University presses have a much greater impact than many realize—sometimes even their own institutions. It may be surprising, but along with books written for young people, even our more academic titles can benefit children. Our authors often spend decades researching a topic, including hours upon hours deciphering old original documents, sometimes in uncomfortable places. Their passion transforms the inaccessible into the accessible, and feeds into an astonishing array of books and programs.

A stellar example of this kind of expansive outreach is In the Path of Destruction: Eyewitness Chronicles of Mount St. Helens by Richard Waitt. Part of a U.S. Geological Survey team conducting volcano research in the Cascades, Waitt was one of the first to arrive following the mountain’s early rumblings. His journey collecting eyewitness accounts began with a conversation in a bar the third week after Mount St. Helens erupted. The couple he met barely outraced a searing ash cloud, and Waitt realized their experiences could inform geologic studies. He eventually completed hundreds of interviews—many could not be conducted today. He also tapped legal depositions, personal diaries, geologists’ field notes, and more to present a detailed and accurate chronicle of events.

Enthusiastically endorsed by numerous publications including Scientific American, American Scientist, and the Bulletin of Volcanology, Waitt’s book became the basis of a Scientific American blog series. He introduced an episode of the Smithsonian Channel’s Make It Out Alive program inspired by his book. New York Times bestselling children’s author Lauren Tarshis relied on it to write book #14 in her I Survived series for elementary school students, and also created a related Storyworks nonfiction feature. And it guided several other authors writing their own books on the eruption.

“Part scientific treatise, part eyewitness chronicles, and all engrossing, this is one of the most valuable books ever written about a volcanic eruption.”—Scientific American

“An invaluable and sobering read.”—American Scientist

“This book constitutes a fantastic treasure of information on one single eruption, unprecedented in volcanological literature. The plethora of directly witnessed details presented in its pages will serve as an information source for many years ahead for anyone interested in understanding the processes affecting the natural and human environment within the influence area of a volcanic eruption…I warmly recommend this outstanding, unique book.”—Bulletin of Volcanology