Communicating Rocks: Writing, Speaking, and Thinking About Geology

by Peter Copeland

Scientific endeavor begins with asking questions about the nature of the world around us and gathering data, but this work cannot be complete without effectively communicating the conclusions and data found. Communicating Rocks: Writing, Speaking, and Thinking about Geology not only makes the case for balancing science with writing and speaking, but makes the case that one cannot have the former without the latter. Instruction concerning the rules and styles of writing and speaking are addressed in relation to technical concerns specific to the Earth sciences, illustrating the importance of effective communication in geologic investigations. The book includes guidance on how to write an effective research paper, and the creation of PowerPoints, posters, a thesis, funding proposals, and more is covered in detail.

Genres: Geology

160 pages, Paperback

First published June 21, 2011

Reviews

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up this book at the recommendation of my advisor. If he hadn’t suggested it, I would not have made it even ten pages into the chapter two. Ironically, the first half of this book seems to have not been proofread or edited at all. Sentences containing extra words are frequent (and occasionally extreme—for instance, this gem beginning on page 9: “Even though the writer has a good idea of the data that will be discussed, the exact a short version of what the paper really is—not what the writer thought it emphasis may not come out until during the writing, and the abstract should be might be when the writing began.”) In another instance, a sentence merely terminates at the end of the page without being completed or even punctuated.
Furthermore, the second chapter includes a sixty-some page list entitled “problem words and concepts.” This list is alphabetized; otherwise, it’s a higgledy-piggledy mash-up of simple definitions, oft-misused words, scientific concepts and equations, and grammar and punctuation rules. Unless one has a specific topic they’d like to improve upon, I don’t think this list is worth muddling through. While I did note some worthwhile advice in chapter two, most of it came from the sections before the list.
That being said, I do recommend reading chapter three, which focuses on oral presentations. Young graduate students considering presenting at conferences would particularly benefit from this chapter, as would professionals expected to present project updates at work.

[Jennifer Shaiman · Rating 2 out of 5]

I find this book rather baffling, especially for a recent Pearson's publication. It is not a textbook. It reads far more like a professor who had thought a great deal about writing in geology sat down one afternoon and wrote down everything he'd been thinking about in the order in which it occurred to him.

To Copeland's merit, he has some good advice to give, and a geology student who lacks any other option to learn about writing in their field will certainly find much of the insights here useful. In fact, the first 30 pages are well worth the time of any first year student planning to major in earth sciences. In this span, Copeland discusses the components of IMRaD, citations, and other smaller issues students are likely to encounter.

On the other hand, many of the elements on the book lack adequate development, and much of the valuable information hides in long lists of "Problem Words and Concepts." Lists like this are mind-numbing to read, and what's the logic of putting a 7-page discussion of Geologic Time in the same alphabetical list as advice on the correct spelling of "Arctic and Antarctic"?

Overall, if you need to improve your writing in the sciences in the next 30 minutes, reading the beginning of this book would be a good use of that time, but don't expect to get anything more than the basics out of this book.