cover image Fire Under the Sea: The Discovery of the Most Extraordinary Environment on Earth--Volcanic Hot Springs on the Ocean Floor

Fire Under the Sea: The Discovery of the Most Extraordinary Environment on Earth--Volcanic Hot Springs on the Ocean Floor

Joseph Cone. William Morrow & Company, $25 (285pp) ISBN 978-0-688-09834-6

Cone, who teaches science writing at Oregon State University, here offers a rare look at scientific discovery in progress. His smooth, evenhanded reporting compresses some 30 years of spectacular efforts from scientists working with ingenious machines-- and offers a ``new paradigm'' for earth sciences. The discovery of superheated seawater vents along ocean floor faultlines has not yet yielded ``the origins of life,'' but Cone provides jolts of sheer wonder and a successful model of science at work on a true frontier. Illustrations not seen by PW. (Aug.)