Book Description

In demonstrating how Newtonian gravitational theory and Euclidean geometry can be used and developed in Earth’s environment, the text discusses earth’s gravitational field; matrices and orbital geometry; satellite orbit dynamics; geometry of satellite observations; statistical implications; and data analysis. Prerequisites: introductory course in college physics and a first-year course in calculus.
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Reviews (1)

A Classic in the Field
A reprint of this book is long overdue because I know several people who have a crumpled photocopy of the original addition and many others who have searched for a used copy without success. This book is a must read for anyone with more than a passing interest in astrodynamics and especially gravity field modeling.

The book begins with a concise description of the earth's gravity field in terms of potential theory. After a quick refresher on matrices and orbital elements, Kaula proceeds to describe the motion of an artificial satellite. In particular, he provides a detailed analysis of gravity field perturbations upon the evolution of the orbital elements including secular effects and resonance effects. The final chapters are concerned with modeling observations used to track satellites, using the observations to estimate the true motion of the satellite, and estimating geodetic information from the motion of the satellite.

Although first published in 1966, this book remains one of the best volumes available on satellite theory and geodesy. It is still used as a reference and textbook by many if not most experts in the field. However, the work is certainly not perfect. Kaula gives a concise and complete coverage of the subject, but it comes at the cost of loads of equations with little explanatory text. This can make it somewhat difficult to follow. It is certainly not written as a popular guide for the general public. Nevertheless, many astrodynamicists are delighted to have this volume available from the good folks at Dover. ... Read more

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Reviews (35)

Outstanding if (and only IF) you don't all ready own it.
Anyone who enjoys well written non fiction will enjoy McPhee's latest, regardless of their interest in geology. He has the amazing ability to make any subject interesting, by explaining the science in a plain style while constantly keeping the personalities involved visible. From civil engineering to lighter-than-air flight to the cultivation of oranges, every essay and every book is a joy. If you are a fan of good writing, this one is for you. BUT, if you are a McPhee fan, you might be annoyed by this one. I have over two dozen of Mr. McPhee's books on my shelves at home. Four of them are this book. "Annals of the Former World" is a omnibus edition of "Assembling California", "Rising from the Plains", "In Suspect Terrain", and "Basin and Range". The only new material is a short (36 pages), well written essay "Crossing the Craton" and a poor-to-fair narrative table of contents. That's it, maybe 45 page! s of new material in a a 695 page book. I do feel that somewhere in the publicity for the book mention should have been made of this. If you've never read any of it, get it. If you are buying for a library, get it. If you are considering getting "Annals of the Former World" because you are a fan of the best non fiction writer around today, well, you might want to forget it.

Geology for the masses...........
Comprised of the books Basin and Range, In Suspect Terrain, Rising from the Plains, and Assembling California, "Annals" is a geologic history of America along the roadcuts of Interstate 80 and it is masterfully done. John McPhee's talent as an essayist is to take the technically, though superficially, mundane and present in such a way as to hold the reader captive. Stripping bare the jargon, dismissing the rote explanation, and uncovering the sublime, Mr. McPhee is a first-rate tour guide through the topographies of Pennsylvania, Wyoming, California, and the glacially scored Midwest.

His hook is the braiding of travelogue and human history within the geologic record. This truly comprehensive style of survey is quite effective in developing a page-turning reading experience. When I purchased this book in a museum bookshop, I prepared myself for what I presumed was quite possibly stuffy and dry. However, much to my pleasant surprise, it's the best science-related text I've read in a very long time. Rising from the Plains stands alone as absolutely outstanding, but the combination of all four remarkable books that comprise Annals of the Former World merit a resounding 5+ stars.

Received as a treasured gift, honored by it.
After daily driving the humpbacked esker from Rangeley to Kingfield Maine with a former student, who was tuned in to my love of the geological processes shaping our world, he gave me McPhee's Annals of the Former World. It was a touching gift that I treasure still, and I read it all. When I moved from Maine to Colorado, I made it a point to use I-80 for as much of the trip as I could, and kept the book in the front seat with me, stopping for breaks to appreciate the work even more. This book is a wonder of writing about a subject almost too large to fit between its covers, yet McPhee has done it. Excellent for any amateur who appreciates the great forces acting on our planet, and who does not see every quake and tremor as signs of impending apocolypse, but rather an ongoing reshaping of our beautiful planet.

