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jilly7922's review against another edition
4.0
This book is about possibly the largest earthquake ever to hit Alaska in 1964. It is about the earthquake itself, the damage, and the recovery from the storm. But it is more than just the earthquake, it is about how that particular earthquake confirmed the plate-tectonics theory. It centers around one geologist George Plafker and his commitment to finding out how this earthquake happened. In doing this he was able to confirm the plate-tectonics theory of earthquakes.
Overall I rated this book four stars out of five. This book was well written and well researched. It was interesting and very detailed though it did drag on a little bit at some points in the book. But overall it kept my interest and focus. It was well organized and well thought out. I really enjoyed reading this book and highly recommend it.
I would like to thank Netgalley, Henry Fountain, and Crown Publishing Group for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
For more book reviews come and read my book blog at: http://turnthepagereviewsbyjill.blogspot.com
Overall I rated this book four stars out of five. This book was well written and well researched. It was interesting and very detailed though it did drag on a little bit at some points in the book. But overall it kept my interest and focus. It was well organized and well thought out. I really enjoyed reading this book and highly recommend it.
I would like to thank Netgalley, Henry Fountain, and Crown Publishing Group for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
For more book reviews come and read my book blog at: http://turnthepagereviewsbyjill.blogspot.com
erincataldi's review against another edition
3.0
I love non-fiction and The Great Quake did an excellent job discussing the Good Friday Earthquake that hit Alaska in 1964 and going in depth about what was known about earthquakes and geology at the time. Henry Fountain includes lots of photos and personal testimonies to show just how devastating this quake was and how it changed our understanding of the world. The theory of plate tectonics (a term not even coined yet) was still hotly debated and scientists understanding and research of earthquakes was rudimentary at best. The great quake helped prove the plate tectonics theory, a concept I thought had been around for much longer than it really was. A deeply interesting read although sometimes it did get a little too bogged down in scientific details.
tarencil's review against another edition
4.0
The best kind of popular science book, adding a character study (severs, really) to a complete accounting of the before, during, and after of a very significant geological event.
ilovestory's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting and well-written book on an earthquake I'd never heard of, but was one of the largest known earthquakes in the world ... Alaska 1964, which introduces you to folks most impacted by the earthquake as well as a man whose study of it lead to important findings regarding plate tectonics.
chloj_805's review against another edition
4.0
I don't know why I find natural disasters and the gentle unspooling of their science so calming, but you have to take whatever comforts are on offer in this weird life.
krislea's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this technical and informative story of the great Alaskan earthquake: what happened geologically, what happened to the victims, who researched the aftermath, the state of the field before the quake. It is well-written and descriptive, successfully illustrating the magnitude of this thing and explaining the impact it made on our understanding of earthquakes.
mscalls's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail