John Dvorak, PhD, has studied volcanoes and earthquakes around the world for the United States Geological Survey, first at Mount St. Helens in 1980, then a series of assignments in Hawaii, Italy, Indonesia, Central America and Alaska. In addition to dozens of papers published in scientific journals, Dvorak has written cover stories for Scientific American, Astronomy and Physics Today.
“Earth scientist John Dvorak’s exuberant new book How the Mountains
Grew: A New Geological History of North America puts these
Anthropocene fires into the context of deep time. Dvorak is a
wonderful storyteller. He weaves disparate threads of past worlds
into a coherent fabric of time, place and life that provides the
ultimate context for all specific modern environmental
issues. When reading How the Mountains Grew, I could easily
imagine being outdoors with him breaking rocks in a search for
fossils, crawling up some canyon wall to count the sands of time or
trekking across one of our great ice sheets. His human stories are
also fascinating, especially those involving serendipitous
discoveries. Is this really a ‘new’ geologic history? Yes. Dvorak
challenges the conventional wisdom. [The book] has a vast scope and
an envelope-pushing narrative. This new geologic history of North
America will enrich your everyday personal experiences.”
*The Wall Street Journal*
“Imagine a world where pigeon-sized dragonflies soar above spiders
with half-meter-long legs, where 2-meter-long millipedes slither
and 20-kilogram scorpions hunt. About 300 million years ago, such
surreal creatures thrived; today, rocks hint at how these and other
creatures in the deep past lived. These clues allow geologist and
writer John Dvorak to vividly re-create ancient landscapes
in How the Mountains Grew.Far from a dusty tome plodding
through plate tectonics, the book teems with life as Dvorak
establishes inextricable links between geology and
biology. Dvorak’s storytelling shines bright.”
*Science News*
Praise for John Dvorak
“Dvorak has done earthquake science sterling service by writing
what is unarguably the best, the most comprehensive and
compellingly readable book about the great fault that will one day
affect all our lives.”
*Simon Winchester, New York Times bestselling author*
“For a more expansive look at how eclipses have been mythologized
throughout history, turn to Mask of the Sun. Dvorak offers
useful, engaging background, and provides a deeper
understanding.”
*The New York Times*
“A lively biography. Dvorak is a great storyteller with a keen eye
for details. His descriptions of the intense heat almost singe the
page. Riveting.”
*Wall Street Journal*
"Bubbling and sloughing under the surface of John Dvorak's terrific
new book is the quietly terrifying reminder that we somehow manage
to live on a tectonically active planet. A remarkable story.”
*The Christian Science Monitor*
“Dvorak’s meticulously researched book covers the history of human
reactions and interpretations from Homer to the Bible and beyond. A
well-rounded, entertaining, and authoritative survey.”
*Omnivoracious*
“A rich chronicle.”
*NATURE*
“The story of Thomas Jagger and Isabel Maydwell is an inspiring
tale of devotion, both to science and to each other.”
*Scientific American*
“Jaggar's thrilling adventures to volcanic hot zones like Alaska
and Hawaii, where he explored inside active volcanoes, makes one
appreciate the fearless nature required for a life of volcanology.
Riveting.”
*The American Scholar*
“Dvorak brings Jagger to life in a richly researched narrative as
thrilling as his topic, creating the sort of popular science
history that flies off the shelves.”
*Booklist (starred review)*
“Earth scientist John Dvorak’s exuberant new book How the Mountains
Grew: A New Geological History of North America puts these
Anthropocene fires into the context of deep time. Dvorak is a
wonderful storyteller. He weaves disparate threads of past worlds
into a coherent fabric of time, place and life that provides the
ultimate context for all specific modern environmental
issues. When reading How the Mountains Grew, I could easily
imagine being outdoors with him breaking rocks in a search for
fossils, crawling up some canyon wall to count the sands of time or
trekking across one of our great ice sheets. His human stories are
also fascinating, especially those involving serendipitous
discoveries. Is this really a ‘new’ geologic history? Yes. Dvorak
challenges the conventional wisdom. [The book] has a vast scope and
an envelope-pushing narrative. This new geologic history of North
America will enrich your everyday personal experiences.”
*The Wall Street Journal*
“Earth scientist John Dvorak’s exuberant new book How the Mountains
Grew: A New Geological History of North America puts these
Anthropocene fires into the context of deep time. Dvorak is a
wonderful storyteller. He weaves disparate threads of past worlds
into a coherent fabric of time, place and life that provides the
ultimate context for all specific modern environmental
issues. When reading How the Mountains Grew, I could easily
imagine being outdoors with him breaking rocks in a search for
fossils, crawling up some canyon wall to count the sands of time or
trekking across one of our great ice sheets. His human stories are
also fascinating, especially those involving serendipitous
discoveries. Is this really a ‘new’ geologic history? Yes. Dvorak
challenges the conventional wisdom. [The book] has a vast scope and
an envelope-pushing narrative. This new geologic history of North
America will enrich your everyday personal experiences.”
*The Wall Street Journal*
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