Lost
I was immediately turned off by the writing style used by the author, the unexplained jargon, and the constantly shifting references to places with geologic features of interest. I'm normally a paitent reader, but I dropped this book after 30 pages. Here is one sentence from the book. "She has almost never slept under a roof, nor can she imagine why anyone on such a journey would want or need to; she "scopes out" her campsites in the late-failing light with strong affection for national forests and less for the three-dollar campgrounds where you roll out your Ensolite between two trailers, where gregarious trains honk like Buicks, and Harleys on instruments climb escarpments in the night." I found this to be very a awkward writing style. I guess the author was trying to set a mood, but I was simply at a lose to me moved by the oblique references and jerky style.

Open the world before your eyes - literally
John McPhee labored for decades on this book. He loves the topic and he brings it alive with his superb writing. I'll never forget the Wyoming geologist, Mr. Love. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

One of the most important scientific classics of all time, this 1556 work on mining was the first based on field research and observation and the methods of modern science. 289 authentic Renaissance woodcuts. Translated by Herbert Hoover. Reprint of English (1912) edition.
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Reviews (4)

Ian Myles Slater on: A Humanist's Industrial Handbook
Georg Pawer was an extremely well educated German in the Humanist tradition of the late fifteenth and early sixteenth century. It was natural that he turned his Greco-German name into Greco-Latin, labeling himself Georgius Agricola. Both versions mean Farmer (Georgios) Farmer (Pawer = Bauer / Agricola). He was a physician by profession. Neither side of his background would seem to suit him to write one of the great books on mining and the refining of ores, but as an official town physician, responsible for treating miners at no additional charge, he seems to have won their trust. The result was a manual, aimed not at people who would have to dig up ores, but at potential investors, and officials and lawyers, who would have to deal with financing, administration and litigation. He set out the basic customs and practices of mining, described the remarkably elaborate machines needed to keep mines dry and ventilated, and processing and refining, with their devices and chemicals. Naturally, he wrote it in the language of real scholarship, Latin, not sixteenth-century German.

Since surviving classical Latin is not abundantly supplied with appropriate technical terms, and those which exist are not always clear, the resulting text was soon found to present formidable difficulties, despite important aids from accompanying illustrations. There were early attempts at translating it into German, and even a rendering into Chinese (an early attempt to emulate the mysterious Occidentals and their terror-weapons), but when this translation appeared in 1912, German scholars were humiliated to find that they had been outclassed by a couple of mere "Englanders". They were probably even less happy to find that the translators were Americans.

Actually, Lou Henry Hoover, a good classicist, made a perfect team with her husband, the mining engineer Herbert Hoover, who was shortly to become much better known for humanitarian relief work, and an unhappy experience as President of the United States. The engineering half of the partnership knew what the problems were, and the sort of thing that Agricola must have been trying to say, and the classicist could tell whether the vocabulary and grammar could carry that meaning. The result was a book which was not only beautiful, with its reproductions of the original illustrations, but a genuine contribution to the history of technology.

The Dover reprinting of 1950 was one of the first, if not the first, of that publisher's adventures in bringing important works back into print, in attractive editions, at reasonable prices. It remains a gem, whether regarded from points of view of the history of technology, of art, or of Renaissance Humanism. The only thing missing is Agricola's companion treatise on other hazards of mining, like kobolds and other malicious spirits (yes, I am serious; he had lots of testimony from honest miners, after all).

Of course, nothing human is perfect, and there are some hints of why such a practical man, with a real concern for human suffering, proved so doctrinaire in the face of the Depression. At one point, the Hoovers' scold the Romans for concentrating on German metal resources, instead of trying to build up the only true source of wealth, Agriculture. A lovely sentiment, very eighteenth-century Physiocratic, but it did not seem to occur to them that any agricultural surplus would have had to be shipped down the Rhine, into the North Sea, and around Europe, to be of any immediate benefit to Rome. If it stayed it Germany, it would just feed more nasty, Roman-hating Germans -- so much better to concentrate on something worth carrying across the Alps, or at least useful for arming the Legions. (Of course, there are also the problems of whether Italian agricultural techniques were of any value in the Rhine valley, and why the Germans had not learned appropriate methods from the neighboring Gauls -- but that leads in other directions.)

