The Metamorphosis of a Geophysicist: An Autobiography

This is the story of John Herman, a scientist who not only made fundamental contributions in his fields of science, but also led an exciting life, ranging from being chased by a moose in Alaska; surviving a plane wreck in Argentina, and riots in Washington, DC and Lima, Peru; visiting the King of Greece; climbing Longs Peak in Colorado; to tragically losing a son to suicide. John was four when his father was killed and he was raised by his widowed mother in North Carolina and West Virginia. In a random walk pattern he ... Read More

This is the story of John Herman, a scientist who not only made fundamental contributions in his fields of science, but also led an exciting life, ranging from being chased by a moose in Alaska; surviving a plane wreck in Argentina, and riots in Washington, DC and Lima, Peru; visiting the King of Greece; climbing Longs Peak in Colorado; to tragically losing a son to suicide. John was four when his father was killed and he was raised by his widowed mother in North Carolina and West Virginia. In a random walk pattern he gradually became a world-recognized geophysicist. His early work was in nuclear physics, but most of his career was in ionospheric and atmospheric physics. He mapped the global distribution of terrestrial radio noise from space, and increased our understanding of radio noise characteristics. His book on the effects of solar activity on weather and climate raised a storm of controversy and was translated into Russian and Chinese. Read Less