Barren Lands: An Epic Search for Diamonds in the North American Arctic by Kevin Krajick Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Barren Lands: An Epic Search for Diamonds in the North American Arctic
Book Review: Truth Surpasses Fiction
Summary: 5 Stars
In my work as a lapidarist (rock and gemstone cutter), I have heard many anecdotes and personal accounts regarding discovery of commercially viable gemstone deposits. Some of the tales have been backed up by fact, (certainly a minority), and many many more were either embellishments, or entirely untrue. The astonishing aspect of the Barren Lands is: The tale is all true. And the wealth generated by the discoveries is so enormous that it will be many years before the full magnitude is known. Mr Krajick has written a gripping account of the quest for mineral wealth with the attendant hardships, oddball personalities, and personal trials that make prospecting a dubious career choice for most of us. It is the kind of tale I have dreamt about since I was a small boy. (and I'm still dreaming) Read the book and be carried away!Book Review: All that glitters...
Summary: 5 Stars
...is certainly not always gold...or diamonds for that matter. This book, however shines from cover to cover. There is something for everybody in Mr.Krajick's book Barren Lands. In dealing witht the overall subject of the 400+ year search for diamonds in North America, the author took me through a graphic history of adventure, intrigue and science. Krajick's style of story telling brings the tale of the search for diamonds thru-out the world to life and kept me rivited page after page. After reading of how some folks just stumbled across diamonds in their back yards I will probably always have one eye to the ground from now on.The more recent North America activities of Fipke and Blusson, around whom much of the book revolves, is told in a personal and intimate manner, as only an author with first hand experience and contact could have related. There is also a good dose of the author's wry sense of humor and irony thrown in throughout his book. Please take special note of his tips on how to use a port-o-potty in 40 degree below zero weather on the tundra.
Probably the best book since reading Stephen Ambrose's book about Lewis and Clarke, Undaunted Courage. My only disapointment was reaching the last page.
Book Review: Diamonds, Danger, Desire
Summary: 5 Stars
Did you know that in about half of the states of the US people have found diamonds? Diamonds of more than two carats have been found, for example, in Ohio and Alabama, and finding them is often just child's play. Kids are the ones who pick these gems up, because kids are close to the ground and always looking for treasures. Finding a reliable supply of diamonds is much more difficult; the ones found on the ground are often chance deposits that were dropped when a glacier melted, but the glacier must have carried them from somewhere rich in diamonds. There aren't many such places, and it was a surprise that over the past decade, the Northwest Territories of Canada were deemed to be diamond mining country. The eerie, exciting, and disturbing story of how this came to be is told in _Barren Lands: An Epic Search for Diamonds in the North American Arctic_ (Times Books) by Kevin Krajick. The lure of diamonds has proved inescapable for a certain class of men for centuries, and Krajick's book tells about some of them he met while he did his research. The Barren Lands (yes, that is the designation you will see on maps) is a half million square mile region as far north as Americans can go. There are no roads and no people, and it is called barren because it is above the northern limits which trees can reach, Since diamond exploration has started, however, it could well be populated with workers producing gold, uranium, and other minerals. At the heart of the story of exploration here is Chuck Fipke, a weird little guy who does nothing to improve the image of geologists. When Fipke was in charge of a prospecting expedition, he drove his men ruthlessly, especially his own son with distressing ferocity ("When you're not eating or sleeping, you're working for me."). Fipke was just one of a long line of explorers to the region, and their history is well covered here. The unbelievable hardships of traversing the area, or working in it, are well described in many sections of the book; bears, mosquitoes, and deerflies all supply annoyance or danger. Then there were the people. Fipke could not keep his operation secret for long, and DeBeers and other mining firms shouldered in. Fipke's team painted the plywood cubicles that held the drills with camouflage paint that would prevent detection from the air, and even ordered army-surplus camouflage nets to cover supplies. This was not paranoia; there were commercial spy planes making regular flights to see what was up.
The prospectors faced challenges from the environmentalists, who worried that the caribou, wolves, falcons, wolverines, and bears would get shoved aside by the industrialization of a previously pristine area, and the local tribes worried about water pollution, looting of artifacts left by their ancestors, and "perhaps most of all they worried that they might be left out of the profits." Barren Lands now has a hugely expensive mining factory, and will simply churn out millions of dollars worth of diamonds every year. There is a pressure to build roads and power lines to the site, which will mean more alteration of a basically natural area, but profits like these cannot be resisted. While Fipke and his partners are all now unimaginably rich, they are not unimaginably happy. Fipke alienated many of his crew, and shattered his family during the most intense of the mining preparations. He admits that putting all his energy into his mine had its price. "But that was _cool_! To do all that we did? It was _fun_!" It is not surprising that with this attitude, all the riches and all the family problems haven't made a difference: he is still out there looking for the next strike.
Book Review: This book has it all!
Summary: 4 Stars
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.Book Review: Best book I have read in along time.
Summary: 5 Stars
I am a graduate mining geologest and have worked within the mining industry many years. I found this book so packed full of interesting history of the diamond industry, the exploration and development of diamond mines. Kevin Krajick has a real knack for telling a story and keeping the reader intersested and excited. Once you start this book you will not wont to put it down. It is a must read for all.