Pure White And Deadly

McCaffrey, Anne: The White Dragon (Dragonriders of Pern Vol 3) New York Del Ray / Ballantine 1990 ; weicher Einband / soft cover ISBN: 0345341678
0345341678 Near Fine

Covers slightly creased. <p> "Never had there been as close a bonding as the one that existed between the daring and adventurous young Lord Jaxom and his extraordinary white dragon, Ruth. Pure white and incredibly agile, Ruth was a dragon of many talents, though almost everyone on Pern thought he was a runt that would never amount to anything. <br> But Jaxom knew better, knew he could teach his dragon to fly and to destroy the deadly silver Threads that fell from the sky. Disobeying all rules, Jaxom and Ruth trained in secret. Their illicit flights seemed but a minor disobedience -- until they found themselves in the path of danger and in a position to prevent the biggest disaster of all!" Twenty-fourth Printing Mass Market Paperback 5¾" - 6¾" Tall; Twenty-fourth Printing

[SW: FICTION FANTASY EPIC, PERN (IMAGINARY PLACE), Ruth (Fictitious Character), Jaxom (Fictitious Character), Dragon Thread, threadfall, Dragon riders, Ruatha (imaginary place)]

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McCaffrey, Anne: The White Dragon (Dragonriders of Pern Vol 3) New York Del Ray / Ballantine 1979 ; weicher Einband / soft cover ISBN: 0345253736
0345253736 Very Good Whelan, Michael (cover)

Spine a bit creased, slanted, corners bumped (one with small crease), slight edge wear, some rubbing. Some browning but text is clean and unmarked. A nice copy. <p> "Never had there been as close a bonding as the one that existed between the daring and adventurous young Lord Jaxom and his extraordinary white dragon, Ruth. Pure white and incredibly agile, Ruth was a dragon of many talents, though almost everyone on Pern thought he was a runt that would never amount to anything. <br> But Jaxom knew better, knew he could teach his dragon to fly and to destroy the deadly silver Threads that fell from the sky. Disobeying all rules, Jaxom and Ruth trained in secret. Their illicit flights seemed but a minor disobedience -- until they found themselves in the path of danger and in a position to prevent the biggest disaster of all!" First Paperback Printing Mass Market Paperback 6¾" - 7¾" Tall; First Paperback Printing

[SW: FICTION FANTASY EPIC, PERN (IMAGINARY PLACE), Ruth (Fictitious Character), Jaxom (Fictitious Character), Dragon Thread, threadfall, Dragon riders, Ruatha (imaginary place)]

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Williams, Stanley: SURVIVING GALERAS, Boston Houghton Mifflin Company 2001
ISBN: 0618031685 As New Condition

Volcanologist Stanley Williams's first-person account of the eruption of Galeras in Columbia, which killed six scientists and three tourists, is also a history of volcanoes and their continuing impact on human lives. Williams was severely injured at Galeras and is only alive today because of the bravery of his female colleagues, Marta Calvache and Patty Mothes, who entered the still-active volcano to look for survivors. FROM THE PUBLISHER 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 on the earth's landscapes and civilizations. In 1993, Stanley Williams, an eminent volcanologist, was standing on top of a Colombian volcano called Galeras when it erupted, killing six of his colleagues instantly. As Williams tried to escape the blast , he was pelted with white-hot projectiles traveling faster than bullets. Within seconds he was cut down, his skull fractured, his right leg almost severed, his backpack aflame. Williams lay helpless and near death on Galeras's flank until two brave women-friends and fellow volcanologists-mounted an astonishing rescue effort to carry him safely off the mountain. The tale of how Williams survived Galeras is the framework for a groundbreaking book about volcanoes, their physical and cultural impact, and the tiny cadre of scientists who risk their own lives to gain knowledge that might one day save many others' lives. Volcanoes unleash supremely powerful, unpredictable forces, and we have paid dearly for our understanding of their behavior. Even with ever more sensitive measuring tools and protective equipment, at least one volcanologist, on average, dies each year. Yet Williams and his fellow scientist-adventurers continue to unveil the enigmatic and miraculous workings of volcanoes and to piece together methods for predicting their actions. Volcanologists often put themselves in peril, not only because the discipline attracts risk-takers but because they know that volcanoes threaten as many as 500 million people worldwide. For Seattle, Tokyo, Mexico City, Naples-and for volcanologists-the clock is ticking. SYNOPSIS: 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 on the earth's landscapes and civilizations. FROM THE CRITIC: Forbes Williams' account remains the better read, thanks to the firsthand narrative and able assistance from coauthor Fen Montaigne. Mark Bowden Galeras artfully blends science writing and history with pure, heart-pounding action, captur[ing] the thrill of science on the edge. Dava Sobel Williams's own near-death experience on Galeras drives this riveting story. Oregonian A gripping worm's-eye view of being caught in a volcanic eruption with a fascinating overview of horrific eruptions through history. Boston Globe 'Surviving Galeras' does a masterful job of evoking the volcano's deadly lure. <blockquote><B> WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING: David Sobel ' I thoroughly enjoyed this excellent book-a Baedeker to the landscape of the Inferno. Through its pages, Stanley Williams wanders the world's fifteen hundred active volcanoes-going not only to them, but also on them and in them. He portrays his colleagues (of both sexes) as members of a rare breed: mostly scientist, part explorer and part thrill-seeker. Loving their dangerous work, they brave natural hellfire and brimstone, bent on a humanitarian mission to save lives by perfecting methods for predicting when magma-filled mountains will explode. Williams' own near-death experience on Galeras, in the Colombian Andes, where he lost six colleagues to a surprise eruption, is the leitmotif that drives this riveting story and shanghais the reader. Hardcover 6 x 9 in

