I just read this book for the second time. My reasoning for reading this biography the second time was to see how my view and understanding of the book changed as I have grown and developed as an exploration geologist and geochemist. The first time I read this book I was in my third year of University working on my Bachelors.
This book looks at the eccentric and driven Canadian geologist Charles Fipke. Fipke is responsible for the discovery of the diamond fields in the Canadian shield surrounding Lac De Gras. This book follows Fipke through his career as a mineral exploration geologist from the tropical rain forests of Papua New Guinea and Brazil to the frozen tundra of the Northwest Territories.
My first thoughts as I read his adventurous and almost fiction like adventures is that I wanted to live a life very similar to Fipke, following my dreams as a geologist through the bush in forgotten and dangerous corners of the globe. Perhaps what appealed to me the most as I read about Fipke was his ability to think outside the box and to research and apply geologic thought in new ways or places. I feel this aspect of Fipke's character is something that I currently strive to do. I find that I am always thinking of new areas worthy of exploration because they seem to fit other models for mineralization. The only way to do this is to have a firm understanding of ore forming processes and a vast knowledge of global geology at various scales. When you read something about the geologic setting of a large ore deposit your mind begins to crank through many other places that have these characteristics. This is some of the most exciting research. These pursuits are paying off and I am learning the challenging side of developing properties and taking them to market. Additionally I feel that I have come up with new ways of exploring in much more dynamic and inexpensive ways through the use of technology, and I am still honing in the process as I write this. This is similar to Fipke in that he was using new ideas and technology to guide exploration, and it was these ideas that gave him an advantage.
After reading the book a second time now I find that Fipke also paid a dear price to accomplish his goals. It appears that his family was stressed and ultimately his marriage ended in divorce. It is hard to say if this divorce was purely because of his months and years away from home in the field but you can't help but think that was a major contributing factor. I think it is challenging to really excel in any one aspect of your life and not have it affect other facets such as family. It is a fine line between reaching ones potential, and placing all your eggs in one basket, or striving for balance and essentially not fully realizing your potential in any one area of your life (thus being average or achieving mediocrity in many areas of your life). The effects of obsession and greatness can be seen in the personal lives of many people whether it be athletes (in running it is sometimes called the selfish runner syndrome), musicians or geologists. I may never experience the successes Fipke achieved, because ultimately I am not willing to pay the price that is required, that being said, I will definitely try my hardest to achieve greatness and push my potential within the limits that a healthy family life permit. It is quite a paradigm it seems, you can try to reach your potential in one area of your life and "specialize" to becomethe best at that one thing, or you can simply balance out all facets and never reach your full heights in any one area because you are not devoting the time necessary to achieve that greatness.
The book has another interesting side through the description of the geography and the anthropology explored through the eyes of Fipke as he pushed into some of the last corners of the world yet to be modernized. I really liked some of the questions explored as the reality of modernization started to push the borders of the stone aged cultures further and further back. It was nice to realize that not too long ago there were still places without the internet, cell phones or strip malls.
The geology in the book was described on a very basic level and well written in a way that a non-scientist could grasp how these deposits were formed and what exactly was leading Fipke to find these various deposits.
The highlights of the book were the many adventures Fipke experienced such as; helicopter crashes, stone age warriors in Papua New Guinea attacking him in the bush, crossing through Uganda and Zaire during the 70's, tropical diseases and parasites, being charged by grizzlies the list goes on.
Ultimately the book climaxes on his discovery of what would become the Ekati mine, the first economic diamond mine put into production in North America. What an amazing find. I think Fipke is worth some 800 million + dollars because of his perseverance and hard work. He lead a very adventurous life and had many rewards and accomplishments along the way. I know he donates to education like UBC's satellite school in his hometown of Kelowna.
Ultimately the first time I read this book I was ready to dive head first into the Jungle or tundra looking for the next big deposit no matter what the cost was, the second time around, I find I am not willing to do some of things that had to be done to achieve these discoveries. I will have to be happy with the potential I am able to achieve in my career within the limitations I have placed on myself to insure a happy home and a more balanced lifestyle.
This book is well worth the read, it is a modern day Indiana Jones tale. I think all of us can use a little more adventure in our lives and the life of Fipke seeps with adventure and reminds us that we can achieve great things through hard work and determination.
1 comment:
Your comments are so true. It seems like if you want to acheive greatness at something, obviously other parts of your life will suffer. It sounds like a very interesting book that give you perspective in any sort of career you choose, not just geology.
Post a Comment