruction was heard in Australia and India and on islands thousands of miles away. Most significant of all -- in view of today's new political climate -- the eruption helped to trigger in Java a wave of murderous anti-Western militancy among fundamentalist Muslims, one of the first outbreaks of Islamic-inspired killings anywhere. Krakatoa gives us an entirely new perspective on this fascinating and iconic event.

This P.S. edition features an extra 16 pages of insights into the book, including author interviews, recommended reading, and more.

Customer Reviews:

Good book but..........2007-09-17

The topic is too fascinating. I surely would like to have some more maps in order to better follow the stories. I agree with other reviews that states that the book could have been shorter without losing nothing of the story. But in the overall it was a good reading.

Nature at its Most Awesome.......2007-09-13

Of all the volcanoes throughout the world, it is probably the case that Krakatoa is the most well known. Its awesome explosion in 1883 was heard more than 5,000 kilometres away. It caused extraordinary sunrises and sunsets across the world for years. There has never been anything quite like it in recorded history.

Simon Winchester has performed an admirable task in bringing the background to the events of 1883 to light. At time he dwells too much on the esoteric but, in the end, he brings us back to the explosion and its consequences. The reader is wrapped up in the story as it rolls along. We are mesmerised by the explosion itself and almost as fascinated by the island of today. Indeed, at the end of the book, Winchester travels to new Krakatoa and scales its ever growing peak to peer down into the cauldron. How many among us would know that the island is again growing apace? In fact, return to the sight after a few years' absence and the changed topography is obvious to the naked eye. One can only surmise that, one day, history could well repeat itself.

I enjoyed Winchester's tale. He can be prone to being distracted by less than totally relevant facts but, in the end, he has told a great story. Read this book and marvel at the forces of nature over which humans have no control.

Great Read for a rather Dry subject.......2007-09-08

One would not have thought that a book about Krkakatoa would be this intersting, it does take you on tangential subjects which nevertheless are fundamentally the cause of Krakatoa. I learnt a lot.

The grandness of the event describe would be even grander if we had not already known/experienced the Indian ocean Tsunami of 2005.

This book lets you understand the forces underlying that as well. A very good read, even if at times you get more information than you think you need.

Highly recommended

Delightful ramble to a big bang.......2007-09-08

This is not the direct route to Krakatoa. If you are ready for a delightful historical and scientific ramble with plenty of quirky side trips (including parentheticals*)that eventually bring you to "The Day the World Exploded" then you will love this book. From why a lace furniture shroud is called an "antimacassar" to the German roots of Tsingtao beer. By the time the tsunami arrives you may have forgotten that this was why you picked up the book in the first place. But in this case it is very much about the voyage not the destination.

* And plenty of footnotes.

Absolutely fascinating.......2007-09-05

To Simon Winchester, Krakatoa is more than just a volcano: it is an anti-hero of sorts, a figure that has existed for thousands of years, that has been the source of myth and mayhem. Krakatoa has shaped the way we view the world, and no one can tell that story quite like Winchester.

Winchester tackles this tale like any other epic--starting at the beginning, working up to the climax (he doesn't reach the actual 1883 eruption until page 200, and then spends only 60 pages on it), and then going into the aftermath...or, in this case, a new beginning. You'll learn more than you bargained for by purchasing this book; but then again, you won't really care. Winchester tackles subjects ranging from the foundations of trade in the East Indies, to the origins of the Islamic faith. He spends a bit too much time dealing with the science of plate tectonics (although the history of the theory is told in a fascinating manner), but we can forgive him for this brief geological digression, as it is relevant to the story (many of his digressions have very little to do with Krakatoa directly, although you won't mind one bit). "Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded" is an informative, interesting story of one of history's most infamous creations. More importantly, though, it is simply a good read.

Average customer rating:

Stunning
...from a student's perspective...
EXCELLENT
The state of the science
The King of Volcano References

Encyclopedia of Volcanoes
Haraldur Sigurdsson , Bruce Houghton , John Stix , and Steve McNutt
Manufacturer: Academic Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 012643140X

Book Description

Volcanoes are unquestionably one of the most spectacular and awe-inspiring features of the physical world. Our paradoxical fascination with them stems from their majestic beauty and powerful, if sometimes deadly, destructiveness.
Notwithstanding the tremendous advances in volcanology since ancient times, some of the mystery surrounding volcanic eruptions remains today. The Encyclopedia of Volcanoes summarizes our present knowledge of volcanoes. Through its thematic organization around the melting of the earth, it provides a comprehensive source of information on the multidisciplinary influences of volcanic eruptions--both the destructive as well as the beneficial aspects.
The majority of the chapters focus on the geoscience-related aspects of volcanism (radioactive heat source, melting rock, ascent of magma, surface phenomena associated with exiting magma, extraterrestrial volcanism, etc.). In addition, complementary chapters discuss the multidisciplinary aspects of volcanism; these include the history of volcanology, geothermal energy resources, interaction with the oceans and atmosphere, health aspects of volcanism, mitigation of volcanic disasters, post-eruption ecology, and the impact of eruptions on organismal biodiversity.

In addition to its appeal to educators, students, and professional and amateur scientists, the Encyclopedia of Volcanoes functions as an important information resource for administrators and officials responsible for developing and implementing volcanic hazard mitigation around the world.

* The first and only reference work to cover all aspects of volcanology
* More than 80 separate peer-reviewed articles--all original contributions by leading authors from major institutions of science around the world, commissioned for this work
* An integrated transition from the volcanic process through hazards, risk, and societal impacts, with an emphasis on how volcanoes have influenced and shaped society
* Convenient single-volume format with topics arranged thematically--articles provide coverage of nine different aspects of volcanology
* Each entry in the Encyclopedia begins with an outline of the article content and a concise definition of the subject of the article
* 3,000 Glossary entries explain key terms
* Further Reading lists appear at the end of each entry
* Extensive cross-referencing system links related articles
* Sixteen pages of color will convey the science and excitement of this often violent phenomena
* Large 8 1/2" x 11" page size, easy-to-read double-column format

Customer Reviews:

Stunning.......2007-05-13

I'm an amateur volcano enthusiast, as well as a professional physicist. I can only say that I wish that a book such as this existed for my own field. It is stunningly comprehensive. Whether you are interested in the details of volcanic plumbing, caldera forming eruptions, or even if you want to read reviews of volcano movies like 'Dante's Peak' from the standpoint of a volcanologist - this book has it all! The only downside is that the book is positively enormous: over 1400 large format pages - it is a chore to lug around on business trips, let alone on field trips... Though I suppose that, at a pinch, you could use it as a shield against falling volcanic debris. Seriously though - if you are interested in volcanoes you owe it to yourself to get a copy of this book. Five stars is not enough.

