The Restless Northwest: A Geological Story

Rating:
Summary: Geology of the Northwest for all readers
Review: "The Restless Northwest" by Hill Williams is a well written commentary on those fundemental processes responsible for shaping our Pacific Northwest. Hill's straight-forward style of presenting technical subjects makes the book an excellent source of geologic information, particularly for the casual reader. His depth of understanding of complex processes and ability to explain them in a manner comprehensible to most readers is commendable. With numerous simple diagrams together with easily understood discussions, he has clearly explained such technical processes as plate tectonics, geologic terranes, the great floods from ancient Lake missoula and many others. Willams has a knack for accurately converting complex sientific data to a form well understood by the general public. I have read a number of books that attempt this challenge and in my opinion "The Restless Northwest, a geologic story" is one of the best of its kind.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Simplicity
Review: "The Restless Northwest" by Hill Williams is a well written commentary on those fundemental processes responsible for shaping our Pacific Northwest. Hill's straight-forward style of presenting technical subjects makes the book an excellent source of geologic information, particularly for the casual reader. His depth of understanding of complex processes and ability to explain them in a manner comprehensible to most readers is commendable. With numerous simple diagrams together with easily understood discussions, he has clearly explained such technical processes as plate tectonics, geologic terranes, the great floods from ancient Lake missoula and many others. Willams has a knack for accurately converting complex sientific data to a form well understood by the general public. I have read a number of books that attempt this challenge and in my opinion "The Restless Northwest, a geologic story" is one of the best of its kind.

Rating:
Summary: Geology of the Northwest for all readers
Review: "The Restless Northwest" by Hill Williams is a well written commentary on those fundemental processes responsible for shaping our Pacific Northwest. Hill's straight-forward style of presenting technical subjects makes the book an excellent source of geologic information, particularly for the casual reader. His depth of understanding of complex processes and ability to explain them in a manner comprehensible to most readers is commendable. With numerous simple diagrams together with easily understood discussions, he has clearly explained such technical processes as plate tectonics, geologic terranes, the great floods from ancient Lake missoula and many others. Willams has a knack for accurately converting complex sientific data to a form well understood by the general public. I have read a number of books that attempt this challenge and in my opinion "The Restless Northwest, a geologic story" is one of the best of its kind.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Simplicity
Review: It isn't often one finds a simply written, slender volume
that covers this much ground (sorry). Williams uses analogy
and simple illustrations to present a smack-up-to-date
understanding of Pacific Northwest Geology. Best of all,
he does it in a way that draws the reader into the
scientific process -- the geologists in the submarines
exploring ocean vents and fairylike mineral castles,
or scrambling through brush looking for places where
the pattern of rocks changes dramatically very quickly,
or frustrated in their efforts to gain access to layers
deeply embedded in the earth that might help answer their questions.

From beaches in West Seattle, to tree rings underwater
in Lake Washington, Williams tells great stories of
the puzzles presented in the earth around us, and the
people who figure them out.

Rating:
Summary: Restless Northwest
Review: Retired Seattle Times Science Writer Hill Williams has hit a home run with this book. His easy-to-read style takes the reader by the hand and leads him through the thousands of years of geologic upheaval that formed the breathtaking scenery in present day Washington, Idaho and Oregon.

Williams is intimately familiar with his subject matter, writing and researching the Northwest for nearly 40 years with the Times, and he passes this on the knowledge to the reader in a way that is easy to understand.

This is not a book for professional geologists, full of technical jargon. This book is written for anyone who has ever looked at Steamboat Rock, the rolling Palouse, the Columbia Gorge or the remains of Mt. St. Helens and said "Wow. I wonder how...."

As a lifelong resident of Washington, I have always known how incredibly special and beautiful this area was. Until I read Williams' book, however, I had no idea how this beauty was created. Page by page, it was revealed to me with easy to grasp explanations and illustrations. I would recommend this book very highly to all who consider themselves curious.