Excellent attention to detail of ancient mining practices
This book is a great read. The sections are well defined to cover each topic, including measurements where applicable and even the definition of tracts and management of said lands. He has written other books too. I hope they reprint the translations soon.

essential reading for students of technological history
This early work describes the thinking of early technologists and shows the development of materials technology and related engineering knowledge of the late 15th century. Of particular interest is the detailed research done by Herbert Hoover, former President and mining engieer. His research is detailed in extensive foot notes. The illustrations are exact copies of the originals. Some of the early chapters are the most intersting reading because of the insights gained into archaic thinking that extrapolates to modern times.

A superbly illustrated classic
This is one of the great classics, richly illustrated with over 200 woodcuts, most full page. It was published in 1556 by Georgius Agricola. The English translation is by former U.S. President Herbert Hoover, and first Lady Lou. Virtually all of the equipment illustrated was current until a few decades ago. Agricola describes and illustrates such "modern" methods as amalgamation, and the use of spiral inclines for transporting heavy equipment from the surface to underground. The (unnamed) "books" (chapters) which compose the book could be titled: 1 The Social Impact of Mining; 2 Mine Management, Exploration, and Prospecting; 3 The Theory of Ore Deposits; 4 Mining Law; 5 Shaft Sinking, Drifting, and Surveying; 6 Mining Equipment, Haulage, Dewatering, Ventilation, and Hazards; 7: Assaying; 8 Beneficiation; 9 Smelting; 10 Separation of Gold from Silver and Silver Refining; 11 Separation of Gold and Silver from Copper and Iron and Copper Refining; 12 Industrial Mineral, Chemical, and Glass Production. The text is a bit dense, but is worth the trouble. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excellent, well-documented story of exploration & mapping.
A narrative that will appeal to those interested in western US history, natural science, geography, and exploration. Features excellent word portraits of the four survey groups, their leaders and key members, and descriptions of the conditions, methods, equipment and problems encountered. Includes a selection of contemporary photographs. The only negative: The several maps included are too small and require use of magnifying glass to read the fine print. ... Read more

Book Description

This book brings the practice of petroleum geostatistics into a coherent framework, focusing on tools, techniques, examples, and guidance.It emphasizes the interaction between geophysicists, geologists, and engineers. Intended as a reference text for practitioners, the book is also appropriate for "short courses" and advanced undergraduate or graduate courses in reservoir characterization. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Practising Reservoir Engineer
This is an excellent book. Covers the details of how geostatistical models are put together. Readable. ... Read more

Book Description

An easily accessible guide to GIS at an elementary level. Written specifically for schoolteachers looking at incorporating GIS into the secondary school curriculum,it outlines the fundamentals and basics tools, and includes and invaluable glossary. ... Read more

Book Description

Gaskinetic Theory is an introductory text on the molecular theory of gases and on modern transport theory suitable for upper division undergraduates in physics and first year graduate students in aerospace engineering, upper atmospheric science and space research.The first part introduces basic concepts, including the distribution function, classical theory of specific heats, binary collisions, mean free path, and reaction rates.Transport theory is used to express coefficients such as viscosity and heat conductivity in terms of molecular properties.The second part of the book covers advanced transport theory. Generalized transport equations are derived from the Boltzmann equation.The Chapman-Enskog and the Grad methods are discussed to obtain higher order transport equations for low density gases.The aerodynamics of solid bodies is explored and the book concludes with the kinetic description of shock waves. ... Read more

Book Description

One of the few texts to integrate earth systems approach with impact of humans on the planet, this volume focuses on modern science and how it works. This approach gives students the tools they need for critical thinking, problem solving, and inquiry into the study of geology, oceanography, and astronomy. With everyday observations and examples, this text is highly readable and engaging. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A very comprehensive overview of Earth's Systems
The authors treat each of Earth's Systems in a very straightforward manner, using clear and illustrative graphics. They also do a fine job of tying together Earth's systems and processes into an interrelated package,as opposed to simply a series of disconnected chapters. I use this text inmy Washington Online course. Al Friedman, Everett Community College ... Read more

Book Description

Learn to apply the "dimensional method" to facilitate the design and testing of engineering and physical systemsÑand greatly accelerate the development of products. This is the first book to offer a practical approach to modeling and dimensional analysis, emphasizing the interests and problems of the engineer and applied scientist. Packed with illustrations, graphs, numeric tables, and concrete case studies, this in-depth reference work explains both dimensional analysis and scale modeling...concisely describes constructions of dimensional systems, including SI (metric) and Imperial (U.S.)...and provides over 250 worked-out examples drawn from engineering, applied physics, biomechanics, astronomy, geometry, and economics . ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Something every technical profeesional should have
An incredibly easy book to read. I found I could go from section to section and extract the knowledge that needed at that time. Sometimes I just pick it up and open it at random and I often get something new out of it. After being exposed to this book you can see how dimensional analysis is something that most of us should be capable of applying to those problems that lend themselves to no other approach. The only reason I gave it 4 and not 5 was because I would have liked to see more financial examples and I don't think amperes should be considered a fundamental unit. One of the best technical books I have bought. ... Read more

