The Mountains of Saint Francis

May 26, 2008
Geologist Alvarez at UC-Berkeley is best known for discovering evidence of the asteroid collision that wiped out the dinosaurs (as recounted in T. Rex and the Crater of Doom
). But much of his career has been spent in the mountains of Assisi, which he calls “the secret archives of Earth history.” For more than three decades, he has studied the rock formations of the central peaks of the Apennines, particularly the Scaglia
limestone, where fossil evidence confirms a mass extinction 65 million years ago—and points to reversals in the planet's magnetic field. His descriptions of the local villages and countryside show flashes of tour-guide charm, and he allows himself a touch of dry humor at rare moments. For the most part, however, his tone is measured and scientific; even riding the surface of an active lava flow is recounted with an oddly dispassionate tone. But readers who appreciate Alvarez's subdued enthusiasm will find a careful unpacking of Italy's geological anomalies (with quick detours to Rome and the Alps) and an intriguing glimpse of Earth's distant past. 8 pages of color and 60 b&w illus.

Starred review from June 15, 2008
Alvarez (Univ. of California, Berkeley) is a distinguished geologist best known for his groundbreaking work attributing the end-Cretaceous extinction to a comet or asteroid impact, recounted in his best-selling "T. Rex and the Crater of Doom". The current volume is an outcome of the author's many years of fieldwork in Italy, particularly in the Apennines, where evidence for the impact was first detected. The subject here, however, is the exciting scientific detective work involved in understanding the formation of the Apennines and of Italy in general. This subject may seem very localized and specific for a book designed to appeal to a general readership, but Alvarez manages to illustrate beautifully general geologic principles and problem-solving methods using these specific examples. Furthermore, geologic studies in the Apennines have had worldwide implications. This book is also a celebration of the ideas of pioneering Italian geologists who remain little known but have had a profound impact on the science. Highly recommended for all science collections.Walter L. Cressler, West Chester Univ. Lib., PA

Copyright 2008 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2008
As a venue for introducing geology, the Apennine Mountains of Italy have much to recommend themselves. Speaking on their behalf, scientist Alvarez incorporates personal experiences in the field with scientific progress that has arrived at an understanding of how this range came to be and continues to evolve. A crucial advance has been rock-dating techniques, which are central to geology and whose original, fossil-based method Alvarez relates with respect for their seventeenth-century inventors, Nicolaus Steno and Ambrogio Soldani. Another Apennine mystery dispelled over time has been the depositional sequence of rock strata, which tectonic forces beneath the Apennines have rendered into a complicated jumble. As Alvarez delights in explaining, his and hiscolleagues solutions to Italys geological puzzle have yielded surprising connections to unlikely things, such as the formation of the Nile Riverand Italian landscapes that have been stages for historys dramas, such as the hills of Rome. From the discoverer of the dinosaurs demise (T. Rex and the Crater of Doom, 1997), this is an excellent addition to geologys rich popular literature.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)