Water, Ice & Stone: Science and Memory on the Antarctic Lakes

I got this for my husband who has a great interest in this subject as a spur of the moment gift. He has thoroughly enjoyed the book and often goes back to reading different parts.

I live just a few miles from Oxford, Ohio and Miami University, where Dr. Green does his work when he's not away from civilization, and have sailed or swam many times at Acton Lake, which he uses in an early chapter to introduce the science of limnology, or the study of lakes.This is a complex and ambitious book, and the result is thoroughly engrossing. It is an introduction to lake science, an adventure tale, and an account of how a scientist plans and executes his work, but these are just at the surface. It is also a personal exploration of the author's own memories and motives. Ultimately, it is a book about what moves mankind to keep learning and exploring, presented using the author as his own example.Wondering about the powerful emotional draw that Antarctica exerts on him, the author is reminded of his boyhood, when Great Lakes winter storms would transform his town's landscape with a featureless cover of snow, allowing him to explore what became, in his imagination, an unexplored land. He describes the beauty that can be found, if one will allow himself, in the terrifying nothingness of the universe, whether it be seen in the vast coldness of space or the inhuman bleakness of an ice-covered continent. Some of his colleagues found Antactica intolerable, probably for the same reasons. He writes..."The ice seemed a reminder of the universe at large, of the universe as accident, as matter blown and strewn and expanding, 'heartless' as Melville had described it, all moon-filled and dry, hung with poisoned worlds, incinerating stars, vacuums of frozen light. Loneliness, the warm sun as memory, as myth, the blankness of white landscape, in which we see no trace of ourselves, no artifact of our genius and cunning...". Reading this, I was taken back to my own boyhood to find my love of exploration awakened as I stood studying the cold and vastly distant stars from by back yard, and felt the fearful thrill of being sucked upward into the eternal void...

This is one of the most exquisite books ever written- do not let the subject matter deter you- I promise you ll be awed!

Water, Ice & Stone is a beautiful mix of real science and thoughtful introspection on life, water, and research. It is well worth reading.

I am a chemist. Few scientists can write well for general readers. Bill Green is an exception. He explains complex concepts clearly for everyone. This book is interesting for all. His writing has been described as poetry by exceptional writers. I look forward to reading his new book, Boltzmann"s Tomb. I hope he continues to write for the general public.Bodie Douglas

This is a truly remarkable book. Green captures the excitement of scientific research in a beautiful, remote and challenging environment, in a way that is accessible to both scientists and non-scientists. He weaves together the scientific story with his own personal and family narrative. He has the mind of a scientist and the heart of a poet. The writing ranks with that of Loren Eiseley, Barry Lopez, and Terry Tempest Williams.Some technical material (periodic table, geologic time line) is included at the back, but (as a scientist) I would like to have seen a more substantial technical appendix, with chemical equations, Eh-pH stability diagrams, some profiles of metal concentrations in the Antarctic lakes, and selected references to the scientific literature (especially the author's own papers).I hope we see more books soon from this brilliant author.

Bill Green offers a perspective on Antarctica that is fascinating mixing his own personal philosophy, thoughts, spirit, and scientific knowledge to share a world few humans will ever witness. If you love nature and the intricacies of how the world evolves on a geophysical scale get this book. If you want an idea of one man's perspective on a snow bound land and how it has made a powerful impact on his life get this book.