Intrepid Explorer
496 pages, 6 1/8 x 9 1/4
175 photographs
Paperback
Release Date:10 Sep 2015
ISBN:9781941451038
Intrepid Explorer
The Autobiography of the World's Best Mine Finder
The University of Arizona Press, Sentinel Peak Books
When seven-year-old Dave Lowell was camped out at his father’s mine in the hills of southern Arizona in 1935, he knew he had found his calling. “Life couldn’t get any better than this,” he recalls. “I didn’t know what science was, but wisps of scientific thought were already working into my plan.” So began the legendary career of the engineer, geologist, explorer, and international businessman whose life is recounted in his own words in this captivating book.
An Arizona native with family roots in territorial times, Lowell grew from modest beginnings on a ranch near Nogales to become a major world figure in the fields of minerals, mining, and economic geology. He has personally discovered more copper than anyone in history and has developed multibillion-dollar gold and copper mines that have changed the economies of nations. And although he has consulted for corporations in the field of mining, he has largely operated as an independent agent and explorer, the architect of his own path and success.
His life’s story unfolds in four stages: his early education in his field, on-the-job learning at sites in the United States and Mexico, development of exploration strategies, and finally, the launch of his own enterprises and companies. Recurring themes in Lowell’s life include the strict personal, ethical, and tactical policies he requires of his colleagues; his devotion to his family; and his distaste for being away from the field in a corporate office, even to this day. The magnitude of Lowell’s overall success is evident in his list of mine discoveries, as well as in his scientific achievements and the enormous respect his friends and colleagues have had for him throughout his lengthy career, which he continues to zealously pursue.
An Arizona native with family roots in territorial times, Lowell grew from modest beginnings on a ranch near Nogales to become a major world figure in the fields of minerals, mining, and economic geology. He has personally discovered more copper than anyone in history and has developed multibillion-dollar gold and copper mines that have changed the economies of nations. And although he has consulted for corporations in the field of mining, he has largely operated as an independent agent and explorer, the architect of his own path and success.
His life’s story unfolds in four stages: his early education in his field, on-the-job learning at sites in the United States and Mexico, development of exploration strategies, and finally, the launch of his own enterprises and companies. Recurring themes in Lowell’s life include the strict personal, ethical, and tactical policies he requires of his colleagues; his devotion to his family; and his distaste for being away from the field in a corporate office, even to this day. The magnitude of Lowell’s overall success is evident in his list of mine discoveries, as well as in his scientific achievements and the enormous respect his friends and colleagues have had for him throughout his lengthy career, which he continues to zealously pursue.
Readers searching for a story of high adventure and a life well-lived will find ample rewards in this self-portrait of a man who did it ‘his way.’’—Journal of Arizona History
‘You will like this book. The plot features a central character with an improbable story of success. The improbable character is David Lowell. He is tireless, fearless. He is a sophisticated scientist and a financial wizard.’—Joaquin Ruiz, Vice President of Innovation and Strategy; Dean, College of Science; Director, Biosphere 2; University of Arizona
‘For most men, his trophy wall and financial comfort might be reasons to relax. . . . But Dave’s head is slightly turned, his eyes on the horizon . . . his energies and enthusiasms will not subside . . . and he still travels to Mexico, Peru, and Chile . . . still plotting, still contemplating, still eager, still reaching out to find the next orebody . . .’—from the foreword by John M. Guilbert, Professor Emeritus of Economic Geology, University of Arizona
Readers searching for a story of high adventure and a life well-lived will find ample rewards in this self-portrait of a man who did it ‘his way.’’—Journal of Arizona History
‘You will like this book. The plot features a central character with an improbable story of success. The improbable character is David Lowell. He is tireless, fearless. He is a sophisticated scientist and a financial wizard.’—Joaquin Ruiz, Vice President of Innovation and Strategy; Dean, College of Science; Director, Biosphere 2; University of Arizona
‘For most men, his trophy wall and financial comfort might be reasons to relax. . . . But Dave’s head is slightly turned, his eyes on the horizon . . . his energies and enthusiasms will not subside . . . and he still travels to Mexico, Peru, and Chile . . . still plotting, still contemplating, still eager, still reaching out to find the next orebody . . .’—from the foreword by John M. Guilbert, Professor Emeritus of Economic Geology, University of Arizona
Readers searching for a story of high adventure and a life well-lived will find ample rewards in this self-portrait of a man who did it ‘his way.’’—Journal of Arizona History
‘You will like this book. The plot features a central character with an improbable story of success. The improbable character is David Lowell. He is tireless, fearless. He is a sophisticated scientist and a financial wizard.’—Joaquin Ruiz, Vice President of Innovation and Strategy; Dean, College of Science; Director, Biosphere 2; University of Arizona
‘For most men, his trophy wall and financial comfort might be reasons to relax. . . . But Dave’s head is slightly turned, his eyes on the horizon . . . his energies and enthusiasms will not subside . . . and he still travels to Mexico, Peru, and Chile . . . still plotting, still contemplating, still eager, still reaching out to find the next orebody . . .’—from the foreword by John M. Guilbert, Professor Emeritus of Economic Geology, University of Arizona
J. David Lowell works full time as the CEO of an active mineral exploration company with offices in Paraguay, Peru, Mexico, Canada, and Arizona. He is the author of more than fifty articles and parts of four books on geology and mining. He and his wife, Edith, live on a cattle ranch near the Mexican border, sixty miles south of Tucson.
Introduction John M. Guilbert
BOOK I, 1935 –1961
BOOK II, 1961 –1972
BOOK III, 1973 –1991
BOOK IV, 1992 –2014
Epilogue
APPENDIXES
J. David Lowell Family Tree
Associations with the University of Arizona
Discoveries
Honors and Awards
J. David Lowell Publications
Acknowledgments
Index
Related Titles
