Editorial Review:
Praise for the first edition . . . "A must-have volume for rock and fossil collectors, naturalists, and travelers . . . ideal for the nature enthusiast with little or no background in geology." -Earth "Cvancara's Field Manual is the book for which I have been waiting for many years!" This fascinating guide is an important resource you'll want to have with you on any outdoor vacation, nature walk, or rock hunting expedition. A Field Manual for the Amateur Geologist not only describes the science of geology, but also shows you how to do geology in the field. This book introduces the geologist's core concepts, tools, and techniques and requires no prior training in geology. Beginners will learn to identify landforms, minerals, rocks, and fossils and experience, firsthand, all the excitement of geological discovery. More experienced "rockhounds" will find a wealth of useful information as well, including: - Easy-to-use mineral keys and landform keys
- Unique chapters on the geologist's approach, exploring the geology of North American national parks, sleuthing stones, and prospecting for gold
- Over 200 photographs and drawings
- Lists of geological museums, geological surveys, and other resources
Whether you are an amateur geologist, fossil hunter, naturalist, or simply a traveler with an inquiring mind, this handy field manual is sure to become a constant companion on your explorations of our planet.
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Customer Reviews
Average Customer Rating: 
Great book for the novice geologist  2006-08-04
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.
a good broad generalization 2001-01-29
the previous reviewer's 3-star rating because of the lack of color photographs doesn't do this book justice. Cvancara provides a strong, broad overview of geology for the amateur or hiker who's interested in knowing a bit about the nature, origin, and contents of the land around them.The book covers types and varieties of rock, fossils & landforms as well as geologic time and how it changes & reforms land. I foudn the best part to be an interesting ~50 page section on "how to do geology", covering such interesting topics as how to analyze a landscape to determine its origins, reading topographic and geologic maps, how to track the source of a stone, how to find & pan for gold, and how to build a rock, mineral, or fossil collection. With the attached appendices of geologic resources I find it a great way for myself as an amateur to enjoy knowing what it is I'm admiring on hikes & such.
needs color!  2000-01-05
Considering a majority of geology is recognizing colors, this book (with only black and white photos) is hard to use as a reference manual. The reading is also a bit stuffy, but does cover a wide range of geologic topics.
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