Geology: A Self-Teaching Guide [Paperback]

Barbara W. Murck (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 29, 2001 | Series: Wiley Self-Teaching Guides (Book 154)

Take a learning journey through billions of years of Earth history

This indispensable guide to the fundamentals of geology is the ideal way to introduce yourself to all the basics, from rocks, minerals, and fossil fuels to earthquakes, volcanoes, and plate tectonics. Using quick quizzes and self-tests to reinforce key concepts, Geology carefully walks you through billions of years of Earth history. Illustrated with more than one hundred specially commissioned illustrations and fifty photographs that help clarify difficult concepts, this easy-to-follow book is an interactive resource for anyone interested in learning more about our planet.

Whether you are new to geology or want to refresh and update your knowledge, the proven self-teaching guide approach will allow you to work at your own pace, check your progress, and learn more about this fascinating field of study.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Take a learning journey through billions of years of Earth history

This indispensable guide to the fundamentals of geology is the ideal way to introduce yourself to all the basics, from rocks, minerals, and fossil fuels to earthquakes, volcanoes, and plate tectonics. Using quick quizzes and self-tests to reinforce key concepts, Geology carefully walks you through billions of years of Earth history. Illustrated with more than one hundred specially commissioned illustrations and fifty photographs that help clarify difficult concepts, this easy-to-follow book is an interactive resource for anyone interested in learning more about our planet.

Whether you are new to geology or want to refresh and update your knowledge, the proven self-teaching guide approach will allow you to work at your own pace, check your progress, and learn more about this fascinating field of study.

About the Author

BARBARA MURCK, Ph.D., is the director of environmental programs at the University of Toronto at Mississauga, in Ontario, Canada. She is the coauthor of several leading textbooks, including Environmental Geology and Geology Today: Understanding Our Planet.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (June 29, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471385905
• ISBN-13: 978-0471385905
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #23,779 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #15 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Earth Sciences > Geology
  • #22 in Books > Science & Math > Science for Kids

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good for beginners, January 6, 2008

By 

Alexandria L. Guth (Houghton, Mi United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Geology: A Self-Teaching Guide (Paperback)

I taught a course that used this book along with a few others. At first I thought this book was overly simplistic, but upon further review, and numerous positive comments from my students (teachers who were working to get certification credits actually), I can now see that this book has a lot of valuable geologic information in an easy to read format. This book presents a lot of important geologic topics without getting overly technical, which is good for beginning students, those that are simply curious (like the other review by a rockhound) or those that want a quick brush-up. At the end of each chapter there are quizes to help the reader review the material. This is helpful for some, but not for others (in which case you can always ignore them). For the class I taught we used this book in conjunction with The Earth System, Second Edition which I liked better but many of the students found difficult to read.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow! Something I can understand!, September 30, 2007

By 

Sue "Sue" (WV, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Geology: A Self-Teaching Guide (Paperback)

Knowing only the least rudimentaries on geology, this book has been invaluable to this amateur rockhound. Easy to understand concepts. I'm reading this book without the benefit of classes and its still great!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Text, April 21, 2011

By 

K. L. Stone "maeven6" (Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Geology: A Self-Teaching Guide (Paperback)

If you have a self motivated learner or need a simple course for a high school student to get a grasp on basic geology and beyond this is the book. I will be looking at others in this series.