Rating: 
Summary: Great Read! Finally Someone has done justice to the subject
Review: Mr. Krajick has brought to life one of the most amazing geological finds of this century.
Large, untapped diamond deposits in Arctic Canada. Deposits, some say, that rival the DeBeers mines in South Africa.
Barren Lands follows the footsteps of the modern day prospector, legends like Fipke and Walter Nassichuk.
The intrigue that surrounds one of the least known sectors of the geological world prove that the prospector of today must also inventory cunning and sharp wit amongst the tools of his trade.
It is not enough to find a treasure, but how to hold onto your claim.
An exciting and enjoyable reading experience, a book to savor in the evening.
I too am not a neophyte to geology nor the diamond industry.
I have studied Geology(structural geology)under some the greatest minds in the field and have had close associations with diamond dealers in NY city during my early career as a jeweler.
I thank my wife for purchasing this book as an early Birthday present.
And remember...Nothing like a trim girdle and flawless table.
(little diamond humor)
Rating: 
Summary: Revised review
Review: On October 17,2001, I submitted a harsh and critical review of Barren Lands, by Kevin Krajick, which is still being presented by Amazon.com. After discussions with the author and others, I regret the too negative tone of my review and now wish to modify my comments to reflect my much more favorable opinion of the work and its intregrity. I hope that visitors to this web site will discount my earlier comments. Sincerely, John S. White
Rating:
Summary: This book has it all!
Review: Wow what a great story. Krajick manages to somehow intricately weave the history, science, and business of modern prospecting in a very fluid manner. How he kept it all together is really outstanding. I would recommend this book to anyone with even a passing interest in Geology or the arctic. He begins with a fascinating history of exploration in North America, of Diamonds in particular. (His account of Samuel Hearne's journey across the barrens was alone worth the price of the book). He lays out a story of a few average but interesting men and their unrelenting search a North American diamond source. For a science journalist he was very adept at letting the reader get to know all the characters in this story, some of them very flawed individuals. But somehow I was rooting for them and kept turning pages to see if they would succeed. It's as much story about human nature than anything else.
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