{"product_id":"2940169093322","title":"The Great Quake: How the Biggest Earthquake in North America Changed Our Understanding of the Planet","description":"\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn the bestselling tradition of Erik Larson's \u003ci\u003eIsaac's Storm\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Great Quake \u003c\/i\u003eis a riveting narrative about the biggest earthquake in North American recorded history -- the 1964 Alaska earthquake that demolished the city of Valdez and swept away the island village of Chenega -- and the geologist who hunted for clues to explain how and why it took place. \u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAt 5:36 p.m. on March 27, 1964, a magnitude 9.2. earthquake amp;ndash; the second most powerful in world history amp;ndash; struck the young state of Alaska. The violent shaking, followed by massive tsunamis, devastated the southern half of the state and killed more than 130 people.  A day later, George Plafker, a geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, arrived to investigate.  His fascinating scientific detective work in the months that followed helped confirm the then-controversial theory of plate tectonics.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn a compelling tale about the almost unimaginable brute force of nature, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e science journalist Henry Fountain combines history and science to bring the quake and its aftermath to life in vivid detail. With deep, on-the-ground reporting from Alaska, often in the company of George Plafker, Fountain shows how the earthquake left its mark on the land and its people -- and on science.","brand":"Penguin Random House","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47178745708784,"sku":"2940169093322","price":20.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940169093322_p0.jpg?v=1763760806","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940169093322","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}