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Reviews (3)

Fascinating read for the amateur geologist/hiker
Growing up in Oregon's Willamette Valley, basalt cliffs have watched over my life. More flood basalt and Rocky mountain gravels and mud are under my feet, and for most of my life I've lived within the shores of glacial lake Allison. When I go the rugged Pacific coast I look at beautiful haystack rocks and headlands where the same lava streams flowed, or I climb volcanic peaks just inland. Flood-wrenched lavas greet me in my travels up the Columbia and Snake Rivers, through the gorge, coulees and hills and through the valley of the Grande Ronde to overlook the Snake River canyon, over a mile deep. Fossils lie beneath similar formations in John Day country.

Fire, Faults & Floods bring the processes that created this to life. It would be useful and handy enough as a guidebook for traveling to various places and interpreting them with short hikes and drives. However, it goes way beyond this, interesting enough to hold your attention as you turn each page, filling in more and more details and drawing them into a cohesive whole.

If you have money and interest left after this book, for a more historically-oriented story of Harlan Bretz, and additional local details, pick up a companion book "Cataclysms on the Columbia" by Allen, Burns, Sargent, and Sargent.

When Imagination Falters!
This book tells of events so implausible that even your imagination will have difficulty comprehending them. If I have any complaint about the book it is that it fails to sufficiently emphasize how amazing it is, for example, that molten lava once upon a time ran nearly 400 miles before coming to its stopping place. The authors seem to almost be afraid that if they point up the apparent absurdity of it all, the reader would decide the whole book was a well written hoax! It was not a hoax, though, and the story of what happened in the Pacific Northwest once upon a time is well told. It is of greatest interest, obviously, to those of us who live here in the midst of the results of fire, fault and flood, but, for those elsewhere with vivid imaginations, it is a cracking good book. This is one time when what actually happened is more exciting than anything one's imgination can possibly conjure up!

Overlooked Beauty
I really enjoyed this book. But I may be different that you. I like rocks, massive basalt cliffs, immense coulees, and the beauty of arid lands. These and much more can be found in this wonderful book by Marge and Ted Mueller. If you're excited about these things then this may be a book you'd enjoy also, especially if you live in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. This book is really more than just a basic, easy-to-read geological primer of the Columbia River Basin. It is a trip-planner with detailed instructions on how to go and see the stuff for yourself. I've already been to a couple of the locations and have another short trip planned for this fall. This book is exactly what I hoped it would be when I bought it from Amazon.com. I've never found another book quite like it. Enjoy! ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

From prehistoric times to the fiery destruction of Pompeii in 79 A.D. and the more recent pyrotechnics of Mt. St. Helens, volcanic eruptions have aroused fear, inspired myths and religious worship, and prompted heated philosophical and scientific debate. Melting the Earth chronicles humankind's attempt to understand this terrifying phenomenon and provides a fascinating look at how our conception of volcanoes has changed as knowledge of the earth's internal processes has deepened over the centuries.A practicing volcanologist and native of Iceland, where volcanoes are frequently active, Haraldur Sigurdsson considers how philosophers and scientists have attempted to answer the question: Why do volcanoes erupt? He takes us through the ideas of the ancient Greeks--who proposed that volcanoes resulted from the venting of subterranean winds--and the internal combustion theories of Roman times, and notes how thinking about volcanoes took a backward, symbolic turn with the rise of Christian conceptions of Hell, a direction that would not be reversed until the Renaissance. He chronicles the 18th-century conflict between the Neptunists, who believed that volcanic rocks originated from oceanic accretions, and the Plutonists, who argued for the existence of a molten planetary core, and traces how volcanology moved from "divine science" and "armchair geology" to empirical field study with the rise of 19th century naturalism. Finally, Sigurdsson describes how 19th and 20th century research in thermodynamics, petrology, geochemistry and plate tectonics contribute to the current understanding of volcanic activity.Drawing liberally from classical sources and firsthand accounts, this chronicle is not only a colorful history of volcanology, but an engrossing chapter in the development of scientific thought. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Very good book
"Melting the Earth"
The history of ideas on volcanic eruptions

