Introducing Volcanology: A Guide to Hot Rocks (Introducing Earth and Environmental Sciences) - Softcover

This is the third in a series of earth science books published by Dunedin, the previous two of which (on palaeontology and geology) have been reviewed in this magazine. I said of those books that they were excellent little volumes for the beginner and the amateur, and the current book is no different. Written by the ubiquitous volcano specialist, Dougal Jerram (aka Dr Volcano), who was recently on television in the BBC's 'The hottest place on Earth' a film about an expedition to the lava lake of Erta Ale in Ethiopia it is a nice little summary of the basics of the science of volcanology. The subject matter inevitably cries out for good illustrations, and the explanatory diagrams and photographs in this guide are extremely good and certainly as good as the previous two volumes. In addition, the writing is easy to understand (there is also a glossary) and fluent. More importantly, the reader cannot be unaffected by the author's obvious enthusiasm, which comes through on every page. --Deposits (29) 2012

The reader is taken on a journey through the world of volcanoes from basic Earth chemistry to minerals, to rocks in a logical, seamless process. Everyone should get something from this, it's a great addition to the literature about volcanoes, written by someone who clearly adores his subject! --Down to Earth

This is the next book to be published in the popular lntroducing...range of earth science texts from Dunedin... and, put quite simply, it is excellent. --Teaching Earth Sciences

a very well done enjoyable little book. --Leading Edge (Society of Exploration Geologists)

It is hard to fault this book and I would recommend it highly for use by geological curators, for museum shops and for a very wide range of others. --Geological Curator

It is hard to fault this book and I would recommend it highly for use by geological curators, for museum shops and for a very wide range of others. --Geological Curator

Reading Introducing Volcanology: A Guide to Hot Rocks was an overall pleasantly surprising experience. Most introductory volcanology books fail, as their aims seem to be to achieve the almost impossible that is to create a book which is both scientifically informative yet simultaneously simple enough to be understood by the general public. However, where most books fail, this one succeeds. In this book Jerram has managed to create, in my opinion, the perfect balance between accessibility and transferal of quite detailed scientific arguments through clear and precise expression. --International Journal of the Society for Underwater Technology

Dougal Jerram is a consultant Earth Scientist he taught for more than 12 years at Durham University. He has a wide experience in both modern and ancient volcanoes and their products. An expert and enthusiastic geological communicator, he has been involved in scientific television programmes for the BBC, National Geographic, Discovery and History channels.