Antarctica is a meteorite-hunter's dream: its cold, dry climate preserves the space rocks, which are swept along in glacial flows and then accumulate in becalmed areas of the ice cap. In this enthusiastic but arcane treatise, geologist and planetary scientist Cassidy, leader of many polar meteorite-hunting expeditions, has much to say about this intriguing feature of the world's most desolate continent. Meteorites contain vital evidence about the geology and history of their original celestial bodies; from the clues they provide, Cassidy deduces the composition of the primordial nebula from which the solar system condensed, reconstructs the cataclysmic meteoroid bombardment that shaped the early moon and assesses the possibility of ancient life on Mars. Meteorites do have a tale to tell; unfortunately, it's told here through an avalanche of technical information, with plenty of tables, graphs, statistical analyses and lengthy taxonomies of mineralogical types. Cassidy tries to liven things up with first-hand reminiscences, but anecdotes about logistics and weather on Antarctic expeditions, polite appreciations of departed colleagues and accounts of his bureaucratic wrangles with funding agencies and rival scientists eager to get a piece of the space rocks do not add up to a gripping narrative. Cassidy explains the science clearly, but only die-hard rock hounds will have the patience to wade through what amounts to an undergraduate text in planetary geology. B&w photos. (June) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

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