Furnace of Creation, Cradle of Destru..., Roy Chester
Furnace of Creation, Cradle of Destru..., Roy Chester
List: $35.99 | Sale: $25.20
Club: $17.99

Furnace of Creation, Cradle of Destruction
A Journey to the Birthplace of Earthquakes, Volcanoes, and Tsunamis

Author: Roy Chester

Narrator: Bill Weideman

Abridged: 7 hr 11 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download (DRM Protected)

Published: 07/07/2008

Categories: Nonfiction, Nature, Science


Synopsis

Over the past few years, devastating tsunamis off the coast of the Indian Ocean have killed hundreds of thousands of people. Even more alarmingly, scientists predict that these tsunamis, as well as a series of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, may eventually threaten Hawaii, California, and Oregon. The cause of this trinity of natural disasters is plate tectonics. Perhaps the greatest advance made in the field of earth science, the plate-tectonics theory argues that the surface of the Earth is broken into large plates, which change in size and position over time. The edges of these plates rub against each other, causing earthquakes, volcanoes, and tsunamis that continue to inflict such intense destruction to the surface our planet. In Furnace of Creation, Cradle of Destruction, renowned scientist Roy Chester reveals the fascinating history of this discovery and tells the enigmatic story of one of the great mysteries of our time: how the surface of our planet was created and how it has evolved. From the early discoveries of Sir Francis Bacon to the beginnings of geology and the controversy surrounding the theory of continental drift, this impeccably researched book reveals the evolution of a vital scientific theory. Lucid and compelling, this book offers a long-awaited explanation of the underlying forces that shape our world.

About Roy Chester

ROY CHESTER retired as Proudman Professor of Oceanography in the Department of Earth and Sciences at The University of Liverpool in 2004. He is the author of Marine Geochemistry, a book that became a classic text in its field.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Sarah on October 14, 2016

Not what I expected from the jacket, and less interesting. As stated on page 1 of the introduction, the author wonders: "How would volcanoes, earthquakes, and tsunamis have appeared to people in the past, before the advent of modern theories about plate tectonics or, even more intriguing, in the tim......more

Goodreads review by Jen on February 26, 2011

I love me some good geology--however this was not it. Compare it with Krakatoa or Crack at the Edge of the World, and you'll see what's missing. How you can make volcanoes and earthquakes boring is beyond me, but he did it. I gave it two stars because well...at least it was about volcanoes and earth......more

Goodreads review by Todd on July 29, 2017

Furnace of Creation, Cradle of Destruction is a history of the Earth sciences, in particular geology, oceanography, seismology and volcanology. Roy Chester, retired Professor of Oceanography in the Department of Earth & Ocean Sciences at the University of Liverpool, describes the evolving explanatio......more

Goodreads review by Ed on June 06, 2016

Ok but found myself getting bored.......more