By Haraldur Sigurdsson
First Draft By Matt Lindsey
Geo 103

The book I chose to read was "Melting the Earth" by Haraldur Sigurdsson. This book covers two of my most favorite subjects History and geology, which made this book even more interesting to read. Early Sigurdsson writes on subjects from, the Polynesian people and there fire myth Maui, who lives in the far depths of the earth, and when he turns while dreaming. He causes earthquakes on the earth above to the discovery of radiology. If you want to read a captivating and educational book about the history of volcanoes containing a wide variety of historical an mythical facts, I truly recommend this book.

In the beginning of this book, Sigurdsson explains early source of fire, some possible ways it was first introduced and used throughout the years to come. An excellent example was 600,000 year old ovens in china to burnt clay found in Africa that dated a staggering 1.5 million years old. Once the early homo-erectus learned of fire there culture changed forever, now they were able to heat and shape rocks more efficiently. But the earliest know form of tools made by homo-erectus was 2.5 million years ago in eastern Africa, made of obsidian (volcanic black glass). Later in this book, Sigurdsson touches on such people as, Kelvin, Zeus other Greek gods, Homer, Socrates, Plato. Then he moves on to discus the bible, and many more verities of philosophers and legends in several different cultures from around the world. World tragedies and accounts of mass destruction are accounted throughout this book, from risky sulfur mining in very active volcanoes to earthquakes that kill 800,000 people, with one major eruption.

About 3/4ths the way through the book he starts delegating a lot about the sources of volcanoes and the cause for there mass eruptions, he also discusses many different geologists that have also studied in this area, comparing both his ideas and theirs to form an overall complete analysis of the history of volcanoes.

It isn't till the last part of the book, he actually starts describing the earth and its mantel strictly on plate tectonics and magma generation. With the discovery of the solid mantel below our feet. In the very last page, he also talks about how major volcanic activity is not limited to earth alone, in fact many planets have had explosions almost 10 times what we do today. Leaving the everlasting question, is there life elsewhere in the galaxy?

I thought this was a very good book, mainly the fact that it was able to keep your attention throughout the whole thing, by bringing up myths from the pacific islands to actual catastrophes, from the first know use of fire to radio carbon of today, this book hits you with just about everything from every angle you could possibly imagine, from the philosophers point of view to the geologists findings through many long tedious expeditions.

Something's I really did not like about this book, was that he made constant reference to others work, and many books surrounding this field, though the points made with Sigurdsson references were helpful it was just that in my opinion he had to many and made it a little hard to fallow.

Overall I think this was a good book. I recommend that if you are interested in volcanoes and the earth around us, you should definitely read this book. The good out weights the bad aspects in this book, you will be in for a great treat as you read about the myths and legends of the past world to the facts and seemingly strange properties of the world today.

Great book. Page-check your copy before you pay for it, tho
This is a terrific book, but I'm going to have to find another copy before I can read Chapter 15 (Radioactive Heat and Convection). My copy suffers from a serious bookbinding error, in which pages 197-228 are missing and pages 165-196 are repeated. (The second page 165 follows the first page 196, and page 229 follows the second page 196.)

I also have a couple of nits to pick that I would have expected the editors at Oxford University Press to catch before the book reached print.

(1) Early in the book, Homer and Ulysses are referred to in a sequence of two sentences which suggests that Ulysses was a character in Homer's work, which he wasn't. Ulysses stars in Virgil's Latin epic "The Aeneid", which borrows heavily from Homer's Greek epic "The Odyssey", starring Odysseus. So the discerning reader is left not knowing whether the subsequent quotation is from Homer's Odyssey or from Virgil's Aeneid.

(2) Early in the book, the assassination of Julius Caesar is referred to as the death of the Romans' emperor. But Julius Caesar was never emperor. He was assassinated to prevent him from becoming king. His adopted son Octavian invented the title of emperor ("imperator" = commander) years later--specifically to avoid offending the Romans' aversion to kings--when he had defeated his own rivals and had assumed absolute power in Rome as Caesar Augustus.

