Surviving Galeras

by Stanley Williams

Book Overview

Through a harrowing first-person account of an eruption and its aftermath, SURVIVING GALERAS reveals the fascinating, high-risk realm of volcanology and explores the profound impact volcanoes have had... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0618031685
• ISBN13: 9780618031689
• Release Date: January 2001
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.3" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Honest & riveting account of field scientists

Surviving Galeras provides a fascinating and valuable read. The book blends solid, clearly explained science with insightful and honest descriptions of the events before, during, and after the catastrophic eruption of Galeras volcano in Columbia. As a field geologist who occasionally works in risky environments (but not volcanoes), I found Williams' description of the personalities who do this sort of work and the way they reached decisions to be familiar and, more importantly, entirely rational and reasonable. Williams and Montaigne allow the reader to really understand how this type of field scientist works. Anyone who has been in the midst of an event where people died or were seriously injured knows that memories don't get recorded accurately. Williams acknowledges the problem and presents the memories of others as well as his own. Some of Williams's critics have placed an unnecessary blackmark on both their profession and their agencies by airing "dirty laundry". Public rantings have ranged from legitimate (but overly inflammatory) debate over the value of seismic vs. gas flux data to asinine declarations that mandating hard hats would have minimized this tragedy. Fortunately, Williams and Montaigne have stayed with the high road in their book and avoided the temptation of pandering to journalist in search of creating conflict. In this book, Williams shows great respect for all his colleagues, even his critics, and one senses the effort to provide balance to the story. I have only been in the field with one person (Patty Mothes) in the book and she is portrayed exactly as the person I know. Williams does not minimize the credit due to his colleagues, whether for their scientific endeavors or their heroism on the fateful day. He shows remarkable class in honoring his graduate students (a trait all too rare in American academia), praising his fallen colleagues and his rescuers, and presenting the conflicting views of his critics.Good science requires a variety of approaches and, far too often, practitioners of the different styles see themselves as competitors for grant money and acclaim. Divergent geologist who view themselves as colleagues serve the profession far better. Valuable information comes from the lab and the computer. But, despite our progress in these "safe" venues of science, field observations still provide critical data. Obtaining that data on active volcanoes requires a personality that accepts, even enjoys, risk. Williams calls these folks, "My kind of geologist." But, some of Williams critics seem to think that this personality trait is better applied to bungee jumping, driving fast cars, and chain-smoking cigarettes instead of striving to better understand a public hazard. Their logic evades me. We need the out-on-the-edge field scientists, and Surviving Galeras helps show us why without denigrating the other approaches to studying volcanoes. We need the lab-oriented geochemist and computer-oriented geophysicists, also. B

Surviving Galeras

As the wife of Professor Geoff Brown, killed in the Galeras eruption of 1993, and a geologist myself, I have been delighted by Stan Williams's and Fen Montaigne's account in Surviving Galeras. It is a sensitive and honest account of an unpredictable tragedy, exploring not only the event itself, but the backgrounds and characters of the volcanologists who risk their lives to help minimise the risks to others of natural disasters. Anyone with a background in the Earth Sciences who has read the scientific literature about Galeras volcano will appreciate just how unexpected the eruption was and why those who died in it were taken by surprise.Although Galeras is the major character in the volcanic drama, other eruptions, e.g. that of Mount St. Helens,Mont Pelee and Vesuvius, are explored as well. There is a good mixture of accessible science, human interest and historical context with various themes carefully interwoven. The horror of being caught in an eruption is painted vividly but the temptation to dramatize events has been avoided.Congratulations are due to the authors for raising awareness of natural disasters, and the risks that must be taken by those who seek to understand them for the benfit of society.

misplaced mistrust

Stan Williams has bravely written an account, with the help of Fen Montaigne, of a life-changing event as he recalls it. He admits that his recollection is only his own, and he did have a significant brain injury. I see the book as a tribute to the people he worked closely with, some of whom died. Part of himself died,too. Now he is still being attacked after trying to set the record straight, while he is also trying to educate about volcanoes. I see it as tragic that he has survived to live in a hell of criticism. Eight years is a long time to live this way. The evidence to predict the "hiccup" was not there at the time. Really read the book and others to decide for youself.

Volcanologists challenge the Gods! An excellent read.

When Charles Darwin viewed the remnants of an ocean floor on the heights of the Andes Mountains, he reflected on the seismic powers that change the world. Films of molten stone, red hot and moving relentlessly, send shudders through audiences around the world. It is in Surviving Galeras, the personal story of Professor Stanley Williams' escape from death, that readers again can sense volcanic power. Galeras, a volcano in Colombia became active in the 1980's, attracting scientists to study the patterns of movements and escaped gases, and tourists for the thrill of danger. On January 16, 1993, at early afternoon, as scientists were completing their observations, the mountain exploded sending blazing stones of all sizes to the atmosphere. Six scientists and three tourists died. Professor Williams, his skull and both legs fractured, was saved. As leader of the scientific team, the question is asked: "Why did he not know that the mountain would blow?" We are still far from predicting a volcano's activity, and the very fact that a team of experienced volcanologists were fooled is evidence enough that the science is still in its childhood, and much more work needs to be done.Williams is fascinated by active volcanos. The story is well told of the meeting of scientists at the base of Galeras, the field trip and studies, the sudden eruption, the years of recovery, and the years of recriminations. The reader is left with admiration for the scientists and wonder that men are willing to put themselves at imminent risk of death.The Galeras story is interspersed with chapters on man's interest in volcanos. The monumental historic discharges of Vesuvius, Laki, Tambora, and St. Helens are described, with their awesone loss of life and the dramatic changes in the earth's shape, making the book not only a personal diary but a field text and travel guide as well. The book is an excellent read and a prologue to the Hollywood movie that is sure to come.

Surviving Galeras

This is truly a spectacular book. I would highly recommend it for everyone to read. It is a breathtaking first-hand account of the events of the Galeras eruption in January 1993. After reading the book by Fen Montaigne and Stanley Williams, I felt as though I lived through the eruption of Galeras and it even made me short of breath. Stanley Williams clearly sets forth his emotions for all people, whether involved at Galeras, those families who suffered as a result of the incident, or for volcano lovers. Being a volcano lover, I remember the eruption quite well and have followed articles about it ever since. This book is definitely a "must read".