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VOLCANOES is a lively, comprehensive introduction to the world of volcanoes,
covering where and why they form, what happens when they erupt and how to
forecast dangerous activity, and how people profit from them, through diamonds,
valuable minerals and geothermal power. The book by Robert Decker and Barbara
Decker (W. H. Freeman, pp 285, Pounds sterling 11.95 pbk) has three strengths:
clear, informative illustrations; plenty of examples and eyewitness accounts;
and a numerical approach to the processes that result in eruptions. A good
bibliography and glossary help to make the book a good read for anyone interested
in these spectacular natural events. If you want to know how it felt to
fly over Mount St Helens as it erupted, what the lavas of the Mid Atlantic
ridge look like, or where the energy came from to drive an eruption, try
looking here first.