(3) The conversion from a temperature _difference_ of 3 Celsius degrees into a temperature _difference_ of 37.5 Fahrenheit degrees is completely wrong. It incorrectly includes the 32-Fahrenheit-degree offset for the freezing temperature of water (32F = 0 C), which isn't involved at all in a temperature-difference conversion. The correct conversion is to a temperature difference of 5.5 Fahrenheit degrees. The conversion of a Celsius temperature _level_ to a Fahrenheit temperature _level_ on the same page is done correctly, however. I suspect that the erroneous conversion was done by a literary editor who wasn't as familiar with temperature scales as I am sure the author must be.

But these are minor (though annoying) editorial flaws in a well-written, enlightening book. I recommend it highly.

Now, if I can just get my hands on pages 197-228 somewhere...

.-)

Excellant compendium of sources and resources
Two of my favorite subjects are history and geology, so this was a double treat for me, since it's sort of a history of geology! Sigurdsson has created a marvelous compendium of sources on the subject of volcanism from mythologies among people native to areas of techtonic activity through Roman authors on the natural sciences to European and American scientists and philosophers into the early 20th Century. Probably one of the most significant things I discovered in reading the book was the underlying cause for the distain of the average person for the "rational" approach of the scientist. In laying before me the various theories for the cause of volcanism and earthquakes, Sigurdsson indirectly makes it clear that the "logical" assumptions of men of science can prove to be wrong, and the best research--for the technology of the time--can still lead to erroneous evaluations shaped by preconceived notions of the world, whether those concepts are biblico/religious ideology or a strongly held school of scientific thinking. Only by reading the entire book does one realize, also indirectly, that the scientific method of enquirey is the only way of gaining ground on the principles underlying natural processes. While the various authors of different theories may be in part or even entirely wrong, it is only through the testing and retesting of theories against the sterling measure of reality, that a clearer, working model of how nature works will arise. What is truely amazing is that so many early thinkers came to have at least a partial understanding of volcanism and of planetary and solar formation in modern terms. Also impressive were the novel approaches to experimental geology that were acheived. Many of the early investigators were truely creative people. Sigurdsson appears to be very well read, and his appreciation of the value of the visual documentary record, in forms such as pre-literate paintings and woodcut and engraved illustrations from rare books, is impressive and worthy of an individual trained in historical research rather than in the sciences. For anyone with an interest in geology, an interest in history, or simply someone who appreciates a good job of research, this is an excellant volume. It would also be a useful starting point for research on most other topics in the history of science, as many of the better resources are mentioned in the text and in the bibliographic entries for each chapter at the end of it. Some of the latter are in German, French or Italian, although many are in English translation in Sigurdsson's citing or can be found in English translations elsewhere.

A scientific journey through history, art and philosophy
Haraldur Sigurdsson's work, Melting the Earth: the history of ideas on volcanic eruptions, is a rare blend of art, history and scientific research. Writing with an ease that belies profound historical and scientific research, the author explores centuries-old myths and theories about why volcanoes erupt, offers well-researched scientific explanations about volcanic activity, and provides us with philosophical inspirations about man's constant intrigue with the magic of nature. Beautifully complemented with art and photography, this work is easily understood by those of us whose only knowledge of volcanoes is having lived in the shadow of one.

Cecile Comp, Caribbean volcanic island native

Buy Two of These!!
Dr. Sigurdsson has woven a superbly documented and wonderfully informative chronical of volcanic phenomena and theory. In Melting the Earth: The History of Ideas on Volcanic Eruptions, Sigurdsson introduces us to ancient philosophers and contemporary scientists alike. We learn of the Earth's volcanic dynamos: Thera, Etna, Vesuvius, (to mention a few)--from the events leading up to their explosive eruptions, environmental effcts.

Dr. Sigurdsson has compiled a true treasure a preeminent source book on the history of volcanic theory make for provocative reading, causing, awe and respect for this fearsome force of nature. Led by Dr. Sigurdsson's love of the subject and his apt narrative style, we come away educated, entertained, and hungry for more. ... Read more

Book Description

Homework Helpers: Physics is the latest book in the popular series that has been designed to help students master the material and tackle the tests. It will help any student unravel the formulas that describe the world around him or her. Each lesson is written in clear, easy-to-understand language, and supported with review questions. Answers and detailed explanations are found at the end of each chapter. Homework Helpers: Physics covers all of the topics included in a typical one-year physics curriculum, including: * Straight-line kinematics, free-fall, and projectile motion. * Forces, friction, and motion on an incline. * Electrostatics, electricity, and magnetism. * Waves, light, and optics. * Nuclear reactions. The Homework Helpers Series is just what students need to boost their confidence and give them the help they need to succeed in even the most challenging classes. ... Read more