Rating: 
Summary: Read both accounts
Review: This book, along with Williams own account of the disaster at Galeras are a must read for anyone interested in Earth science or psychology. Bruce paints Williams as a rogue volcanologist with a cavalier attitude about the dangers of working inside an active volcano. The simple fact is that Williams apparently did have some warning that Galeras was not 'sleeping' the day he led the conference into the crater and he did not insist on safety precautions. As leader of the expedition, Williams could easily have demanded that everyone wear safety gear or they would not be allowed inside. Apparently, Williams thinks anyone who is interested in safety is somewhat of a wimp. While hard hats, gas masks and flame retardent suits would not have saved everyone, no doubt a few of the nine might have also lived. The post-disaster story is almost as intriguing as the events leading to the disaster as Bruce paints Williams as a glory seeker 'cashing in' on his compatriots ill-fortune. That is perhaps over-emphasized. Williams himself suffered a serious head injury that apparently left him with some behavioral problems. Nevertheless, he was made aware of how he was portraying the incident and has done little to correct those errors of fact. I highly reccomend you read both accounts. Williams ego comes through strongly in his biography and lends support to Bruce's account as well.
Rating:
Summary: Read both accounts
Review: This book, along with Williams own account of the disaster at Galeras are a must read for anyone interested in Earth science or psychology. Bruce paints Williams as a rogue volcanologist with a cavalier attitude about the dangers of working inside an active volcano. The simple fact is that Williams apparently did have some warning that Galeras was not 'sleeping' the day he led the conference into the crater and he did not insist on safety precautions. As leader of the expedition, Williams could easily have demanded that everyone wear safety gear or they would not be allowed inside. Apparently, Williams thinks anyone who is interested in safety is somewhat of a wimp. While hard hats, gas masks and flame retardent suits would not have saved everyone, no doubt a few of the nine might have also lived. The post-disaster story is almost as intriguing as the events leading to the disaster as Bruce paints Williams as a glory seeker 'cashing in' on his compatriots ill-fortune. That is perhaps over-emphasized. Williams himself suffered a serious head injury that apparently left him with some behavioral problems. Nevertheless, he was made aware of how he was portraying the incident and has done little to correct those errors of fact. I highly reccomend you read both accounts. Williams ego comes through strongly in his biography and lends support to Bruce's account as well.
Rating:
Summary: fantastic read-impossible to put down
Review: This is a true-life account of heroes and villains and science. It is easy to read and completely gripping. The controversy that this book is touted for is the least interesting part, but it does show that scientists definitely need to be held accountable for their actions. The first half of the book about Nevado del Ruiz is so amazing and tragic; I was dumbfounded that so many factors caused 23 thousand to die unnecessarily. Bravo to Bruce for bringing this story of Galeras (one that obviously would have been buried) to the general public.
Rating: 
Summary: tabloid journalism
Review: This reminded me of something I might read at the grocery store. Great for people who know nothing about science and very persuasive. The scientists are portrayed as pawns to other scientists, politics or their own egos. The imprecise nature of volcanology is glossed over too easily. Read SURVIVING GALERAS instead.
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.
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.
Rating: 
Summary: No Apparent Scruples
Review: Victoria Bruce's "No Apparent Danger" tells the story of two volcanic eruptions in Colombia--at Nevado del Ruiz in 1985, which killed over 23,000 sleeping townspeople, and at Galeras in 1993, which blew up half a dozen scientists and three tourists--using a simplistic perspective that casts every participant as either a hero or a villain. The book is being heavily marketed as an exposé, supposedly revealing the nefarious intentions and irresponsible actions of Professor Stanley Williams, a noted volcanologist who studied the Ruiz eruption and led the ill-fated scientific expedition into the crater of Galeras, in which he was nearly killed. Williams' own account, "Surviving Galeras", written with Fen Montaigne, has also just been released. It relates similar events as the second half of Bruce's book, but has an authenticity that "No Apparent Danger" fails to achieve. Bruce's writing turns complex individuals into cartoon characters--either noble or evil. Curiously, many of the main protagonists are not quoted directly, and several have now claimed (in the March 28, 2001 issue of the Chronicle of Higher Education) that their comments were taken out of context or fabricated. Williams and his students have worked on dozens of erupting volcanoes around the globe for over two decades. Although his aggressive research style has been controversial, the primary motivation of his work has always been to uncover the clues that could provide early warnings to potential eruption victims. In contrast, Bruce, who has practically no volcanologic experience, appears to be totally driven by professional ambition. Her zeal leads to a relentless attack on all aspects of Williams' character. Even his professional critics will have a hard time recognizing the scoundrel that Bruce has created. Discriminating prospective readers interested in a more textured account of how scientists and volcanoes collide would do better to buy Williams' and Montaigne's "Surviving Galeras", or Dick Thompson's "Volcano Cowboys"; those looking for good volcano fiction should try "The Volcano Lover" by Susan Sontag rather than "No Apparent Danger".
Rating:
Summary: The most truthful book on the subject.
Review: Victoria Bruce's book is a must read for all people interested in exciting stories of TRUE science. It has often been said that truth is stranger than fiction, and Bruce's account of the tragedies at volcanoes Ruiz and Galeras in Colombia adds creedance to that aphorism. In 'No Apparent Danger' you find the age-old story of the battle of the forces of truth, integrity and heroism against the forces of self-interest. This book itself is part of that battle, and Ms. Bruce must be commended for her courage in bringing the truth of this story to light. As you can already see from a few of the other reviews her book will be attacked by those who do not like to be exposed so nakedly. I was a participant in the conference in Pasto when the tragic eruption at Galeras occurred and can say that Ms. Bruce's account of the events are exactly as I remember them. She has done her research very well, and has presented the events accurately. We should all be grateful that her balanced account has become part of the historical record. I am also pleased with her representation of the young Colombian geologists and seismologists who are the true heroes in this story. If you honor truth and integrity, and like an exciting true story of modern science, then Victoria Bruce's book is the one to purchase.
Rating:
Summary: A terrific story--very compelling
Review: What a gripping book! It reads at times like an nonfiction thriller. Especially the early section about the eruption and the mudslide and the aftermath of that--it's really incredible. Frankly I was surprised by the fluidity of the story, because all the reviews have focussed on the controversy betw. this and another book. These are brave and interesting characters who display the expected range of humanity--some heroism, some recklessness, some genuinely bizarre twists of fate. When I hear "controversy" I think "boring"--but this is a fantastic read. Highly recommended.
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