...from a student's perspective..........2002-01-31

I found this text to be incredibly useful, especially considering the noticable dearth of textbooks dealing with volcanoes. The encyclopedia is comprehensible, yet in depth, and covers a broad range of topics. Whenever I have a volcano question I start here first!

EXCELLENT.......2001-10-31

An excellent book. Written by some of the worlds most renowed experts-one of whom I am fortunate enough to know!
The book is well worth the money as every aspect of volcanology is covered.
I would recommend this book to anyone with a serious intest in volcanology.

The state of the science.......2001-06-21

Great compendium of volcanology. Especially thrilling to an older geologist to see the advances in knowledge since we got out of school; for instance, seismic tomography has mapped actual magma chambers, which were semi-mythic suppositions in my undergrad day; and lo, there is the anatomy of the very volcanoes I grew up under. The book comprises dozens of specially submitted articles by diverse international authors, so you get many perspectives, not just of different disciplines, but of authors' sense of how they relate to others.

Flawed by abundant typos. The editing of this book is a great advance over say The Solar System by the same Academic Press, which was a mangled turnip; but they still have a ways to go. It is disappointing to see major scientific works bungled by bottom line that slashes proofing. NASA is probably largely responsible for the Solar System mess (Sally Ride, take a course in remedial english!). Geologists are a lot more meticulous than astronauts. But the buck shd stop with the publisher.

So buy this book and complain to Academic Press. Buy it before it goes out of print and you have to kick yourself; it will be long before the like comes again.

The King of Volcano References.......2000-08-22

As a master's student studying volcanology and remote sensing, and a research assistant at the Alaska Volcano Observatory, I can honestly say this is it! From the depths of the mantle on Earth to the dynamic volcanism on Juptier's moon Io, the large team of authors and editors cover every aspect of volcanology possible in this 1,000 + page book. The book is extremely organized, complete with a detailed index, large glossary, and most importantly, references to journal publications. The book also uses high quality images and photos (black and white and in color), as well as scientific graphs, tables, and plots of data when necessary. Despite being written by such a wide array of scientists from all over the world, this encyclopedia is written with both volcanologists and the lay person in mind. This impressive compilation is well worth the price.

A Crack in the Edge of the World: America and the Great California Earthquake of 1906 (P.S.)

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Things I should have read in geology class
Plate tectonics for idio-dummees(R)
Tremors and digressions
A Great Story by a Master Storyteller!
Geology, yes. Story , no

A Crack in the Edge of the World: America and the Great California Earthquake of 1906 (P.S.)
Simon Winchester
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0060572000
Release Date: 2006-10-10

Amazon.com

Geologically speaking, 1906 was a violent year: powerful, destructive earthquakes shook the ground from Taiwan to South America, while in Italy, Mount Vesuvius erupted. And in San Francisco, a large earthquake occurred just after five in the morning on April 18--and that was just the beginning. The quake caused a conflagration that raged for the next three days, destroying much of the American West's greatest city. The fire, along with water damage and other indirect acts, proved more destructive than the earthquake itself, but insurance companies tried hard to dispute this fact since few people carried earthquake insurance. It was also the world's first major natural disaster to have been extensively photographed and covered by the media, and as a result, it left "an indelible imprint on the mind of the entire nation."

Though the epicenter of this marvelously constructed book is San Francisco, Winchester covers much more than just the disaster. He discusses how this particular quake led to greater scientific study of quakes in an attempt to understand the movements of the earth. Trained at Oxford University as a geologist, Winchester is well qualified to discuss the subject, and he clearly explains plate tectonics theory (first introduced in 1968) and the creation of the San Andreas Fault, along with the geologic exploration of the American West in the late 19th century and the evolution of technology used to measure and predict earthquakes. He also covers the social and political shifts caused by the disaster, such as the way that Pentecostalists viewed the quake as "a message of divine approval" and used it to recruit new members into the church, and the rise in the local Chinese population. With many records destroyed in the fire, there was no way to distinguish between legal and illegal immigrants, and thus many more Chinese were granted citizenship than would have otherwise been. Filled with eyewitness accounts, vivid descriptions, crisp prose, and many delightful meanderings, A Crack in the Edge of the World is a thoroughly absorbing tale. --Shawn Carkonen

Book Description

Unleashed by ancient geologic forces, a magnitude 8.25 earthquake rocked San Francisco in the early hours of April 18, 1906. Less than a minute later, the city lay in ruins. Bestselling author Simon Winchester brings his inimitable storytelling abilities to this extraordinary event, exploring the legendary earthquake and fires that spread horror across San Francisco and northern California in 1906 as well as its startling impact on American history and, just as important, what science has recently revealed about the fascinating subterranean processes that produced it—and almost certainly will cause it to strike again.

Customer Reviews:

Things I should have read in geology class.......2007-09-24

A considerable amount of time was exhausted by Mr. Winchester in the research, writing and editing of this bestseller. If my geology course in college, which was a very long time ago, had a book of this substance, I may have spent more time reading and preparing for class.

The book does not lead right in to the California earthquake of 1906. You must read a few hundred pages from the creation of the world, the movement of the continents, the history behind the chosen name for San Francisco and other cities, the gold rush days, the segregation of the Chinese, then the climactic earthquake.

The book is more of a history and geology lesson than a book with a plot and characters that are followed from beginning to end. This is the book you want to read for that one up on everyone else when earthquakes are the topic at the dinner party (humor emphasized).

