Paleolimnology: The History and Evolution of Lake Systems [Hardcover]

Andrew S. Cohen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 29, 2003 | ISBN-10: 0195133536 | ISBN-13: 978-0195133530 | Edition: 1

This text, written by a leading researcher in the field, describes the origin and formation of lakes in order to give context to the question of how lacustrine deposits form. It explains the process of sedimentation in lakes and the chemistry of those deposits and describes how the age of lake deposits is determined. Additionally, this book shows how different groups of fossils are used in interpreting the paleontological record of lakes. In order to illustrate the more synthetic approaches to interpreting the history of lakes, the author also discusses such special topics as lake-level history, lake evolution, and the impact of environmental change on lakes.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Cohen has written and excellent work on the important topic of paleolimnology...Cohen provides short chapter summaries; figures, carefully selected to illustrate main points; and a comprehensive, up-to-date bibliography to his readers searching for additional information on topics that are necessarily presented quite concisely."--CHOICE, S. A. Green

"It draws together so much of value that every reader--teacher, student, or researcher--will have his or her paleolimnological horizons expanded. It is a one-volume reference work as well as a challenging text. Thank you, Andy Cohen!"--The Limnology and Oceanography Bulletin, Jonathan L. Richardson

"This book is a great feat because lake science covers such a wide range of disciplines that a vast array of knowledge is needed to hit all the bases. Cohen has hit a home run in covering topics such as the physics, chemistry, and biology of modern lakes, the geomorphology, sedimentology, and chemistry of Holocene to Pleistocene lakes, the faunal archives of the Quaternary, and the paleontology of fossil lakes. The breadth of knowledge contained within one book cover is impressive and I tip my hat to the author for his great efforts to cover many aspects of lake science. This book is an amazing accomplishment."--Elizabeth Gierlowski-Kordesch, Palaios

About the Author

Andrew S. Cohen is at University of Arizona.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 528 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; 1 edition (May 29, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195133536
• ISBN-13: 978-0195133530
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 7.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,714,654 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

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

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book. Best in class., August 2, 2005

By 

Jay Y. Hodgson "Jay" (Tuscaloosa, Alabama) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Paleolimnology: The History and Evolution of Lake Systems (Hardcover)

I'm a student of paleolimnology. I've read many books on the subject, and the book by Andrew Cohen is by far the best. Traditionally, there have been two types of books on paleolimnology:

1) Books that talk about the science itself and it's application (while not going into much depth on the methods). These books usually interpret results from past studies and look for common themes and trends. Usually, they briefly state what methods were used, but rarely describe the methods or discuss their strengths and weaknesses. It's up to the reader to research the methods more closely on their own.

2) Books that rigorously detail the methods of the science (while not going much into interpreting the results and the meanings of the data found with those methods). These books are best described as "cook books," i.e., books that tell you how to sort through the ingredients. However, these books do not tell you what the results mean. It's up to the reader to consult other references to find this out.

The book by Andrew Cohen takes a different approach, which in my opinion, makes it the best in class. The book goes through many of the various methods used in paleolimnology, describing what they are used for, what they mean, and most importantly, their strengths and weaknesses. This book doesn't go through the methods step by step, but this book is extremely valuable because it combines a myriad of information into one volume. Other books assume that the reader is already versed in paleolimnology and also knows where to look for additional information. The book by Andrew Cohen is suitable for beginners and experts in the field. It combines all of the necessary background information to get beginners started as well as interpretation that will aid experts with their research.

This is an excellent book and I highly recommend it.