[SW: Volcanoes, Humanitarian,Colombian, Andes, Eruption,]

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Cussler, Clive: BLACK WIND - A Dirk Pitt Novel - 5 CD's Abridged, New York Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated 2004
0143057391 Very Good Condition

<B>Clive Cussler's dazzling new Dirk Pitt(r) adventure on FIVE CD's - Abridged and aread by Ron McLarty, by Penguin AUIDIO. <P><B> . Clive the Mighty!" hailed Kirkus Reviews about Cussler's last Dirk Pitt(r) novel, Trojan Odyssey. "Hurricane Clive at his most tumultuous." Nobody has been able to match Cussler yet for the intricate plotting and sheer audacity of his work, and Black Wind sets the bar even higher. In the waning days of World War II, the Japanese tried a last desperate measure-a different kind of kamikaze mission, this one carried out by two submarines bound for the West Coast of the United States, their cargo a revolutionary new strain of biological virus. <P><B> Neither sub made it to the designated target. But that does not mean they were lost. Someone knows about the subs and what they bore, knows too where they might be, and has an extraordinary plan in store for the prize inside-a scheme that could reshape the world as we know it. All that stands in the way are three people: a marine biologist named Summer, a marine engineer named Dirk, and their father, Dirk Pitt, the new head of NUMA. Pitt has faced devastating enemies before, and has even teamed up with his children to track them down. But never has he looked upon the face of pure evil . . . until now. <P><B> Filled with dazzling suspense and breathtaking action, Black Wind is Cussler at the height of his storytelling powers. Publishers Weekly About halfway through this rip-snorting adventure thriller, a "white-haired man" rescues heroes Dirk Pitt Jr. and his sister, Summer, from death by drowning. That man is revealed to be author Cussler (Trojan Odyssey, etc.), reminding Dirk of "an older version of his own father," legendary oceanographer Dirk Pitt, hero of Cussler's previous novels. Just as the primary action baton is passed in this tale from Pitt Sr. to Jr., readers may note that Cussler's coauthor is his own son. But even if Cussler is beginning to pass on his writing baton, he's doing so with panache: thriller fans will revel in this action-packed yarn of land- and sea-based derring-do stuffed with technical details on matters from biochemical weapons "chimeras" to rocket launches. <P><B> The villain is a South Korean industrialist working for the North Koreans with an eye toward unifying Korea by ridding the country of American troops, allowing for an invasion of the South. His plan is to aim a sea-borne rocket filled with a combo of deadly viruses at Los Angeles, with clues laying blame on Japanese terrorists, thus distracting America while the North makes its move. <P><B>But villain and modus operandi matter less than the series of exciting hairbreadth escapes wrought by Dirks Jr. and Sr. and Summer-including Dirk Sr.'s escape from being poached alive in a minisub trapped underneath massive rocket boosters spewing an inferno of flames. There's a slight, nasty gloss of "yellow peril" on the villain and his actions, and it's only the Americans who greet likely death with a grin and a quip, but that's a minor knock on some major entertainment that's bound toward the top of the charts. Agent, Peter Lampack. 750,000 first printing. (Dec.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information. School Library Journal Adult/High School-Two Japanese submarines loaded with deadly chimera virus head for the west coast of the United States during the waning days of World War II but are sunk before ever endangering the coast. Sixty years later, South Korean industrialist Kang learns of their whereabouts and tests the deadly potion on some animals and a few people in Alaska. When the death reports start coming in, research sends Dirk Pitt, the younger; his sister; his crew from NUMA (National Underwater and Marine Agency); Dirk Pitt, the elder; and other forces on a race against time to prevent Kang from unleashing the virus. He dreams of creating a frenzy of blame between the countries for such an attack even as he takes joy in the fact that hundreds of thousands of Americans would die in agony. The Cusslers provide a high tide of ocean-based adventure and creepy bad guys. Approximately 6 hours listening time; published at Thitry Dollars.</B><P> Cd-rom Boxed Program

[SW: Dirk Pitt, Adventure, Cussler, Ocean,]

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