Essentials of Geology

As a paleontologist I can say that this is a really good introductory geology college level textbook. My one star rank only applies to the Kindle version, which is very difficult to read. Amazon says the Kindle 11th edition was "Published April 9, 2018" but the print version of the 11th edition states a 2012 copyright.The Kindle version appears to be series of whole page .gif images. Each page displays showing tiny text, so you have to enlarge the entire displayed page, one page at a time, and slide the page left/right and up/down in order to read anything. This can be done on, I think, all Kindles phones and PC Kindle readers, but the process is very cumbersome. You cannot do any of the usual Kindle manipulations such as changing fonts, or font size or line spacing or words per line. Text to speech doesn't work. You can't look up individual words in the Kindle dictionary. No underlining or highlighting part of the text. You can't search the book for particular words or phrases. You can make bookmarks and notes but these only link to entire book pages. The inability to just press "next page" to read and read and read without having to do all sorts of complex maneuvering will make the Kindle version useless to many students.The $10 price to buy or free for kindleunlimited prices are real bargains if you don't mind loosing the ability to do most the usual Kindle stuff with the text.

As a student in my first geology course, I find this book amazingly helpful. It is laid out well, the material interestingly presented, the writing style clear and concise. Technical terms are explained and concepts unpacked carefully. Best of all, the author tells the reader what to look for and reviews with "concept checks" the material as it is being read. The chapter reviews at the end are quite well done. My only suggestions would be to vary the order of the material. The chapter of plate tectonics, for example, would be better much earlier on, since much of the material depends on the concepts dealt with there. And there are a few places where technical terms that are not universally used (a problem in geology in general) could be identified with other equivalent terms that the student will encounter elsewhere. If this is in fact the case, I have not yet found out where and how it is done. Overall, an excellent text. I have the Kindle version, which works fantastically.

This book, with over 500 pages of text, is an excellent reference for all things related to geology. It's loaded with excellent graphics: charts, illustrations, pictures, graphs, all enhancing the rich and detailed text. Everything about geology is covered, from the formation and internal structure of the earth to the various rock types that make up the surface of our planet and much, much more. Erosion, weathering, glaciation, earthquakes, volcanoes, it's all included. Geology is all around us and the authors make the subject interesting, understandable, and very readable. This book will greatly enhance the knowledge of anybody who's interested in our planet.

I obtained this book through the Amazon student textbook rental program. I was panicking since my school did not have any copies left, but lo and behold, I found this copy PRIME on Amazon. (Long live Amazon!). It arrived within the requisite two days, and is in outstanding condition - no marks, bent pages, etc.The subject itself is actually more fascinating than I anticipated. I'm taking the class simply to satisfy a lab credit, but I've found that I'm actually becoming engrossed in some of the science behind rock formations and the development of our planet. The pictures are clear, and relevant, and the diagrams are very helpful. I've found that by writing out the questions at the beginning of each chapter and answering them as I read, I am developing a better comprehension and interest in the subject.

I took Geology 101 using this older edition even tho my class was using the 12th ed. The sub-sections inside a chapter are numbered in the newer edition but not in this one. I finished the class with no problem though :) In most chapters, the contents are very much the same!Pleasantly surprised to find an ebook access code in it, it allowed me to read either 11th or 12th edition online -- Yay!

great so much content

Good textbook. Helped convey the teachers lessons and provided great insight into real world scenarios. Highly recommend the loose leaf version. Easier to pull the glossary and take sections out for copying.

Horrendous adaption for Kindle. Functionally unusable. Graphics don’t appear, text is out of order. Terrible.

This book is as reviewed many times on the internet, an excellent textbook for any geoscience student. I dont think I need to review the contect, only to say that it is excellent and up to date, the diagrams and tables are very informative indeed. My one issue is that the book is made of very thin paper and the text on the paper is a little faint, making it not so easy to read. There is about 600 pages in the book and it is thinner than other books I have with 450 to 500 pages. I suppose this version (the new international edition) is worth it for the money, but if you want quality and a book that you will have for years I would say pay the little extra and get a hardcover version. I presume the paper quality in that would be better.

Great diagrams and figures.. Very Comprehensive. Language clear and simple , so it can be understood even by non- Geologist .