Plate tectonics for idio-dummees(R).......2007-09-02

(Trying not to infringe on any copyrights with the title up there)

Simon Winchester's book is an excellent, concise easy-to-read, summary of many disparate but inter-related topics: the development of San Francisco in the late 19th/early 20th Century; the history of white settlement in California; the birthing of the new science of geology; and, most importantly, the science of plate tectonics and the reasons why, when and where earthquakes occur.

Yes, the geology and earth sciences is not covered at a PhD level. It wouldn't be readable if it were. And the history of California is not examined in sufficient depth (no pun intended), but then the book would have to be 10,000 pages. The book strikes the right balance between breadth and depth, the personal and the historic, the academic and the understandable. If you've read Winchester's excellent "Krakatoa" book -- and if you haven't, what are you waiting for? -- you'll enjoy this similiarly-styled treatment of another geologic event.

Tremors and digressions.......2007-08-29

Many of the reviews here seem upset that the author "rambles", which frequently is code for not compressing a story into easily digestible quanta. If you have any patience at all, you'll enjoy this book. I honestly find Mr. Winchester's "digressions" enjoyable, and find they add color to what could be a dull narrative. The geology of earthquakes, the reaction of a city to a disaster, the technology that had recently been developed to detect earthquakes being put to the test (and found wanting) - these stories, while fascinating, are natural stories. This book manages to make even that insurance claims made after the quake and fire interesting and even a vital part of the story.

A Great Story by a Master Storyteller!.......2007-08-09

This is a wonderful book - endlessly interesting and well read by the author, who is a master storyteller.

"A Crack in the Edge of the World" touches on every aspect of San Francisco and the great earthquake of 1906. Author Simon Wincester provides an excellent background on the geological foundations of the event and the history of San Francisco. The earthquake itself is described from numerous eye witness accounts.

The author concludes with a warning that another huge earthquake in the region is only a matter of time. And he warns that the huge volcano that formed Yellowstone National Park (its last eruption was 1.5 million years ago and lasted 600,000 years) is also due to erupt, spelling catastrophe for the mid-western United States.

Geology, yes. Story , no.......2007-07-25

If you're interested in geology, this is the book for you. It's probably far more entertaining than most geology texts. However, if you expect a story of the San Francisco earthquake of 1906, be prepared to wade through more than half of this tome to get less than 100 pages of the story marginally written. Mr. Winchester seems to have a penchant for taking jabs at everything he has a personal bias toward and not staying on the subject. Adding to the tiresome writing is the plethora of footnotes. From these alone a book could be written. Some are actually more interesting than the text. But they tend to disrupt any semblance of flow. A good editor would have been a wise investment. This is NOT a book one would want to read if they had the slightest interest in this historic event. Makes a good paper weight.

Average customer rating:

Understanding volcanoes
Outstanding blend of readability and rigor
It came real quick and its class Ahhaa!
impressed by the content
It's cool. I want to become a volcanologist.

Volcanoes
Robert Decker , and Barbara Decker
Manufacturer: W. H. Freeman
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0716789299

Customer Reviews:

Understanding volcanoes.......2002-03-25

I hardly ever read a college text straight through, but this book was so informative and lucidly written, I could scarcely put it down. I imagine "Volcanoes" is used as a freshman introductory course, as there is very little geological mumbo-jumbo about say, the differences between a reverse dip slip fault and a left lateral strike slip fault.

In fact, I wish I'd read this book first, before "The Encyclopedia of Earthquakes and Volcanoes" or "Perils of a Restless Planet." Its definitions are clear and easy to remember, and usually accompanied by a photograph or drawing. One of my favorites is a photograph of the San Andreas fault, which is a right lateral fault, "so called because for a person standing on either plate, the sense of motion on the opposite side is to the right."

Now, at least I understand the difference between left and right lateral faults. Dip slips and strike slips will have to wait for another book for geometrically-challenged folks like me---I can't just close my eyes and visualize a three dimensional object, unless prompted by very clear diagrams and text.

This book is an introduction to the geology of volcanoes (plate tectonics, the formation of mineral deposits, etc.), rather than a series of stories about dangerous volcanoes, although there is an appendix on "The World's 101 Most Notorious Volcanoes." One of my favorite chapters, "Volcanic Power" has little to do with volcanoes as we usually picture them, e.g. an erupting strato-volcano like Mt. Vesuvius. It is about geothermal energy, and why it might play an important role in our future:

"Even though geothermal power is still an infant and largely unproved industry, its potential makes it worth serious effort and investment. The U.S. Geological Survey in a recent assessment of potential geothermal energy resources in the fifty states to depths of 10 kilometers listed the following estimates: hydrothermal reservoirs, 12 x 10(to the 21st power) joules, or about 2 times the energy in the world's oil reserves; hot dry rock, 32 x 10(to the 24th power) joules, or about 6000 times the energy in the world's oil reserves; magma reservoirs, 4 x 10(to the 23rd power) joules, or about 80 times the energy in the world's oil reserves."

In light of recent history, perhaps we should be investing more research in our geothermal resources.

Read "Volcanoes" if you have any interest at all in geology. It would even make a good high school text, although it is a bit dated: my copy was published in 1981, but the only thing that struck me as out-of-date was a diagram of the Earth's crustal plates---the Juan de Fuca plate was labeled `Gorda Plate,' although everything was pretty much in the right place. Just be sure to buy the revised and expanded version that was published in 1989.

Outstanding blend of readability and rigor.......2001-12-07

This book presents fascinating yet complex information with commendable clarity. Not only is the writing excellent, but the diagrams add much to the exposition. For example, the diagram on page 88 ("Ring of Fire" chapter) clearly explains the relationship between severity of volcanism and earthquakes to the steepness of the angle at which a tectonic plate is subducted into the mantle. The book is sensibly organized into introductory material, chapters giving "autobiographies" of volcanoes and thus clarifying the multiplicity of volcanic and eruption types, chapters synthesizing this knowledge into generalization, and chapters explaining opportunities and risks associated with vulcanism (eruption dangers [carefully subdivided into discussion of nuées ardentes, lahars, and lava flows] potential of climatic change, likelihood of finding valuable ores, and the potential of geothermal power). Twenty-five superb color plates, in addition to the excellent diagrams, grace the book. Useful appendices include "World's 101 Most Notorious Volcanoes," web sites pertinent to volcanology, and a useful glossary (although the Icelandic term jökulhlaup [= "glacier outburst flood possibly triggered by volcanism"] is an omission I noted).
This book deserves the rare commendation of simultaneous suitability for a rigorous introductory course in volcanology and accessibility to the curious layperson with no formal geological training, such as myself.

