How to Read the Landscape. A&C Black Visual Arts. 2010.

by Robert Yarham

An easily accessible, highly illustrated guide to the geology, geography and geomorphology that forms landscapes.

Interest in the environment has never been greater, yet how much do each of us understand and engage with it? Geography and geology feel like forgotten schoolroom lessons, and most of us admire the landscape without guessing at the many visible clues to the 4 billion years of history that formed it.

How to Read the Landscape will change the way you look at the world, by presenting a visual vocabulary with which to understand the land beneath your feet. The book explains the principles of geography, geology, and geomorphology, and shows how a basic understanding of geological timescale, plate tectonics, and landforms can help you to “read” the great outdoors. It then presents a series of classic land forms and features, and uses beautiful progressive artworks to demonstrate the processes by which they were created. The reader will learn to interpret the distinctive shapes of cliffs and coastlines, mountains and hills, valleys and plateaus; to find clues to weather and water erosion; to read rock strata, minerals, and fossils; and to both use and draw maps. A primer and a field guide, How to Read the Landscape will enliven and inform your every future journey, from a hike in the countryside to a flight over the Rockies.

Genres: Nature, Science, Nonfiction, Geology, Travel, Geography

256 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2010

Reviews

[Girl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an e-copy of this book courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley.

How to Read the Landscape provides the reader with everything they need to know in order to-- well, read the landscape around them. It explains a variety of geological processes that have shaped the way landscapes look around the world, both in more mountainous regions and in the lowlands. It then goes from theoretical (although very well illustrated) explanations to showcasing particular examples of landscapes that are the results of all those processes. Sometimes it feels a little like a throwback to high school (or whenever it was you last had geography lessons), and indeed, I remember many of these pieces of information from school, but a revision was more than welcome.

While the most obvious use of the book would be to take it with you when you are travelling, I think it can also be very useful to all us writers around, especially when we are inventing our own worlds and we need to describe their geological origins. Why is there an archipelago in your world? Could the mountains even be where you have placed them? What would that river do to the landscape? Well, you can now take a look through How to Read the Landscape and figure it out for yourself.

[Randal White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever been driving along, looking at the landscape, and wonder "why is it shaped like that"? I know that I have, especially out here in the western United States. Here the ground rises and falls, leaving twisted layers of rock that look like giants must have been playing with Play-Doh to make such strange landforms.
This short little handbook explains how it happened. Faults, volcanoes, ice fields, erosion, he explains it all. And in a very simply understood manner. The great photos and diagrams really help, also.
This would be a great book to read before you take a road trip. You will be able to understand so much more of what you are seeing. And it's written in such an easy way that even a middle school child could get a lot out of it!

[JAnn Bowers · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, this book was not what I thought it was going to be.....I was hoping it was more about how to connect with nature. Instead this book reminded me of a geology book. But with that being said, I did find the pictures to be beautiful and the graphics to be interesting and I could tell the hard work that Robert put into creating this book and that's why I am giving it a 4* rating.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a general guide to landscapes in terms of geology and geography. In the first part, each page shows a different land form, for example a glacial valley or a freshwater wetland, and explains a bit about the origin of the landform and its appearance. Each page has illustrations and photos, some have aerial photos. The second part of the book, which is brief, is about maps, mapping, and GPS. The book provides a general overview of landscapes which would be a good introduction for a kid or a reference for your bookshelf. I would think it would be more helpful if it had consistently shown USGS topo maps and/or aerial photos for every category, for the purpose of finding these things in Google Earth and investigating them, but I'm biased in that direction. (I spend all day looking at aerial photos and maps for work.) It's a handy little guide and would complement more specific, local geography guide for young kids or people with a light interest in geography. It's easier to read than a textbook and easy to flip through to find what you are looking for.

My thanks to Netgalley and the Quarto Publishing Group- Ivy Press for providing an e-book free of charge. My opinions are my own.

[Azamat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Классная книга, где без воды рассказано о всех типах ландшафтов. Только учитывайте, что содержимое на любителя — не всем же интересно как ледники меняют ландшафт или как эррозия воздействует на него, как образуются дельты рек и болота и вот это все.

[uosɯɐS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good intro to geology. Covers global geology, but focuses on Britain.

[Kevin de Ataíde · Rating 4 out of 5]

Small, pocket-sized and highly-illustrated book of basic surface geology. Books such as this one launched me into the natural sciences and engineering. Very enjoyable.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading landscapes is an extremely useful and interesting book, and helps you recognise features such as a 'Waterfall' from a 'Hanging Valley'.

This book is split into 3 parts: Understanding the Landscape, Reading the Landscape and Mapping the Landscape. Further to this, each part is then split down futher.

Part 1: Understanding the Landscape covers the earth structure and the processes that shape the earth such as volcanos and rock deformation.

Part 2: Reading the Landscape moves onto interpreting what you see be it lowland, upland, coastal or other features. Lowlands covers the hills and valleys, which include features such as mudflats and wetlands. Uplands explains the mountains and the different ways the are formed and the types. Coasts explains how our shores are created, along with features such as cliffs and arches.

Part 3: Mapping the Landscape begins by showing historical maps from 3200BCE up to modern day satellite maps. It briefly explains the differences between political, topography, geological and photographic maps before moving into more detail for the topography and geographical maps. Once you understand this and the features on a map such as footpaths and its time to head out with your local map, a compass or in the modern day, the GPS, though this navigation section only covers a few pages.

There is colour photography throughout and the features are explained also using colour drawings to further help you identify the world around you.

Overall it looks and feels like a geography study book that may suit someone doing a GCSE or A level as a quick study guide but I still found it very interesting to browse through.

I received this book from netgalley in return for a honest review.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

How to Read the Landscape by Robert Yarham


April 2018
Nonfiction, nature, geology
Ivy Press

I received this digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review from publisher and NetGalley.

A beautifully illustrated book about magnificent landscapes. The author dissects the awesome view of landscape as whole to bring attention to intricacies which make the view possible.

He begins with an explanation of the Earth’s formation and structure providing a reference point as he continues with the more complex aspects of the landscape. This book is suitable for those interested in landscapes in respect to its geological structure. The title might be a bit misleading for those who may be seeking a gardening landscape perspective.

I found the illustrations and explanations easy to understand providing a fascinating reminder of the beauty of the world around us.





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[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

#HowToReadTheLandscape #NetGalley

This is a complete reference book about the geological composition of different landscapes from sinkholes to mountains. This book can be added to any library for students in geology or civil engineering.

[Abhilasha Mishra · Rating 5 out of 5]

For geography lovers, landscapers and science students, this is a one pack wonder. My knowledge of various terrains has expanded beyond my imagination. This is no light reading book but there are elements in here that sooth the process for skimmers.

[Elle Andrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an excellent hand book when you find yourself questioning ‘why does it look like that?’

Consider your question answered.