In Catastrophobia Barbara Hand Clow shows that a series of cataclysmic disasters 11,500 years ago rocked the world and left humanity's collective psyche chronically scarred. This unprocessed fear is responsible for our constant expectations of apocalypse, from Y2K to the famed end of the Mayan calendar in 2012. But according to the author there is every indication that the changes in consciousness over the last 30 years are the beginnings of a collective healing from these deep fears.

The Lake Superior region is nationally known as a rock hound’s paradise, and agates are its most cherished treasures. This field guide spotlights each type of agate and provides you with the information you need for locating and identifying them. The easy-to-use format and full-color photos make this a must-have for rock collectors.

New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice In the bestselling tradition of Erik Larson’s Isaac’s Storm, The Great Quake is a riveting narrative about the biggest earthquake in North American recorded history -- the 1964 Alaska earthquake that demolished the city of Valdez and swept away the island village of Chenega -- and the geologist who hunted for clues to explain how and why it took place. At 5:36 p.m. on March 27, 1964, a magnitude 9.2. earthquake – the second most powerful in world history – struck the young state of Alaska. The violent shaking, followed by massive tsunamis, devastated the southern half of the state and killed more than 130 people. A day later, George Plafker, a geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, arrived to investigate. His fascinating scientific detective work in the months that followed helped confirm the then-controversial theory of plate tectonics. In a compelling tale about the almost unimaginable brute force of nature, New York Times science journalist Henry Fountain combines history and science to bring the quake and its aftermath to life in vivid detail. With deep, on-the-ground reporting from Alaska, often in the company of George Plafker, Fountain shows how the earthquake left its mark on the land and its people -- and on science.

"A guide to how water can prevent and treat disease as well as rejuvenate the body and mind"--Provided by publisher.

The poor quality of water, as well as its restricted supply and availability, is one of the biggest challenges of our time, with presently two-fifth's of the world's population unable to find adequate fresh water for essential usage. Over 40 years' research has been carried out on the positive effects that rhythms and specific water flow has on water's capacity to support life. Energizing Water presents research to the general and professional reader at a time when interest in finding solutions to water's huge worldwide problems is growing rapidly. Three aspects determine water quality: its chemical constituents (including its oxygen levels); its organic aspects (with the danger of contamination by effluent, pathogens and algae); and its 'energetic' nature. The latter facet has been recognized from time immemorial by traditional societies, who have developed their own sciences in relation to water quality, using terms such as prana and chi for energy. Now, through the introduction of quantum physics into the life sciences, modern science is beginning to accept this concept, measuring energy as light emission. Research into energetic water quality - and particularly into the creation of molded surfaces that support biological purification of the chemical and organic elements, as well as enlivening the energetic attributes - goes back to George Adams' and John Wilkes' pioneering work in the 1960's. The invention of Flowform technology in 1970 carried this research further, providing the world with one of the first modern-day, biomimicry eco-technologies. This creative technology applies nature's best methods to produce extraordinary results, and this book outlines the background story on research and application of the Flowform method today.

A layperson's geological road map describing rocks and landforms along South Dakota's highways, as well as the geology lying beneath in caves and mine shafts. Gries (geology, South Dakota School of Mines) keeps it simple but informative, traveling from the glaciated prairies, across the Missouri River, and into the rugged Badlands Wall, the Needles, and the Homestake gold mine in the the West. Stops along the way include geologic tours of the Black Hills, Mount Rushmore, Wind Cave National Park, and Jewel Cave National Monument. Includes maps and photographs. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

"Put your mittens on; you'll freeze to death!" admonish the world's grandmothers as the temperature plummets. No doubt the Arctic explorers--today in their GORE-TEX, historically in their woolens--needed no such instruction. Icy climes bring with them the dangers of frostbite, but also the poetic beauty of glaciers and ice shelves, of ice palaces and aurora borealis. Karal Ann Marling explores these topics and more as she considers the history of "hard, cold water." What better place to start than with dessert? The pleasure of ice cream on a hot day has been known since the sixteenth century, although it wasn't until a few hundred years later that reliable refrigeration made the treat readily available. Marling expands her icy explorations to the realm of fiction--the ice crossing in Uncle Tom's Cabin, the frozen wasteland of Frankenstein--and to the movies and Broadway. Cities vie for tourists by building shimmering ice palaces to celebrate winter; explorers compete to reach the poles, and not all live to tell the story. The study of ice by a true aficionado yields fascinating insights and may just inspire readers to embrace winter-or to make their way to the nearest ice cream shop. Karal Ann Marling is a professor emerita of art history and American studies at the University of Minnesota. She is the author, most recently, of Merry Christmas!: Celebrating America's Greatest Holiday and Illusions of Eden: Visions of the American Heartland.

Revered for their beauty, unique electrical qualities, and metaphysical attributes, crystals have been precious to mankind for centuries. Crystals for Beginners explores the universal allure of crystals and demonstrates how to channel their dynamic energies. Beginning with how crystals were formed in the Earth billions of years ago, this practical guide introduces the history and myth surrounding these powerful minerals. From agates to zoisite, the characteristics of specific crystals are presented, along with advice for collecting, cleansing, and charging them. Readers also learn how to apply crystal energy to meditation, healing, psychic development, magic, divination, astral projection, dream work, and much more.

Reveals the world's absolute dependence on sand as a resource material used in virtually every structure and consumer product, describing how the planet's dwindling sand levels and related human practices are incurring significant environmental consequences.

Tiny pieces of space rock called micrometeorites are everywhere on Earth. In Search of Stardust shows you how to find them! The solar system is a dusty place. Every day approximately 100 metric tons of cosmic dust collides with Earth, mainly in the form of micrometeorites. Most of these mineral particles (iron, nickel, etc.) are smaller than grains of sand, and they are falling down on us all the time and all over the globe. Still, little is known about these exotic extraterrestrials. In Search of Stardust is the first comprehensive popular science book about micrometeorites. It's also a photo documentary comprising more than 1,500 previously unpublished images: the first atlas of micrometeorites, hundreds of which are depicted here in high-resolution color microscopic photography and in scanning electron microscope imagery. Author Jon Larsen shows readers how and where to look for micrometeorites, explains the history of micrometeoritics, and offers chapters about micrometeorite formation, classification, and analysis. Thanks to Larsen's work, for the first time it is now possible for anyone to find these amazing tiny stones from space. For more than a century it was believed these incredible space objects could be found only in pristine, unsullied environs like Antarctica and ocean floors. Larsen became the first to break the code and find micrometeorites in populated areas -- in fact, they can be found in the nearest rain gutter. In the book Larsen explains how anyone with a bit of inexpensive equipment can find their own micrometeorites. It was recently discovered that King Tut's dagger was forged from a chunk of a meteorite. What else is made of extraterrestrial rock? Join the hunt!