It came real quick and its class Ahhaa!.......2000-04-05

When i bought this book, i thought previous reviews were all exagerated, but this book is truly amazing. Complexity put into good and understandable english. Any vulcanologist wannabe, like me, MUST have this. Nice one Rob & Barb.

impressed by the content.......2000-02-19

I was very pleased to read this book. It gives excellent documentation of various aspects in relation to volcanos. My hat goes off to Robert and Barbara Decker.

It's cool. I want to become a volcanologist........1999-08-16

I love Volcanoes and most of the books made about it I would give it A two thumbs up

After the Ruins, 1906 and 2006: Rephotographing the San Francisco Earthquake and Fire

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Photos from the 1906 Fire (Earthquake) of San Francisco
An important documentation of how urban disasters change urban landscapes

After the Ruins, 1906 and 2006: Rephotographing the San Francisco Earthquake and Fire
Philip L. Fradkin , and Rebecca Solnit
Manufacturer: University of California Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0520245563

Book Description

How exactly has San Francisco's urban landscape changed in the hundred years since the earthquake and cataclysmic firestorms that destroyed three-quarters of the city in 1906? For this provocative rephotography project, bringing past and present into dynamic juxtaposition, renowned photographer Mark Klett has gone to the same locations pictured in forty-five compelling historic photographs taken in the days following the 1906 earthquake and fires and precisely duplicated each photograph's vantage point. The result is an elegant and powerful comparison that challenges our preconceptions about time, history, and culture. "I think the pictures ask us to become aware of the extraordinary qualities of our own distinct moment in time. But it is a realization that a particular future is not guaranteed by the flow of time in any given direction." So says Mark Klett discussing this multilayered project in an illuminating interview included in this lavishly produced volume, which accompanies an exhibition at The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.
After the Ruins, 1906 and 2006 features a vivid essay by noted environmental historian Philip Fradkin on the events surrounding and following the 1906 earthquake, which he describes as "the equivalent of an intensive, three-day bombing raid, complete with many tons of dynamite that acted as incendiary devices." A lyrical essay by acclaimed writer Rebecca Solnit considers the meaning of ruins, resurrection, and the evolving geography and history of San Francisco.
Copub: Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco

Customer Reviews:

Photos from the 1906 Fire (Earthquake) of San Francisco.......2007-06-26

I received this book along with another one called: "Denial of Disaster: The Untold Story and Photographs of the San Francisco",by Gladys Hansen.

Both books are wonderful to read together because the book by Hansen describes what happened during and after the 1906 Fire (and/or 1906 Earthquake), and this book by Fradkin shows more photos from the tragic event. Thus, I recommend both books highly.

An important documentation of how urban disasters change urban landscapes.......2006-08-19

AFTER THE RUINS: 1906 AND 2006 - REPHOTOGRAPHING THE SAN FRANCISCO EARTHQUAKE AND FIRE has been a century in the making, and deserves a spot on any collection purported to be even halfway authoritative about San Francisco or California history. Its purpose seemed simple: to capture the meaning and impact of the 1906 quake through juxtaposing 'before' and 'after' photos, right down to the very angle of original landscapes. The idea was to also document how the city's landscape changed because of and since the quake: black and white and duotone photos by photographer Karin Breuer compliment essays by Philip L. Fradkin and Rebecca Solnit, longtime writers on California history, compliment an outstanding survey. College-level holdings on urban planning and design also should make this a special pick: it's an important documentation of how urban disasters change urban landscapes.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Richter's Scale: Measure of an Earthquake, Measure of a Man

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A difficult read about a difficult subject
Stirred, not shaken

Richter's Scale: Measure of an Earthquake, Measure of a Man
Susan Elizabeth Hough
Manufacturer: Princeton University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0691128073

Book Description

By developing the scale that bears his name, Charles Richter not only invented the concept of magnitude as a measure of earthquake size, he turned himself into nothing less than a household word. He remains the only seismologist whose name anyone outside of narrow scientific circles would likely recognize. Yet few understand the Richter scale itself, and even fewer have ever understood the man.

Drawing on the wealth of papers Richter left behind, as well as dozens of interviews with his family and colleagues, Susan Hough takes the reader deep into Richter's complex life story, setting it in the context of his family and interpersonal attachments, his academic career, and the history of seismology.

Among his colleagues Richter was known as intensely private, passionately interested in earthquakes, and iconoclastic. He was an avid nudist, seismologists tell each other with a grin; he dabbled in poetry. He was a publicity hound, some suggest, and more famous than he deserved to be. But even his closest associates were unaware that he struggled to reconcile an intense and abiding need for artistic expression with his scientific interests, or that his apparently strained relationship with his wife was more unconventional but also stronger than they knew. Moreover, they never realized that his well-known foibles might even have been the consequence of a profound neurological disorder.

In this biography, Susan Hough artfully interweaves the stories of Richter's life with the history of earthquake exploration and seismology. In doing so, she illuminates the world of earth science for the lay reader, much as Sylvia Nasar brought the world of mathematics alive in A Beautiful Mind.

Customer Reviews:

A difficult read about a difficult subject.......2007-09-06

In "Richter's Scale" seismologist and author Susan Hough presents the first comprehensive biography of Charles Richter, famous for developing the earthquake scale that bears his name. Hough's scholarship is thorough and well-documented, and it seems she has carefully waded through every scrap of paper Richter ever wrote (and he was a compulsive diarist). Richter was a pivotal figure at a pivotal time in the science of seismology, and no historian of 20th century science can afford to ignore this book.

