1. The mineral world; 2. Crystal realms; 3. Mineral chemistry; 4. Rocks; 5. Soils, dusts, and muds; 6. Ores and ore minerals; 7. Building materials; 8. Rocks and minerals in diverse environments; Appendices; Index.
An intriguing introduction to mineralogy and to related specialities such as petrology.
"An exceptional book...A concise, well-written, beautifully
illustrated, and stimulating introduction to mineralogy, petrology,
and the human use of minerals, it will make equally pleasurable
reading for general undergraduates, introductory geology students,
and geologists." Choice
"Dietrich and Skinner have teamed together once again to produce a
fascinating book on the importance of minerals to our everyday
lives...Because this book is a gem of unconventional wisdom about
the earth and what it is made of, it would be an excellent gift to
your neighbor or naive congressman or the anchor person on your
favorite evening newscast. The book could be utilized as secondary
reading in introductory earth science courses but covers too much
ground to be useful as an undergraduate textbook. I enjoyed reading
it and would recommend it to all earth scientists who have an
interest in communicating what they do to the public and why it is
important." Economic Geology
"The book is enthusiastic and will interest rock and mineral
collectors and those of the general public inclined toward natural
history." Canadian Mineralogist
"The approach in each chapter is straightforward and certainly
achieves the above-stated objective of being both nontechnical and
entertaining. Almost no scientific background is assumed; for
example, chemical symbols are introduced and explained. A great
strength of the book is that quite complex ideas, such as those
concerned with chemical bonding or with the chemical formulae of
complex minerals, are explained simply and lucidly without
significant sacrifice of scientific accuracy. Often the historical
development of a field is outlined in a way that helps in
understanding, and good use is made of clear diagrams and tables,
and of a set of 51 high-quality colour plates bound in as the
centre pages of the volume. The high quality of writing provided by
these two very experienced authors is, therefore, matched by a high
quality of production." David J. Vaughan, source???
"...should accomplish its purpose: to appeal to people interested
in natural history and curious about rocks and minerals." R.L.
Langenheim, Jr., Journal of Geological Education
"...the authors have succeeded in producing a diverse introduction
to mineralogy and some related subjects that may be of interest to
the amateur or professional geologist for its historical and
nomenclatural anecdotes." Journal of Sedimentary Petrology
|
Ask a Question About this Product More... |
|
