Ebook: Volcanism

From the reviews:

"Volcanism by Hans-Ulrich Schmincke has photos of the best quality I have ever seen in a text on the subject… In addition, the schematic figures in their wide range of styles are clear, colorful, and simplified to emphasize the most important factors while including all significant features…

"I have really enjoyed reading and rereading Schmincke’s book. It fills a great gap in texts available for teaching any basic course in volcanology. No other book I know of has the depth and breadth of Volcanism…

I have shared Volcanism with my colleagues to their significant benefit, and I am more convinced of its value for a broad range of Earth and planetary scientists.

Undoubtedly, I will use Volcanism for my upcoming courses in volcanology. I will never hesitate to recommend it to others. Many geoscientists from very different subdisciplines will benefit from adding the book to their personal libraries. Schmincke has done us all a great service by undertaking the grueling task of writing the book – and it is much better that he alone wrote it." Stanley N. Williams, ASU Tempe, AZ (Physics Today, April 2005)

"This book comes from a lifetime of volcanological field experience all over the world from a leading professor of volcanology … . The book is based on the author’s lecture materials … . figures make this volume exceptionally valuable to students and instructors. The photographs, historic figures, and charts and figures … are done thoughtfully and carefully and will be very widely used. … would be appropriate as a text for an upper-level college class in volcanology. … It could attract newcomers to this highly interdisciplinary field … ." (William I. Rose, Journal of Geology, May, 2005)

"This outstanding handbook has the power to incite any geologist or interested layman to become a volcanologist himself … . It is … lavishly illustrated with superb photographs and excellent cartoons of models, schematic cross-sections or contour maps, with easy to consult references, glossary and indexes. ... It is highly recommended to all those interested in earth sciences in general and should be present in every earth science library. … definitely will raise the fascination for the earth as a complex system among many." (Michiel Dusar, Geologica Belgica, Vol. 8 (1-2), 2005)

"The book by Hans-Ulrich Schmincke … is alluring for several reasons. Firstly, it deals with topics which … are potentially attractive for all, regardless of ones age and educational level. Secondly, it is perfectly balanced in providing a professional level of science … . Thirdly, it contains a wealth of colourful photos … . the most spectacularly illustrated one I have recently read. … the text is written with passion and with a superb knowledge of the subject … . Students and scientists … will find this excellent book an indispensable source of information … ." (Marek Lewandowski, Pure and Applied Geophysics, Vol. 162, 2005)

"Hans-Ulrich Schmincke … has done us all a great favour because he sensibly channelled his fascination with volcanoes into writing this beautifully illustrated book. Volcanism, however, is much more than pretty pictures. … It inspires you to explore … . And, with more than 400 colour illustrations, including a huge number of really excellent new diagrams, cutaway models and maps, plus a rich glossary and references, this book is accessible to anyone with an interest in the subject." (Douglas Palmer, New Scientist, March, 2004)

"The book succeeds for the most part on the generalized level of providing a bridge between the technical and popular literature on volcanoes, and as such can be recommended. … The strengths of the Schmincke volume lie in its overall coverage of volcanic topics, readability, and in the large number of almost entirely excellent-quality photographs and diagrams that make it an easy book to dip into." (Colin Wilson, Economic Geology, Vol. 100 (3), 2005)