Duffield, Wendell A. Chasing Lava: A Geologist's Adventures at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory - Brief Article - Young Adult Review - Book Review

Mountain Press. 171p. illus. bibliog. index. c2003. 0-87842-462-8. $16.00. SA

1969 was a year that showed man on the moon and man in the jungles of Vietnam. Far away from both of these extremes of human endeavors. Wendell Duffield and his wife came to the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory to study Kilauea, one of the world's most active volcanoes. Unlike previous geologists who wanted to "explain the past." the geologists at this observatory wanted to "explain future events," living by the motto "No more burned or buried cities."

Duffield's story of his three-year stay there alternates between the scientific and the everyday anecdotal. Life with a dog, a cat and a new wife goes along with life with a scientific team at work studying the movements of cooled lava crust. It is evident that the memories of these years are good ones; Duffield's memoir carries a mellow tone: "Memories of the heavy scent and monotonous taste of meat, potatoes, and Upper Midwest delicacies known as hot dish and casserole give way to the delicate textures and flavors of abundant fresh seafood and a seemingly unending inseason crop of sweet fruit."

Personal photographs, scientific illustrations and humorous monotone watercolors all tie in with both the mundane and technical sides of this work. Recommended for any collection where there is interest in volcanism or Hawaii. Katherine E. Gillen, Libn., Lake AFB Lib., AZ

COPYRIGHT 2003 Kliatt
COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group