The Four Classic Elements

by Paul Birkhead  Rowan Public Library

      Do you know what the four classic elements are?  They are Earth, Air, Fire, and Water.  I thought it might be a fun gimmick to mention books available in the library whose subject matter contains at least one of the four elements.
      There are two interesting books in the library’s collection that focus on Earth.  The first is titled, The Great Quake: How the Biggest Earthquake in North America Changed Our Understanding of the Planet.  Henry Fountain, a science writer for the New York Times, researched and wrote this book about the 1964 Alaska earthquake.  The 9.2 magnitude quake was the biggest ever recorded in North America and the second largest the world has ever known.  In the book, survivors’ stories are recounted and scientific evidence is examined to determine the cause of the deadly event.
      The second book about Earth is titled The Ground Beneath Us.  Written by Paul Bogard, this study of the planet’s top layer is fascinating from many points of view.  Students of history will appreciate stories about the Holocaust and American Civil War, while fans of travel will enjoy visits to far and exotic places.  After a lesson about soil, farming and urbanization’s impact on our planet is examined.  From paving to fracking, it is quite sobering to realize the extent of damage that is done to our planet every day.
      Another element, Air, is represented by two other books.  Caesar’s Last Breath by Sam Kean looks at the air that surrounds us every day.  This is a very scientific book that contains enough fun facts to make it interesting.  Death in the Air, written by Kate Winkler Dawson, tells the story of two killers striking London in the winter of 1952.  One, a blanketing smog that caused over 12,000 deaths and the second, a person who murdered at least six women.
      The next element, Fire, was easy to find books about.  Firestorm: How Wildfire Will Shape Our Future, by Edward Struzik, was published last year but is very timely as parts of California are currently ablaze.  Struzik’s research into environmental factors and forestry management practices explain why firestorms have unfortunately become the new normal.
      American Fire: Love, Arson, and Life in a Vanishing Land is a tale of the tragedy that rural Accomack County, Virginia, endured during half a year in the clutches of a serial arsonist.  Monica Hesse, a writer for the Washington Post, lived in the area as she researched the book and the intimate knowledge of the locale shows in her work.
      Water is the fourth classic element.  In Ruthless Tide, writer and TV weatherman, Al Roker, recounts the story of the infamous Johnstown Flood.  On May 31, 1899, a dam fourteen miles upstream from the town of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, burst and decimated the surrounding community.  Millions of dollars in damage, two thousand lives lost, and the first natural disaster relief effort combine to make this a fascinating read.
      The Water Will Come by Jeff Goodel is book about the changing climate and its effect on global sea levels.  While some might not agree with the climate predictions, it’s hard to deny that lump in your throat when you read about what could happen to some of the world’s largest cities. 
      Although some topics might make you uneasy, come into Rowan Public Library and stretch your comfort zone by checking out books featuring the four classic elements.