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Volcanoes in Human History: The Far-reaching Effects of Major Eruptions [Illustrated] (Hardcover)

by Robert D. Ballard (Foreword), Jelle Zeilinga De Boer (Author), Donald Theodore Sanders (Author), Jelle Zeilinga De Boer (Author) "WHEN OUR ANCESTORS realized that their world was not a flat disk resting on the back of a giant turtle-that instead, the earth is a..." (more)

5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)

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Product details

Hardcover: 272 pages
Publisher: Princeton University Press; illustrated edition edition (21 Jan 2002)
Language English
ISBN-10: 0691050813
ISBN-13: 978-0691050812
Product Dimensions: 24 x 16.5 x 2.6 cm

Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)

Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 1,111,279 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
Popular in these categories:
#63 in Books > Science & Nature > Earth Sciences & Geography > Natural Disasters
#69 in Books > Science & Nature > Environment & Ecology > Natural Disasters > Earthquakes

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Product Description

Review
"There is a growing awareness of the interplay between natural disasters and human societies, putting this book at the cutting edge of an important trend. It integrates science with societal issues in a way that is compelling and interesting. With its informative but nontechnical style, it should appeal to both scientists and nonspecialists." - Susan Hough. U.S. Geological Surrey

Product Description
When the volcano Tambora erupted in Indonesia in 1815, as many as 100,000 people perished as a result of the blast and an ensuing famine caused by the destruction of rice fields on Sumbawa and neighboring islands. Gases and dust particles ejected into the atmosphere changed weather patterns around the world, resulting in the infamous "year without a summer" in North America, food riots in Europe, and a widespread cholera epidemic. And the gloomy weather inspired Mary Shelley to write the gothic novel Frankenstein. This book tells the story of nine such epic volcanic events, explaining the related geology for the general reader and exploring the myriad ways in which the earth's volcanism has affected human history. Zeilinga de Boer and Sanders describe in depth how volcanic activity has had long-lasting effects on societies, cultures, and the environment. After introducing the origins and mechanisms of volcanism, the authors draw on ancient as well as modern accounts - from folklore to poetry and from philosophy to literature. Beginning with the Bronze Age eruption that caused the demise of Minoan Crete, the book tells the human and geological stories of eruptions of such volcanoes as Vesuvius, Krakatau, Mount Pel e, and Tristan da Cunha. Along the way, it shows how volcanism shaped religion in Hawaii, permeated Icelandic mythology and literature, caused widespread population migrations, and spurred scientific discovery. From the prodigious eruption of Thera more than 3,600 years ago to the relative burp of Mount St. Helens in 1980, the results of volcanism attest to the enduring connections between geology and human destiny.

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Inside This Book (Learn More)

First Sentence
WHEN OUR ANCESTORS realized that their world was not a flat disk resting on the back of a giant turtle-that instead, the earth is a spheroid whirling through space in orbit around the sun-they began to comprehend the nature of the planet that is our home. Read the first page

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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Vibrating String, 6 April 2002

By	William Holmes "semloh2287" (Portland, OR USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

For someone who enjoys both history and natural science, "Volcanoes in Humany History" is a happy marriage. It's not exactly a page-turner, because the authors don't try to be too dramatic. They do, however, write simply and clearly, letting the eruptions and their consequences speak for themselves.

The authors' thesis is that each major eruption produces a "vibrating string" of historical effects, ranging from the eruption itself, to the immediate aftermath, to climate change, famine and epidemic, to economic and ecological revival, and finally to cultural effects that can span centuries.

The book covers nine volcanic systems, their eruptions and the resulting historical fallout: The Hawaiian Islands, where the clash between lava and ocean gave rise to a colorful mythology; Thera, whose catastrophic eruption in the Bronze Age may have destroyed Minoan civilization and produced the legend of Atlantis; Mount Vesuvius, whose eruption in 79 AD entombed and preserved the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum; Iceland, whose position above a magma plume and the spreading ocean floor gave rise to horrific eruptions and grim legends; Mount Tambora, the Indonesian volcano that caused the "Year Without a Summer" in 1816; Krakatau, whose tidal waves killed tens of thousand of people in 1883; Mount Pelee, whose pyroclastic flows killed the 30,000 citizens of St. Pierre in an instant in 1902; Tristan da Cunha, whose eruption displaced an idyllic island society; and Mount St. Helens, which in 1980 reminded the Pacific Northwest that "the Giants are only asleep."

If you enjoy "Volcanoes in Human History," you'll probably like these books as well:

"Catastrophe," by David Keys, which theorizes that a volcanic eruption in 536 AD caused the collapse of civilizations around the globe and brought on the Dark Ages in Europe.

"Unearthing Atlantis," by Charles Pellegrino, which argues that the eruption of Thera gave rise to the legend of Atlantis.

"Return to Sodom and Gomorrah," by Charles Pellegrino, which speculates (among other things) that the eruption of Thera gave rise to the Biblical stories of the Exodus.

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1 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lava floweth like rain, 29 Jan 2006

By A Customer

This review is from: Volcanoes in Human History: The Far-Reaching Effects of Major Eruptions (Paperback)

de Boer and Sanders have crafted here the most extraordinary, beguiling and toposcopic deluge of lavantine proportions, cross referencing fully and passionately the intrinsic tourniquet that is the Earth's magmatic palisade.

Their erstwhile account amounts to a salacious, literary love-making, the seeping lubricanza cascading onto the page as tepid poetry in the story of volcanic humanity. The incumbent offspring is, of course, birthed within the final few stanzas, the new born of knowledge breaking the book's narrow hips and squeezing its bloody way into your cranial womb.

As Geredia Stanton said; "Imdemnus magmatic deus litar."

An excellent read.

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