Ms. Adventure: My Wild Explorations in Science, Lava, and Life

"Jess Phoenix's work encompasses science and representation in such a delightful melding that it could only come from as spry and playful a soul as hers! Open this book and jump into the volcano!" —Patton Oswalt

Volcanologist and natural hazards expert Jess Phoenix has dedicated her life to scientific exploration. Her career path—hard earned in the still male-dominated world of science—has shoved her headlong into deep-sea submersibles, congressional races, glittering cocktail parties at Manhattan’s elite Explorers Club, and numerous pairs of Caterpillar work boots. It has also inspired her to devote her life to making science more inclusive and accessible.
 
Ms. Adventure follows Jess’s travels and escapades through jungles, glaciers, undersea lava flows, and the summit of the world’s largest volcano. We’re with her as she gathers flowing lava by hand in Hawai’i, tangles with horse thieves in Peru, confronts Mexican drug cartel members over a favorite rock hammer, and camps on an active volcano in Ecuador. This riveting, rollicking journey across oceans and continents is a blend of personal memoir, daring adventure, and scientific exploration. It is a testament to Phoenix’s belief that curiosity is everyone’s birthright, and that with tenacity and intrepidness, we can all be explorers of the natural world.



 

Jess Phoenix is the executive director and co-founder of the environmental scientific research organization Blueprint Earth. For over 12 years, she has been a volcanologist, an extreme explorer, and a professional field scientist. She ran for United States Congress in California to unseat a climate science-denying incumbent, running a true grassroots campaign with positions based in evidence and fact. She is a Fellow in the Explorers Club and Royal Geographical Society, a featured scientist on the Discovery and Science Channels, and an invited TEDx speaker.