This book is one of a kind. I don't understand how anyone who likes volcanoes and volcanic phenomena could not go wild with this book.

The book gives the location and height of each of the 1,511 volcanoes known to have been active in the last 10,000 years. A few more have been discovered since the 1993 publication date, but this defect can be easily remedied by recourse to the GVP link on the Net. More importantly, each known eruption is described by date, duration and explosive power. Also, each eruption of each mountain, no matter how many, has its chief characteristics set out, including type of eruption and fatalities and damage, if any.

The book contains copious footnotes for the serious reader and a thorough general discussion at the start. Interesting black and white photos and drawing are occasionally found as well. The total accumulation of presented data is immense. However, anyone with a moderate scientific background will not be overwhelmed.

Residents of the Western U.S. and Canada should read the history of these regions with particular care, since the book shows eruptive patterns and locations of many underpublicized volcanic areas with great precision. This enables informed decision-making in the event of the next activity of any of these features.

The only parallel I can find in any other book is The Baseball Encyclopedia. If you want to know anything about a given volcano, it's probably here. For the interested reader in geology, it is essential, and for the volcano "geek", it is Nirvana. I've had it for over three years and I still peruse it regularly.

VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

Paricutin was a cinder cone born in a Mexican cornfield in 1943. This book is its story, from the time of its birth until it became extinguished. Worth the price of admission alone are several photos taken at the time it first came up in the field. Ihave been a volcano buff for over 50 years and I have never seen anything to match them for sheer excitement. The book contains hundreds of photos, most in black and white.

The book is for those experienced in volcanoes, and would not serve well as an introductory volume for those unacquainted with this phenomena. Some scientific background is necessary to fully assimilate the information the book contains. I do not mean to say that an informed layman would not enjoy the book He would. For anyone interested in geology, or even more narrowly, volcanoes, though, the book is a masterpiece. It is also a good study for the anthropologist or sociologist interested in how persons and groups not versed in technology confront and live through geological cataclysms.

The book also contains interesting chapters on other cinder cone eruptions in recent history, including ones in Mexico, New Guinea, and Italy. The discussion and photos regarding these other cindercones, is shorter, but uniformly excellent.

I would rate this a college-level book, but I recommend it very highly to anyone interested in the subject matter.