Customer Reviews

Roadside Geology of Northern California (Roadside Geology Series)

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

 

 

Alt and Hyndman provide an interesting summary of rock types encountered on a good variety of Northern CA highways. In plain language, they partially unravel the complicated, contorted geology of northern CA as seen through the roadcuts and park drives. This book's biggest deficiency, compared to others in the Roadside Geology series, is its failure to provide specific names and formation periods for many roadside rock layers mentioned, especially in the Sierras, Klamaths and Modoc Plateau. This info is a valuable time-saver for an amateur rockhound. For numerous excellent examples of the naming and dating I am talking about, read Roadside Geology of Texas by Darwin Spearing. Despite this important flaw (for the rockhound who catalogs his specimens), I recommend this book for anyone interested in geology who will be travelling across northern CA.

Please give Mssrs. Alt and Hyndman at least one more star! The lone other reviewer, I suspect, me being a longtime professional geologist and geology instructor, is not a good teacher. Only 3 stars gives a misleading idea. Roadside Geology of Northern California has been an extremely valuable resource for almost two decades. If more detail is
wanted, the authors give abundant references. Let's face it, the geology of northern Califonia is vastly more complicated and complex than that of, say, Texas. And I have just perused these authors' latest book, The Roadside Geology of Northern and Central California. Can't beat it wif'a stick! This book will become a classic reference, not only for the
"layperson," but also for the professional that wants to quickly get "boned up" on the geology of this region.