For the general reader, however, "Richter's Scale" may prove tough going. Like Richter himself, the book suffers from a split personality. In part it's a straightforward biography of Richter, and in part a history of the development of major ideas in seismology (at least those that touched on Richter's career). Hough presents extensive evidence to suggest that Richter suffered from some sort of neurological disorder, possibly Asperger's Syndrome (a mild form of autism), and that his interests swung back and forth from science to poetry with manic instensity. If you're primarily interested in the science, be warned that there is an awful lot of poetry in this book!

On the flip side, the book comes up short on some technical background information. Although the book includes numerous photographs, there are no illustrations of seismograms (the squiggles that record earth movements following an earthquake). Chapter nine in particular attempts to describe the importance of the development of a consistent system for measuring earthquakes without maps, seismograms or even data tables. Unless you already have a basic understanding of earthquake science, this chapter might stop you dead in your tracks.

Most of the science in the book is centered around the seismology lab at Cal Tech where Richter spent his entire scientific career. Hough considers at length (although somewhat circumspectly) the jealousy surrounding Richter and his extensive public name recognition. Although Hough provides personal background information about several of Richter's colleagues (particularly Beno Gutenberg), more general descriptions of their scientific contributions could have provided better context. Beno Gutenberg may not be a household name like Charles Richter, but the core-mantle boundary is called the Gutenberg Discontinuity by seismologists. Hugo Benioff is immortalized by Wadati-Benioff Zones, the descending seismic belts that mark subduction zones, and even make their way into freshman textbooks! These guys were hardly obscure.

Books on the history of science that make a great read are either driven by a central idea (Dava Sobel's "Longitude," or David Lindley's "Uncertainty") or by a strong and colorful personality ("Degrees Kelvin", also by David Lindley). In terms of style, Hough has fallen between these two stools. It's as if Richter's intense and divided personality imposed itself on the book.

You won't regret having "Richter's Scale" on your bookshelf, but you may not read the whole thing.

Stirred, not shaken.......2007-03-19

Charles Richter is virtually the only seismologist that most of us have heard of, but almost all of us know the name. What, however, was it he did, exactly? And even if it was important, why should we care about his personal life?

Well, his personal life was strange, so the idly curious might be titillated by it. The first question, though, is more directly relevant: Until somebody devised a method of quantifying earthquakes, there was no way to approach any estimate of danger.

Buildings (including not just houses and schools but bridges, highways, dams and power plants) could have been designed to be earthquake-safe without Richter. But the cost can be high, so it would be wasteful to overbuild where the hazard is slight. Underbuilding can be catastrophic. The Tangshan earthquake, as recent as 1976, may have killed 750,000 people. The Chinese government has suppressed the real cost. The 2004 Sumatran quake, on the other hand, which killed close to 200,000, was not so much a matter of building design as of monitoring and evacuation warnings.

So Richter's Scale is a fundamental tool by which to manage our lives. He announced it in 1935. Amazingly, according to geologist turned biographer Susan Elizabeth Hough, many people think it is a machine, like a butcher's scale. It is not a thing but a concept to organize a database.

It took an unusual sort of mind to work out the scale, one capable of holding vast amounts of (at the time) diffuse data, while also having the insight to pick out the relevant relationships among the facts and the application to grind out the numbers. The last was no easy task before the digital computer.

Hough speculates, at great length, that the kind of mind needed is the sort of oddly-wired mechanism found in persons born with Asperger's syndrome. This is speculative, but Richter left all his personal papers to his alma mater, California Institute of Technology, so a great more about Richter's personal demons is known than for most famous people.

Much of it is in the form of poetry -- real poems, with rhymes, regular meter and punctuation. Hough finds his poems somewhat lacking in artistry. That's a matter of taste. I would rate his poetry above almost any winner of the Pulitzer Prize for poetry in the past generation.

If Richter had Asperger's, and if it helped him to do significant science, it also caused him lifelong misery in his personal relationships. Although he wrote much, what he meant was not transparent. Hough has to make many speculative judgments, which she does with skill. Still, it is kind of creepy to probe that deeply into anybody else's mind -- if that, in fact, is what we're doing.

Hough speculates that Richter wanted it done, otherwise he would not have left such intimate data in a public archive. Along with a collection of science fiction magazines going back to earliest days of "Amazing Stories."

"Richter's Scale" is definitely what we stupidly call an "adult" book, but Richter himself, despite an "adult" lifestyle, was in some ways a Peter Pan of seismology.

Volcanoes (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2)

Average customer rating:

Superb
Love this series, and Branley's are among the best!
Volcanoes

Volcanoes (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2)
Franklyn M. Branley
Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0064450597

Book Description

`This trim overview gives young readers an excellent grounding on volcanoes in an efficient few words. There [is] a succinct and easily readable explanation of how volcanoes are caused by magma pushing up between (or through) moving plates in the Earth's crust. Then comes a pair of snappy maps, with bright little bursts of color denoting the Pacific Ring of Fire and other volcano locations throughout the world.' 'K.

1985 Best of the Season (Science Books and Films)

Customer Reviews:

Superb.......2007-01-10

Another superb title from the let's read and find out series. My 5 yr. greatly enjoys it, and is learning a great deal from it.

Love this series, and Branley's are among the best!.......2006-02-28

This book is a perfect introduction to volcanoes for K-2 level kids, and older kids or early readers may enjoy reading them alone. It is easy to understand and the illustrations are clear and nice-looking. Unlike some science books for kids, this series tends to be very readable, versus a drier text that may make some kids lose interest quickly.

Volcanoes.......2005-08-19

The book was very good. My son just started second grade and he loves science. The book kept him very interested throughout. He has read it more than 5 times and continues to ask questions about the different new concepts that were introduced in the book.
Very good purchase!

Average customer rating:

Channer has outdone himself this time!
The master at his absolute best!!
Its Hard to Put Into Words
Compelling...
An intriguing , well written story

Passing Through
Colin Channer
Manufacturer: One World/Ballantine
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Avon ANEW CLINICAL 2-Step Facial Peel

ASIN: 0345453344
Release Date: 2004-06-29

Book Description

From the national bestselling author of Waiting in Vain and Satisfy My Soul comes a sexy, witty collection of connected stories set on San Carlos, a tiny island with an old volcano in the Caribbean Sea.

