A Field Manual for the Amateur Geologist: Tools and Activities for Exploring Our Planet
by Alan M. Cvancara
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Book Summary Information
Author: Alan M. CvancaraEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 1995-03-20
ISBN: 047104430X
Number of pages: 352
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Publisher: Jossey-Bass
Book Reviews of A Field Manual for the Amateur Geologist: Tools and Activities for Exploring Our Planet
Book Review: Great book for the novice geologist
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm definitely no expert in geology, but I've always wanted to learn the basic concepts and understand the terminology. I found this book to be an excellent introductory book. It is much more than a grade-school primer, but not as deep as a college textbook. In short, it's ideal for the interested amateur who want to understand the subject without having their eyes glaze over. It is well organized, starting by describing the different types of landforms, then on to historical geology, minerals, rocks, and fossils, and finally a practical section on how to do geology as an amateur. I learned such things as the difference between basalt and gabbro, how to measure strike and dip, and what an anticline is. This is probably not a book that you would sit down and read start to finish, but it is written in easy-to-understand text. (Compare that to something like John McPhee's Annals of the Former World, a book guaranteed to mystify anyone who doesn't have a Ph.D. in geology.) I agree that the photos of rocks and minerals need work, but part of the problem is that in my copy, they are printed too dark. Color might help, but the colors in the field never seem to match those in a photo, so what you really need are samples you can touch and feel. The only real complaint I have is that the layout of the book is atrocious. The choice of font and line spacing makes it appear to have been done by an amateur desktop publisher. I would have expected better from a quality publisher like John Wiley.
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