Antarctica

September 17, 2012
Science writer Walker (Snowball Earth) offers a cross-disciplinary tour of Antarctica—its geology, biology, climate, and history—along with an illuminating picture of the lives of the scientists who temporarily live on the forbidding continent. Writing in a fluid style, Walker surveys the fascinating sea life in the frigid waters, such as spiders one thousand times bigger than their land-bound cousins, and fish that literally have antifreeze in their veins. In addition to the biologists, Antarctica’s scientific community includes meteor-hunting geologists, climatologists studying the ancient ice to trace the oscillations in Earth’s climate, and astronomers who brave the winter to benefit from the clarity of the Antarctic skies. A highlight is Walker’s chronicle of the rhythms of an Antarctic winter and the coping strategies the winter crews employ to survive the harsh otherworldly environment. For example, the tone for the new winter is set when the crew sits down to watch the science-fiction classic The Thing, set at the South Pole, and in the dead of winter the brave attempt to join the 300 Club, which requires that they sit in a sauna until the temperature is 200F and then run, naked no less, into the -100F air, however briefly. This all-in-one survey successfully captures the frozen continent. 2 maps. Agent: Michael Carlisle, Inkwell Management.

October 15, 2012
Scientist Walker (An Ocean of Air: Why the Wind Blows and Other Mysteries of the Atmosphere, 2007, etc.) pens a riveting "natural history of the only continent on Earth that has virtually no human history." The author's fascination with Antarctica began more than two decades ago, and it has inspired five visits. Larger than the continental United States, yet home to only 49 temporary bases, the continent is composed of two giant ice sheets. During the summer, 3,000 scientists conduct experiments, and 30,000 tourists drop in for short visits. Only 1,000 intrepid souls spend the winter on the continent. Due to an international treaty, the entire continent is dedicated to "peace and science," and officially, the land "belongs to nobody." Walker divides the narrative into three sections, delving into the historical and scientific sagas of the different areas of the continent. She begins with the coastal stations on the East Antarctic ice sheet, an area containing a zone so like outer space, it sports the nickname "Mars on Earth." Walker then chronicles her journey to the interior of the continent, visiting astronomers deciphering data gathered from giant high-altitude telescopes. The author also helped scientists wrestling with the mystery of ice cores and what they can tell us about our ancient climate. In "the most conventionally beautiful place in Antarctica," the far West, Walker chronicles the effects of contemporary and historical human activity on this strange and wonderful environment. The author adeptly clarifies the technical aspects of the science, decodes the intimate stories of reticent interviewees and weaves in the astounding and heartbreaking stories of the great explorers Amundsen, Scott and Shackleton. A rollicking good read for science buffs, armchair adventurers and readers curious about the natural world at its most extreme.

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October 1, 2012

Having taken multiple trips to Antarctica and stayed there for up to four months at a time, Walker (An Ocean of Air: Why the Wind Blows and Other Mysteries of the Atmosphere) has not only the skill to make her writing approachable but the experience to back it up. Her book weaves history, exploration, and science and introduces many researchers and their specialties, from penguins to microscopic life, ice cores, mud, and changes in ice movement and melting speed. This book is similar to Leslie Carol Roberts's The Entire Earth and Sky: Views on Antarctica in its appreciation of the continent, though Walker's book places more emphasis on science. While it lacks the photographs that enhance Antarctica: Secrets of the Southern Continent, edited by David McGonigal, Walker's on-the-ground experience enables her to offer a mental picture of the place, and a map included with each chapter helps readers trace her travels. VERDICT Recommended for those interested in Antarctica, its role in the global climate, and its effect on us all. [See Prepub Alert, 4/9/12.]--Jean E. Crampon, Univ. of Southern California Libs., Los Angeles

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2012
Who travels to Antarctica, and why? Setting aside tourists who sail to the relatively accessible Antarctic Peninsula, Walker (An Ocean of Air, 2007) addresses her curiosity to the scientists and support personnel at stations various nations maintain on the ice-encased continent. During several separate journeys, she stayed at a half-dozen outposts operated by the U.S., the UK, Russia, France, Italy, and Argentina and learned the protocols of cold-weather survival, accompanied scientists on their fieldwork, and observed how people cope with the environmental extremes and awesome geographical isolation of Antarctica. Accenting particular individuals she met, Walker notes their motivations to come to Antarcticausually professional for the scientists and often an interest in adventure for construction workers and cookswhile also paying attention to women who challenged no-girls attitudes on staffing Antarctic stations. Together with the human-interest element, science propels Walker's narrative, which refracts scientists' explanations of their research into penguins, glaciology, geology, astronomy, and climate change. Interspersed with historical vignettes of Antarctic exploration, Walker's account affords a vibrant vicarious experience of traveling around the place on earth most like an alien planet.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)