No Apparent Danger: The True Story of Volcanic Disaster at Galeras and Nevado Del Ruiz

Rating:
Summary: Great investigative reporting
Review: Victoria Bruce is a fearless academic detective. She also happens to be a pretty good writer. "The True Story of Volcanic Disaster at Galeras and Nevado Del Ruiz" is a gripping tale of human error and vanity. Bruce reports how Colombians relied heavily on American and European volcanologists for guidance and funding.

The book is two parts. The destruction of Armero and its 23,000 residents by Nevado del Ruiz is one of the world's worst disasters. However, the tale of what took place at Galeras is far more interesting. It uncovers fraud. It shows that Stanley Williams promoted his career at the expense of others and proves that his scientific arrogance led to the unnecessary loss of life at Galeras.

In addition, Victoria Bruce masterfully conquers two major obstacles in this book. First, she explains the complexities of geology in a simplistic fashion and secondly she properly describes the violence inside Colombia with intellectual honesty.