The most innovative figure in marine geology has shared a lifetime of self-growth and challenging adventures in the danger zones between science and politics. --Marlan W. Downey, Bartell Professor of Geoscience, University of Oklahoma, and former president of Arco International
Written in a frank, sometimes earthy style, Bootstrap Geologist leads the reader through life in the Persian Gulf, diving in the Gulf of Mexico, and the bureaucratic constraints of big oil. I couldnt stop reading! --Bruce Purser, emeritus professor, University of Paris
Demonstrates how one can achieve professional success by combining a strong work ethic with high intellect and a willingness to learn from mentors and peers. Shinns spirited outlook is infectious, and his problem-solving talents have produced a remarkable set of significant discoveries. --Anthony F. Randazzo, coeditor of The Geology of Florida
Known worldwide among geologists, marine scientists, and petroleum engineers, Gene Shinn sometimes seems a product of another century.
Born in the Florida Keys, he attended the University of Miami on a music scholarship, where he earned a bachelors degree in biology. A U.S. national champion spearfisher, he worked as a salvage diver, becoming an expert in the use of dynamite underwater. A self-tutored field geologist for nearly 50 years, he made major geological findings that have significantly changed professional and academic knowledge of undersea oil reserves. Shinn helped invent technology for underwater core drilling, and more recently, he has studied the effects of transoceanic African dust on coral reefs, agriculture, and human health. Hes even the basis for a character in a mystery novel.
In Bootstrap Geologist Shinn enthusiastically shares the highs and lows of his remarkable life. Taking readers around the globe as well as below the ocean, he recounts the painstaking process of data gathering that can lead to palƒ&