Customer Reviews

Minerals of Arizona: A Field Guide for Collectors (Rock Collecting)

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A good reference, and if someone really wants to work really hard looking for specimens then this book will suffice as a guide to locations to do so.

What I would suggest is that one purchase this book, learn where the sites are, their particular geologic peculiarities that may have been the reason for the specimen's to occur there and seek out other similar sites using other contact geology maps and references.

On the other hand, it does serve as a usefull "excuse" to get out and explore the great outdoors.

Today was strike 3, spent all day driving to a site listed in the book, traveled some mutilated roads and nearly got my Honda Civic stuck in the mud, granted the book recommended a high clearance vehicle for this road, but anyway it would have been all worth it for a few nice rocks. instead I all I found was an agglomeration of no trespassing signs. The problem with rockhounding books, this one included, is they become outdated very quickly. Rockhound sites are dieing constantly as land is being sold, subdivided, protected, or just plain taped out. What may have been an excellent site when this book was written may be no more. This book may yet have some useful information and for that I give it 3 stars but I recommend buying the newest edition for the most successful rockhounding experience. I really liked this book, I think it was the best of its type. But its time to retire it, I have the 2006 edition on order (new title, same author, link at bottom). I hope it is as good. Will post Minerals, Fossils, and Fluorescents of Arizona: A Field Guide for Collectors