Tsunami Man: Learning about Killer Waves with Walter Dudley

By Anthony D. Fredericks

"Walt Dudley waited on the roof of the Naniloa Hotel overlooking Hilo Bay. Eyes glued to the water, ears listening for the ring of his cellular phone, he was watching for a monster. It was a monster speeding across the Pacific Ocean at more than 500 miles per hour. It was a monster with the potential for consuming lives and pulverizing buildings. It was a monster of enormous strength, incredible power, and unbelievable destructiveness." Tsunamis--the stuff of legends in both ancient and modern times--are some of the world's most destructive natural disasters. But for Dr. Walter Dudley tsunamis are "not just about devastation and destruction, they are about men, women, and children." Dr. Dudley's work (see Tsunami!, 1998) has expanded our knowledge of these waves and has helped us to better understand and prepare for these unpredictable, yet ever present, dangers. In Tsunami Man young readers are given an inside look at the life of a working scientist who uses his knowledge for the common good and serves as an exciting role model for future scientists. Filled with dramatic photographs and accounts of tsunami survivors, the book also addresses the "how" and "why" of tsunamis, their impact on human lives, and the ways in which information about these "killer waves" is shared throughout the world.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0824824962
• ISBN13: 9780824824969
• Release Date: February 2002
• Publisher: University of Hawaii Press
• Length: 94 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.0" x 0.3" x 6.3"
• Age Range: 9 to 13 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 8

Customer Reviews

Very informative book about tsunami's

I feel very fortunate to have this book in my possession. If you have seen recent news reports and then pick up your book you will see that Walter Dudley and the and author Anthony D. Frederick were right on the money about tsunamis. The information in this book is invaluable. Walter Dudley suggests in the book that anyone living in a coastal area should educate themselves about tsunamis. He also suggests that tourist who visit areas that are prone to tsunami's should have a tsunami plan in place. The book may be short in length, but the information is excellent. The book sheds light on which areas of the world are prone to tsunami's, the causes of tsunamis and accounts of past tsunami's. It is written for younger readers but adults will also find this book informative. The book also includes pictures and diagrams. One picture that sticks out in my head is a picture of a poster in Hawaii where they warn about the warning signs of a tsunami. This book is so wonderful, you will really learn everything you want to know about tsunami's in a short easy to read book.