When he was seven years old, a major earthquake killed Lewis Crane's parents. As an adult, Crane has dedicated his life to protecting humanity from a similar tragedy. He's a Nobel-winning earthquake scientist, and the founder of the Foundation—an organization that has perfected equipment sensitive enough to predict an earthquake strike down to the minute.With unrelenting dedication to his cause, Crane's organization explores the idea of fusing the Earth's tectonic plates together—stopping all earthquakes forever by halting tectonic activity. But what effect will this have on the earth—and can it stop another major earthquake due in the United States?In this book, Arthur C. Clarke applies an imagination big enough for deep space to the inner workings of our planet. It's a fascinating exploration of the possible future of earthquake prediction technology—and a compelling read for science fiction fans.