The Practical Geologist: The Introductory Guide to the Basics of Geology and to Collecting and Identifying Rocks

by Dougal Dixon

From exploring the basic principles of geology to starting a rock and mineral collection, The Practical Geologist is the perfect introduction to the world of earth science.
Beginning with a history of the earth's formation and development, this book explores the substances that compose the planet, movements within the earth, the surface effects of weather and water, and underground landscapes.
It shows you how to search for, identify, and extract samples of various rocks and minerals, and for each rock and mineral type there is a brief mineralogy and explanation of its locations. There are also sections on mapping, preparing, and curating specimens, and geological sites on the six continents.
Packed with more than 200 full-color illustrations, this comprehensive guide is the essential practical companion for natural science enthusiasts everywhere.

Genres: Geology, Science, Nonfiction, Nature, Reference, Natural History

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

Reviews

[Leah Markum · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a decent introduction for those who didn't go to university (or yet to go, or just started) for geology and aren't afraid of some technical language. Sections cover what kind of gear is essential for the amateur or the professional geologist, concepts about major geological phenomena like plate tectonics and rock cycles, as well as written and photographic details of common rock and mineral types so you know where to find and identify them.

The Practical Geologist would be most useful as the start of a reference library. More details are needed to confidently identify rocks and minerals or be able to iterate how they got to be where they are found--basically, complement this book with field guides and read more books. In addition, follow this book's advice and supplement your library with your own geology field journals and local maps.

Ultimately this book fulfills it's purpose: it's a practical introduction--an introduction to build on.

[Eric Northwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is an excellent introductory guide to the science of geology, and will certainly spark an interest in picking up some rocks on a walk or examining the layers in a dug out roadside or quarry. I didn't take any post-secondary geology, so this was an excellent book for me to have a rudimentary understanding of the field.

[Daniel Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book isn't terrible, but it is both very old and not very in-depth. If you ever took a single Geology class in college, you won't benefit from this book. But if you know nothing at all, then you might find this a useful introduction.

[Linda Fielder · Rating 5 out of 5]

So far I am finding this book very interesting. Explains things well with good visual presentations.

[Fred · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book for aspiring geologists, both in theoretical and practical knowledge(including some practical knowledge I didn’t receive in college as a geology major).

[Maged · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good

[John Matthew IV · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good introduction to practical geology. There's a lot of facts crammed into the book. I will be referring back to it often.

I loved the section on how rocks look. The view under a microscope of some of them would look great as paintings in a museum.

The section on the geological history of continents was amazing.

The information is presented in a somewhat random manner. There's advice to wear proper shoes in the middle that seems out of place. Perhaps a better editor would have made this better, it is rather slow in parts.

Surprised there was no list of recommended books for the next step in a budding geologist's hobby.

As it says on page 118, "Geology is everywhere."

[Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very nice short reference with lots of great details. (You should check all metric/US unit conversions, though, as many are done incorrectly.) Some of the information is a little bit dated (the time-spans of eras and some of the historical geology has been adjusted since the 1990s), but most of it is still quite accurate. Translate acidic/basic to felsic/mafic and you will have a wonderful reference for common rock types and a fun guide to geomorphology, geologic mapping, and a quick reference guide for terms and geologic concepts.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ll stow it away as a reference until I find something better. Graphics not bad but I never could make much sense of who the intended audience was. Even the glossary selection of terms seemed random.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aside from one general geology course during my undergrad studies, I am a complete geologist novice. We are taking a geology vacation through California this summer and I wanted brush up on what little knowledge I have so I can better enjoy the trip. This was the perfect book for such an occasion. It is outdated in some areas, but the fundamental geology info is sound. Is is easily understood and presents information in an organized, esy to read manner. For someone with limited knowledge, this is a wonderful beginning.

[Gary Braham · Rating 3 out of 5]

The biggest problem I had with the book is it doesn't know what it is trying to be. Is it introductory, is it a review? Is it for Hs or college? It's also a cross between what a practical geologist should know, and should do. Depending on the goal, the book might be too short, or not long enough. It wasn't entirely bad. It reminded me of some of the stuff I did in college. It felt like a two page summary of things I spent an entire month on at college.

[Kristi Thielen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A colorful and enjoyable book that purports to be an introductory guide but grows complicated quickly, even for interested amateurs like myself.

Still, it was fun to read about things I hadn't thought of since my college Geology 101 class at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. RIP Dr. Mickelson, you were a wonderful professor!

The book closes with a quick look at the geology of each continent, through geologic history; it was definitely my favorite portion of the work.

[Georgene · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book on one of my shelves and decided to read it. I have no idea where or when I got this book.

This was an interesting book. I think I would have gotten a lot more out of it had I more familiarity of geology terms/jargon. I found out some interesting facts and discovered there was a lot more to the study of geology than I ever imagined.

[Kendra · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was pretty lame. It was old--it talked about Soviet scientists and research going on in the USSR. Then it told you how to make a field notebook and how to crush a ping-pong ball so that it would look like the ocean floor. Not much help at all in identifying rocks!

[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is just the right length for the arm-chair geologist. What I don't like about it is how it is used as a textbook. It is way too breezy and superficial to be used as a textbook. Not enough technical vocabulary is introduced to be of much use to a real student of geology.

[Jodi Boe · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was insightful. There flaws in terms of grammar and figure annotation that lead to confusion. Some concepts were explained well and others weren't. I learned a lot from the book in certain sections but little from others.

[Bashu]

i want to read this book