Book excerpt: This book is the first of a series that is itself the first serious scientific and open minded treatment of Plato's Atlantis legend to have been written by a qualified geologist in the last one hundred years, at least. Contrary to most geologists, the author treats the legend in a balanced way, without preconceptions or the dismissals that so typify the usual academic attitude to the question. In parallel with this treatment of Atlantis, the author takes a critical approach to the orthodox science of geology, and its theories. There is a simple either/or question here; if geology has everything right, then Atlantis is a myth. If, on the other hand, the Atlantis legend can be shown to have some validity, then the science of modern geology could be potentially false, and the science of geology will be investigated throughout this series. Therefore, this book series endeavors to redress the imbalance in the way these two subjects have been officially treated. A thorough study of the Atlantis question should determine its reliability, while a critical analysis of the science of geology should do the same for the so-called story of our planet. This first volume focuses on the Atlantis legend itself, and analyzes it from a mythological point of view, including classical and modern scholarly opinion, language, structure, and what is known about Plato. Most importantly, the legend will be analyzed from a geological point of view and other myths about floods and catastrophes will also be investigated. Catastrophe and flood legends are prevalent the world over, but in this study, certain legends from the Pacific Northwest of the United States were discussed by academic geology in connection with the new discipline of geo-mythology. This volume takes a serious look at these legends and the orthodox treatment of them. The conclusions reached in this volume are that the Atlantis legend cannot easily be dismissed, and would appear to be based on real events in the distant past.