Earth Science and the Environment (with EarthScienceNow and InfoTrac) (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Jon Turk (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"It is fluid and fun to read… Even I learned a few things here and there. I find principles such as radiometric decay well-explained… This is a good textbook, generally well written for its purpose, and very well illustrated. The content is comprehensive, and can be used for either a one- or two-semester course… I think your two authors are to be congratulated on a fine job of putting this much material together, and I am looking forward to seeing the finished product."

"I like the plain language and presentation in this manuscript… The writers convey a tone of being interested in the way these concepts explain the real world and help us understand environmental issues."

"Overall I am very pleased with the presentation of the material. The enthusiasm of the writer(s) comes through."

"The writing style is very good. It is clear and readable without being dry."

Product Description

The greatly anticipated 3rd edition of EARTH SCIENCE AND THE ENVIRONMENT provides a rich overview of all Earth-related disciplines, including geology, meteorology, hydrology, oceanography, and astronomy -- providing a sense of how Earth functions as a single system composed of interacting subsystems. This text is designed for use by students in an Earth Science course with an environmental and/or Earth Systems emphasis. Thompson and Turk's commitment to the Earth systems approach is integrated throughout the text and is emphasized graphically in the new thematic flow chart, SYSTEMS INTERACTIONS, which illustrates the interconnectivity of the Earth's four spheres (geosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere). Environmental issues are emphasized and integrated into the text, and stunning multi-part visuals emphasize the beauty of Earth science. Together, Thompson, a teacher, researcher, and author, and Turk, a geosciences author, chemist, and adventurer, bring a wealth of earth science knowledge -- both in the classroom and first-hand -- to this vibrant, student-friendly, authoritative textbook. To further enrich the student experience, this edition is now fully integrated, on a concept level and with book-specific interactivities, with a FREE brand-new, student tutorial system called EarthScienceNow. EarthScienceNow is Web-based, assessment-driven, and completely flexible, offering a personalized learning plan based on each student's quiz results to focus students' attention on the concepts they don't yet understand. This superior teaching package, along with a text by an experienced and dedicated author team, provides students with fun, interactive learning opportunities.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 688 pages
• Publisher: Brooks Cole; 3 edition (March 11, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0534393136
• ISBN-13: 978-0534393137
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #570,614 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars An OK textbook, but oddly organized., October 17, 2007

By	J. Piatek (Connecticut, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Earth Science and the Environment (with CengageNOW Printed Access Card) (Hardcover)

As far as geology textbooks go, this one is pretty middle of the road. Most topics are covered in a reasonable amount of detail for an introductory class, but not too much. Many of the concepts are "re-presented" in later chapters as needed (the interior of the earth, for example), but in varying amounts of detail depending on the topic (so the interior of the Earth is described is less detail in the discussion of the geosphere and in more detail in the earthquakes chapter).

My problem is mostly with the organization: I find that many of the topics are not covered in the chapters I would expect (for example: hotspot volcano "traces" appear not in the plate tectonics chapter, but in the volcanoes and deep sea chapters instead). I don't really follow the logical flow of the text, and it's made teaching a course with the book much more difficult. I don't plan to use this particular textbook again.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Earth Science Teacher reviews a Good Book, May 9, 2000

By	Rena Faye S. Norby (Spearfish, SD) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Earth Science and the Environment (Paperback)

I have used this book once for a course I teach for K-8 pre-service teachers called: Earth Science for Teachers. It is only 1 hour so I can't use all the content in the book, but, it is an excellent content reference for people who are expected to know and teach more and more content every year. Read this book for your own fun, or, use it as a reader friendly resource with excellent pictures and friendly assignments.

5.0 out of 5 stars Earth Science, June 29, 2009

By	dakwems (pittsburgh) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Earth Science and the Environment (with CengageNOW Printed Access Card) (Hardcover)

This textbook is very colorful, the graphics, pictures, and charts are easy to follow, and the text explains the subject well.