Megadisasters: The Science of Predicting the Next Catastrophe Book

Not many people, I suppose, would get excited when presented with the title of this book, but I--geology nerd that I am becoming--sought it out quickly. It took some time for the library to get it in, but not nearly as long as the billions of years it takes a sand grain to cycle through its various incarnations....
Welland defines the subject, takes a look at sand as a metaphor in life and literature, and then hits the hard geology: rivers, sandstone, deserts, sea, and up through modern uses of sand. Interesting history (billions of years and last year as well), latest science studies, and a cultural connection keep the rather dry subject matter as interesting as a sand castle.