Spanning the early 1900s up to modern times, the stories trace the intersecting lives of travelers, expatriates, and local folks in ways that shock, illuminate, and reveal. From the American photographer who finds her world disturbed by new forms of love and lust, to a charismatic priest confronted by the earthly perks of fame and stardom, the diverse mix of characters are united by the universal search for love and understanding—a challenge on an island simmering with issues of politics, power, and race.

Written with poetic grace and titillating candor, each story shines against its own tableau—World War II, the rise of Fidel Castro, Mt. Pelée devastating Martinique, import-export trading, Bob Marley in the days before his music echoed all around the world. As men and women fall in love, marry and remarry, face moral conflicts and new identities, the volcano sees it all. From plantation days to the roots of revolution, it is a silent witness to the turbulent century that engulfs this tiny island of eternal humor, passion, and allure.

Customer Reviews:

Channer has outdone himself this time!.......2005-09-29

Having read all of Colin Channer's previous works (including his contributions to several compilations and anthologies), I was eager to begin reading "Passing through". As everyone knows, the better the work the artists produces, the higher the expectations on subsequent works -- thereby making the artist his/her worst enemy and stiffest competition.

Mr. Channer, however seemed undaunted by these considerations when he put pen to paper to create this masterpiece and it shows on every page! Clearly, raising the bar for himself and every other writer of fiction was a mere side effect of pouring himself into this work and holding nothing back from the reader, to my sheer delight!

I literally could not put it down -- and often read and re-read certain passages -- not only because of the graceful and poetic prose style, but because the plots were so seamlessly and intricately weaved into the fabric of the characters' development that it was difficult to believe that a fiction work this profound could even be crafted on purpose.

It was more like a literary cosmic accident that created an explosion of random words onto a page creating a thing of indescribable, magnificent beauty. (Seriously, it's quite apparent that each and every word was meticulously and intentionally selected with purposem care and intent, like a master chef selects each seasoning, ingredient and piece of cookware before starting a recipe).

Between these pages I read words that made me laugh out loud, frown up my face and shed tears uncontrollably.

The truest mark of a good story is a conflict of emotions at the end: sadness that the story has ended, satisfaction at its resolution and gratitude that I was blessed to experience these characters and their stories.

Estrella, St. William, Shookie and even Father Blackwell have left permanent impressions on my brain. Let there be no doubt that if I get any advance notice of Mr. Channer's next work hitting the presses, I will camp out at my nearest bookstore a week in advance to be sure I get the first copy when it is unloaded off the truck.

If you are a true fan of fine literature and seeking an author who has truly mastered the craft of writing fiction and is cut above the rest, then Passing Through by Colin Channer is one work you cannot afford to miss.

P.S. I have NEVER reviewed any book on Amazon before and I have read (and enjoyed) many.

The master at his absolute best!!.......2005-09-24

For me Passing Through was an enchantimg experience. I didn't just read, I was drawn into the stories. Mr. Channer certainly has a way with words like no other writer I have come across. His descriptions are very detailed and opens the reader's imagination to a world outside of their very own. What I have always enoyed most are the conversations between the characters, somehow they say everything we want to say in our own experiences and yet never do. I can laugh with them and be very angry or sad with them.

This book is so not like any collection of stories I've ever read. The stories are all independent of the book and yet grafted completely in such a way that they compliment each other. From the novel we get history and love stories - bad and good love stories. When I say bad love stories I mean we come up on people totally unsuited for each other, we love them indidvidualy but wish nothing more than for them to be a part and at times it even looks that way and yet they find ways and means of staying together. And isn't that life? The novel brings fictional relationships to life.

You won't be bored for a second but you really have to be one who appreciates versatility and difference in a writer. If you have read anything by the master before you can certainly expect to be pleased. This book is for me, honestly, the best contemporay romance novel in awhile. A truly magical experience.

Caribbean readers fall inlove...again

The rest of the world...fall inlove caribbean style.

Its Hard to Put Into Words.......2005-08-26

I purchased and read Passing Through the day it was released. Colin Channer is truly a masterful word smith. So much so, that it is difficult to put together words that are worthy of describing his writing and this masterpiece he calls Passing Through. His writing is almost like poetry and the stories in passing through are so much more than mere stories, they are more like parables.
There are not many authors who are able to make readers laugh out loud at one sentence and then almost come to tears at the next. Mr. Channer's writings are sensual and enticing, yet never vulgar. He posses the unique talent to actually make the reader feel as if they are a part of the story.
I feel that I must caution that Mr. Channer's writing is not for everyone. The story does not unfold at lightning speed. There are passages that must be read twice to fully grasp their weight. I believe that only patient readers will truly be able to enjoy this authors style. People who not only enjoy a good story, but how the story is put together. This is a novel for those who love to dissect sentence structure and word choice; for those who want to find the deeper meaning of the work.
Once again, it is extremely difficult to describe the resounding emotions Passing Through left me with, so in short I'll just have to say, I loved this book!

Compelling..........2004-11-09

I've read most of CC's work. Passing Through is the most impressive in the way it combines history, sensuality, emotion, and cultural insight with great storytelling. The writing is versatile and superbly crafted, and the styles of the stories roughly mirror the historical periods of their settings.
The memorable characters in these compelling stories tell fascinating truths about Caribbean cultures. CC is able to show how the political becomes the personal, and vice versa, in fresh ways. And there's lots of sometimes biting wit and humor, particularly in the latter stories.
Highly recommended.

An intriguing , well written story.......2004-10-29

I read Passing Through on a Sunday afternoon. The character development is excellent and diverse. The story moves quickly but is complex and thoughtful. To my pleasure , it even has a historical timeline. Mr. Channer's style is sexy, yet intellectual and senstive. I'll reflect on the determination and strength of Estrella (one of the main characters) again and again.
A really enjoyable read.

Modern Global Seismology, Volume 58 (International Geophysics)

Average customer rating:

A serious introduction to global seismology
a very complete seismological book
Reference book for current seismology
Good (advanced) introdution to quantitative seismology
There is a much better choice ......

