Earth Materials

The geologists who wrote this textbook, including Perkins (Univ. of North Dakota) and three coauthors, have adopted a broader focus on earth materials than is usual in geology texts, where emphasis is frequently limited to inorganic material. Beyond the expected chapters on rock classification and crystallography, these authors also highlight the various systems that affect earth materials, such as tectonics, hydrology, and erosion, including the results of weathering. Readers will even find chapters on human-influenced geology, as demonstrated in the energy and engineering sectors by such activities as fracking and mining. This unusual breadth of material allows for context and relationships to be featured, but also results in the fact that no particular topic is treated in great depth. Written to engage introductory-level readers, the text is structured so that each chapter begins with an interesting narrative or famous example of the subject at hand and concludes with review questions. Nearly every page features at least one photographic image, figure, or graph in support of the text to demonstrate the concepts covered in the text. Advanced researchers will prefer books that focus on a narrower range of topics but in more detail. Novices will appreciate the conversational style adopted here, along with the relatively short narratives and frequent illustrations.

Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates. General readers.

J.M. Cook (University of West Georgia) in CHOICE, July 2020 Vol. 57, No. 11