A Passion For Gold: An Autobiography (Hardcover)

by Ralph J. Roberts (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Ralph Roberts's is not a household name in Nevada, but it should be-it was he who discovered the Carlin Belt gold deposits that created a major mining boom in the state in the last four decades of the twentieth century. But this discovery was only one episode of his remarkably eventful life. A Passion for Gold is Roberts's account of that life, a story as colorful and adventurous as that of any fictional hero.

Roberts's engagingly told autobiography traces his life from its beginnings in eastern Washington State to his fame as a world-renowned geologist, skillfully alternating personal experiences with the development of his understanding of the structure of Nevada's geology and the forces that shaped it. His fascination with ore-bearing minerals led to a long and productive career with the U.S. Geologic Survey, which took him to extended postings in Central America and later to Saudi Arabia, where he was instrumental in the redevelopment of the ancient gold mines at Mahd adh Dhahab, possibly the site of the biblical Ophir. But he returned again and again to Nevada, intrigued by its geological complexity and the precious minerals that lay hidden beneath its convoluted surfaces, and was involved in the development of a number of the state's most significant gold-mining areas.

Roberts's account conveys his abiding enthusiasm for the processes of geology, and his captivating text allows his reader to share and understand that enthusiasm. His story is that of a geologist of unusual astuteness, a man whose professional successes were only part of a life marked by devotion to family and an unremitting curiosity about the world and people around him.

About the Author
After forty-four years with the U.S. Geological Survey, Ralph J. Roberts retired in 1981 and formed a partnership providing consultation for the exploration of gold deposits. He is the recipient of numerous professional awards including the Distinguished Service Award from the U.S. Department of the Interior; the Man of the Year Award from the Nevada Mining Association; and the Medal of Merit from the American Mining Hall of Fame.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: University of Nevada Press (July 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 087417502X
• ISBN-13: 978-0874175028
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,643,674 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is gold for those with any passions., November 4, 2002

By	Dr. Kenneth Brewer (Gig Harbor, WA United States) - See all my reviews

Excellent read with good intermix of personal and professional history. It is inspiring to read as well as educational. Thank you Dr. Roberts.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thrusting Often Occurs During Orogeny, August 9, 2002

By	Bruce Crocker "agnostictrickster" (Whittier, California United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Ralph J. Roberts has found that a devotion to family and geology can lead to a life well lived and he relates the story of his life well in A Passion For Gold. Roberts spent 44 years with the United States Geological Survey and after retiring, became a private consultant. His most important discovery was the Carlin-type gold deposit. The reader with a non-geologic background will want access to a copy of the Glossary of Geology to help with the few technical sections included in the book [there is a glossary at the back of the book, but it is not thorough enough]. There are a few awkward sentences and some extraneous commas [I think, being the extra comma and awkward sentece king myself], but this is a suprisingly comfortable read considering that most of Mr. Roberts' earlier writings were technical papers. I trained as a mining/exploration geologist and so it was easy for me to relate to this autobiography, but non-geologists should find much of interest in Ralph Roberts' life story. It was on top of one of the mines near Battle Mountain, Nevada that Mr. Roberts writes about that I found myself deciding to abandon my masters thesis in geochemistry and to devote my life to the education of America's younger citizens [I teach earth science at the high school level]. I knew I couldn't help folks did big holes in the ground just for a little gold. I enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone with an interest in geology, but I can't give A Passion For Gold a full five stars because I think the technical sections could have been handled in a way that would have made this book a little more accessible to a wider audience.

5.0 out of 5 stars A Passion for Gold is golden, January 1, 2006

By	Aurum Rabosa (The Great Basin) - See all my reviews

While doing due diligence on The Cortez Trend in Nevada I came across this wonderful autobiography of the geologist that reinterpreted earlier work in the Nevada basin and range and discovered the Carlin Trend gold belt, also the Battle Mountain Trend and the Cortez Trend. Nevada had been scoured by prospectors since the gold rush of 1849 and the Comstock Lode silver discovery. Virtually all surface deposits had been found and exploited. The Carlin Trend is micro-gold which does not show up when panning, it must be assayed. With the advent of heap leaching Nevada has produced in excess of 600 million ounces of gold and this will continue for quite some time with the prospective development of The Cortez Trend. Dr Roberts tells of his work in the USGS in Central America during WWII, Nevada, Utah and Saudi Arabia. He gives us his reasons for believing the Ophir mine that produced the gold of King Solomon is in Saudi Arabia. It was very interesting to read about the life of a field geologist.