Modern Global Seismology, Volume 58 (International Geophysics)
Thorne Lay , and Terry C. Wallace
Manufacturer: Academic Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 012732870X

Book Description

Intended as an introduction to the field, Modern Global Seismology is a complete, self-contained primer on seismology. It features extensive coverage of all related aspects, from observational data through prediction, emphasizing the fundamental theories and physics governing seismic waves--both natural and anthropogenic. Based on thoroughly class-tested material, the text provides a unique perspective on the earths large-scale internal structure and dynamic processes, particularly earthquake sources, and on the application of theory to the dynamic processes of the earths upper skin.
Authored by two experts in the field of geophysics. this insightful text is designed for the first-year graduate course in seismology. Exploration seismologists will also find it an invaluable resource on topics such as elastic-wave propagation, seismicinstrumentation, and seismogram analysis useful in interpreting their high-resolution images of structure for oil and mineral resource exploration.

Key Features
* More than 400 illustrations, many from recent research articles, help readers visualize mathematical relationships
* 49 Boxed Features explain advanced topics
* Provides readers with the most in-depth presentation of earthquake physics available
* Contains incisive treatments of seismic waves, waveform evaluation and modeling, and seismotectonics
* Provides quantitative treatment of earthquake source mechanics
* Contains numerous examples of modern broadband seismic recordings
* Fully covers current seismic instruments and networks
* Demonstrates modern waveform inversion methods
* Includes extensive references for further reading

Customer Reviews:

A serious introduction to global seismology.......2002-01-29

The Lay & Wallace provides a good starting description of global seismology. Chapter 1 deals with the historical development and the topics of global seismology. Chapter 2 concerns elasticity and seismic waves. The concepts of strain and stress are introduced. The mathematical content is limited (all you have to know is the partial derivatives) and a lot of figures help you to understand. By the way, this book uses the same boxes as the Aki & Richards to focus on a particular point. The equation of motion and the wave equations are derived.
Chapter 3 deals with Body waves and ray theory.The eikonal equation is introduced,and the body of this chapter concerns travel time propagation, partitioning of energy at a boundary,wave attenuation and scattering in really simple terms. Once again, a lot of figures and documents help the understanding.
Chapter 4 focuses on surface waves and free oscillations and starts with free-surface interactions, Rayleigh and Love waves and their dispersion. Tsunamis are also considered, with only two equations but 6 figures and documents. The end of the chapter is devoted to free oscillations of the earth with once again a lot of documents.
Chapter 5 deals with seismometry, that is what are the instruments used in seismology. This chapter provides differents maps of global networks of seismometers. Chapter 6 considers seismogram interpretation (identification of seismic phases). This is applied to source location. The concept of inversion is introduced with no big deal of maths. The end of the chapter concerns then the generalized inverse and requires more maths. Chapter 7 concerns the determination of Earth structure, and appears in continuity with the previous chapter. No less than 56 figures plus documents are provided to help the understanding of the earth's structure. Seismic tomography is described in simple terms. Then each "layer" of the earth is characterized in terms of seismology.
Chapter 8 focuses on seismic sources, and introduces equivalent body forces, elastostatics, elastodynamics in a very simple way. The seismic moment tensor is introduced here.
Chapter 9 deals with earthquake cinematics and dynamics. It describes the classical 1D Haskell source, the source spetrum. The concepts of stress drop, particle velocity and rupture velocity are explicited. The end of the chapter is devoted to magnitude scales, seismic energy, aftershocks, and the scaling relations of earthquakes.
Chapter 10 tackles the problem of waveform modeling. Finally Chapter 11 deals with seismotectonics and provides plenty of interesting documents.

This book provides an excellent overview of global seismology. It should be extremely useful to teachers (valuable source of documents for your class) and also for those who want to start seismology. Additional reading will be necessary, eventually.

a very complete seismological book.......2001-10-30

This is an excellent book in seismology. It covers all modern aspects of this science in a complete way. The main advantage for both undergraduate and graduate students in using this book is that the Mathematical aspects are treatised without heaviness.

Reference book for current seismology.......2000-05-27

Lay & Wallace is an excellent blend of theory and observation. Enough equations to get you started, but not the overwhelming number you see in other theoretical seismology volumes. The best part is the reprinting of important result figures from scattered scientific journals. It is wonderful to have all these in one place. The major missing material is a treatment of computational aspects. I hope they put out new editions every few years with new figures from the journals.

Good (advanced) introdution to quantitative seismology.......1999-07-26

This book is not for the casual reader. It is written for first year graduate students. To really understand it, you need to know some advanced math,at leadt through differential equations. However, with that background, this is an excellent book. Much easier to read than Aki and Richards. I only wish the book was published when I was a first year graduate student.

There is a much better choice .............1999-03-19

This book is good only if you are not. The book by Aki & Richards is much better for a good seismologist.

The Doors of the Sea: Where Was God in the Tsunami?

Average customer rating:

Cogent, powerful, speaks beautifully to the hope and promise of God
A tough but worthwhile read
Eerdman's missed the mark on this book...
Fantastic, poetic, beautiful.
Absolutely Brilliant--a masterpiece

The Doors of the Sea: Where Was God in the Tsunami?
David Bentley Hart
Manufacturer: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0802829767

Book Description

As news reports of the horrific tsunami in Asia reached the rest of the world, commentators were quick to seize upon the disaster as proof either of God's power or of God's nonexistence. Expanding on his short piece in the Wall Street Journal, "Tremors of Doubt," David Bentley Hart clarifies the biblical account of God's goodness, the nature of evil, and the shape of redemption.

Hart incisively reveals where both Christianity's critics and its champions misrepresent what is most essential to Christian belief. While responding to atheist skeptics, Hart is at his most perceptive and provocative as he examines Christian attempts to rationalize the tsunami disaster. He contends that the history of suffering and death is not simply part of a divine plan that will make sense of evil. Rather than appealing to a divine calculus that can account for every instance of suffering, Christians must recognize the ongoing struggle between the rebellious powers that enslave the world and the God who loves it.

This meditation by a brilliant young theologian of the Eastern Orthodox tradition will deeply challenge serious readers grappling with God's ways in a suffering world.

