Rising Fire: Volcanoes and Our Inner Lives.

RISING FIRE: Volcanoes and Our Inner Lives

JOHN CALDERAZZO

In this globetrot, Calderazzo takes readers to the most volatile peaks in the world to better understand how volcanoes work and how people live with and study them. In fact, 1 in 10 people worldwide lives within the shadow of the 1,450 volcanoes that are potentially active. About 55 mountains can be expected to erupt this year. Calderazzo describes his travels to spots such as Yellowstone National Park, where spewing geysers are fueled by the same forces that caused eruptions 600,000 years ago. He also details more far-flung and recent eruptions, including that of Mount unzen in Japan, which in 1991 claimed the lives of a team of journalists trying to document it. His experiences provide a thought-provoking look at the nature of volcanoes as well as at our place in a geologically violent world. Lyons, 2004, 268 p., hardcover, S22.95.