Customer Reviews:

Cogent, powerful, speaks beautifully to the hope and promise of God.......2007-01-10

Take a $10 chance and buy, read and consider this remarkable and enormously important Christ-centered (read: love-centered) book. Be not, as another wisely observes, mislead by the title: this is a book of keen theological perspicacity, scholarship and complexion, the catastrophic Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 but, however difficult and unthinkable, the backdrop upon which these beautiful, hope-filled words on the amaranthine love of God are cast. In many ways, the most important, with one exception of course, book I've ever read.

A tough but worthwhile read .......2006-08-19

"The Doors of the Sea" subtitled, "Where Was God in the Tsunami?" It's written by an Eastern Orthodox theologian, David Bentley Hart. And it's a fine work that demands careful reading. I read and then re-read it. It is short (109 pages), lyrical and literary.

The title tells it all. Hart's book is an expansion of an op ed piece he wrote entitled "Tremors of Doubt: What Kind of a God Would Allow a Deadly Tsunami?" that was published in the Wall Street Journal, on the last day of the year in 2004.

As a couple of other reviewers have noted, Hart can be obscure at times, but persistence with this book will pay dividends,

The title "The Doors of the Sea" is a loose reference to Job, chapter 38.

Eerdman's missed the mark on this book..........2006-06-14

They could have published a book that would have been a tremendous comfort to lay readers. Unfortunately, Hart's academic language is maddening--there are words here that will not be in your dictionary, and you will have to re-read parts several times to understand what the author is saying.

I would guess that most readers will give up before finishing the book. That's too bad, because Hart has important things to say. Some of the other reviewers seem to cherish his obscurity. I don't. It IS possible to present important, even complicated, ideas in an elegant way that can be also be readily understood.

To prospective buyers: skip the book and find the Wall Street Journal column. It's much more to the point. To the author: please read "Simple and Direct" by Jacques Barzun.

Fantastic, poetic, beautiful........2006-05-19

Christian theodicy (that is, its defense of an all good, omnipotent, omniscient God in the face of the nihilant evil and suffering of the world) in its variegated forms has the unfortunate tendency to be cold, sterile, and hopelessly esoteric. Hart's book provides an illuminating critique of standard theodicic rebuttals within the world of Christendom, but also a staunch and unrelenting deconstruction of standard atheistic aggrandizing of the "failure" of the Christian system due to misunderstood theological tenants on both sides (that is, both Christian and atheist).

Hart views with a critical eye the notion that the world process as it stands, evil and all, is part of some diligent calculus on God's part, some equilibrium of the "best possible world," or a necessity for God to show his grace. In this brushtroke of his mighty pen he chastizes epigones of Leibniz, Calvin, and others by working through the complaints of Voltair, Dostoevsky, and Mackie. Hart points out that if this were the case, that God has either made this evil for the greater good, or that evil actually has in itself a higher purpose, God would not be the God he is without the evil of this world. His Goodness would necessarily be reactionary, comparative, not essentially good or pure, always caught in the undulating dialectic of good/evil where God, though champion over evil, is the Good Savior only in reference to evil. Rather Hart points out that a truly biblical conception names no purpose to evil, superimposes no grant of life to death. Evil is in fact the ultimate meaninglessness of sin, and has no instrinsic purpose. The death of a child, the rape of a mother, the malignancy of a car crash, have no ultimate machination or design, but are all rendered ultimately meaningless as they are the privation of God's goodness. Hence God's goodness is not a dialectical goodness always paired as that good which overcame evil, but rather evil, in the ultimate illumination of God's effulgent glory, is defatigated and palliated into the nothingness that it truly is. To answer one question below, however, in regards to Noah, Hart is not denying that God might turn evil (or denying the Old Testament, as a reviewer below ponders) for the purpose of the Good, merely that evil has no ultimate design in the tapestry of God's economic plan.

There have been a number of critiques faulting Hart for what is otherwise an impressive utilization of the spectrum of the english language. For its part, they who would chastize Hart in this way are correct in pointing out moments of obscurity due to the poetic flourish of language often pervading the text. And I sympathize in part with those who find Hart's language pompous and perhaps isolated from a more general audience, as a reviewer above notes there ARE ways to state Hart's arguments otherwise than through obscure words. These are, of course, things to be considered (and I would recommend a dictionary as a compliment to Hart's compendious vocab) Nonetheless I find it a somewhat irritating and unfair analysis that seems much akin to faulting a painter for the complexity of brushtroke used in the architecture of a sunset, or the hyaline beauty of a midnight sky. Surely it is an unjust criticism to say Hart was writing "to impress other theologians or his mother" (as a somewhat pretentious reviewer notes above) Could not also his exuberance and excess of language be due to a love for poetic analysis, an enlightened aesthetic appreciation of the wax and wane of language's metaphorical landscape? God forbid we should learn something as we read! Whether or not Hart goes overboard with his word choice is debatable, and just how much the clarity of the arguments suffer as a result is also hard to determine, but at any rate I would urge readers not to pass up this book because of a smattering of difficult words.

This is all in all a fantastic book that both provokes and satisfies. Hart is truly a fantastic theologian with an ability for complex thinking (see his The Beauty of the Infinite for a truly staggering read) and it is very refreshing to have an approach to theodicy that doesn't seem to disrespect through the intrepidity of its logic, the utter cthonic nothingness,the morose and horrifying events of this fallen reality. Highly recommended. I can think of no other book that crams so complex and beautiful a Christian response to evil as this.

Absolutely Brilliant--a masterpiece.......2006-03-18

I have bought countless copies of this book as gifts. It is a stunningly beautiful, elegant, rigorous meditation. The prose alone is worth the price, but what so impressed me was the powerful articulation of the orthodox Christian understanding of good and evil. There is no mawkish sentiment, no appeal to pure emotion, no obscurantism. I have never encountered another book that, in so short a space, made me see how internally coherent and how revolutionary the Christian vision of reality is. The book is also a kind of poem to the beauty of creation, and a haunting lament over its sufferings.

One of the reviewers below grows a bit petulant over a scattering of large words in the text, but that's a silly complaint against so distinguished a stylist. Hart uses the exactly appropriate word in any given context, and the euphony of his sentences is majestic.

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