Book Description
This is an ideal textbook for both advanced undergraduates and graduate students. It contains valuable coverage of the optical properties of minerals, as well as up-to-date descriptions of common rock-forming minerals. The chapters on optical theory include discussions of the nature and properties of light, the petrographic microscope, and the behavior of light in isotropic materials and in uniaxial and biaxial anisotropic materials. Thoroughly revised to include recent developments in the field, the book includes step-by-step procedures to guide students through the determination of all optical properties by which minerals are routinely identified with a petrographic microscope. Readers will find descriptive information on over 125 common rock forming minerals, and many photomicrographs and illustrations. The book also includes a flow sheet to guide students through the process of identifying an unknown mineral. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Good standard reference material
A well written and illustrated textbook on the subject matter. It is exactly what it wants to be: An introduction. And it is a good one. Wide and detailed enough to give the beginner a good handle of "what optical mineralogy is all about" without going into too much detail of purely academic issues. Good balance of theory and examples.
The illustrations are plenty, rich and very instructive. However, minor improvements may be possible by replacing some of the black&white illustrations with updated colour graphics, in particular the microphotographs.

Mineralogy Book
Another fine, informative book that is truly helpful in gemology, as well as the intended geology studies.
Well worth the price.

The Handy Dandy Guide
This is a definate must have for all you Geologists out there. No matter what year of school you are in or even if you are no longer in school, but need a bit of reference now and again, this is the book to have. Nesse does an excellent job of clearly explaining and illustrating the optical properties of minerals. He includes all of the essential bits of information that any geologist will need. I highly recommend this book as a great reference tool that any geologist or aspiring geologist should add to their collection of references.

A student's view
As a student of Geology, I have used Nesse as my bible for all petrologycourses. It is complete, comprehensive and easy to use. A must for allgeologists, student or not.

Great book
Finally we have a mineralogy text book that will compete with Klein and Hurlbuts's Manual of Mineralogy. The line drawings are outstanding. I am using this text book the next time I teach mineralogy. ... Read more

Book Description
Introduction to Mineralogy consolidates much of the material now covered in traditional mineralogy and optical mineralogy courses and focuses on describing minerals within their geologic context. It presents the important traditional content of mineralogy including crystallography, chemical bonding, controls on mineral structure, mineral stability, and crystal growth to provide a foundation that enables students to understand the nature and occurrence of minerals. Physical, optical, and X-ray powder diffraction techniques of mineral study are described in detail, and common chemical analytical methods are outlined as well. Detailed descriptions of over 100 common minerals are provided, and the geologic context within which these minerals occur is emphasized. Appendices provide tables and diagrams to help students with mineral identification, using both physical and optical properties. Numerous line drawings, photographs, and photomicrographs help make complex concepts understandable. Introduction to Mineralogy not only provides specific knowledge about minerals but also helps students develop the intellectual tools essential for a solid, scientific education. This comprehensive text is useful for undergraduate students in a wide range of mineralogy courses. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Mineralogy Book
This is a very informative book. It is quite helpful in the field of gemology, as well as the intended field of geology. ... Read more

Product Description
This volume is produced from digital images created through the University of Michigan University Library's preservation reformatting program. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Great book, *after* an introduction to the topic...
Into the 5th week of Mineralogy class, this book *then* became extremely informative - this is not a self-instructional manual, and I do not believe it was intended to be so. Most students will find the writing style in this text a bit intellectually heady, having been written by a distinguished Harvard PhD professor. It could have been written more concisely, perhaps more simplisticly, but all the information is there, and from what I understand, past editions were more comprehensive than this 22nd edition. I personally love this text, and only *after* an introduction to the subject will this text make real sense to the reader. And yes, I agree with the previous posts regarding certain statements about crystal structures that require some sort of base level knowledge of chemistry or physics or math (i.e. symmetry concepts) in order to fully comprehend a particular passage, but that's what you get from an Ivy League PhD-er! I believe this text was designed for the third year student who should already have taken 1 semester each of at least chemistry and calculus. Although calculus isn't necessary for the class, it presupposes that you know and understand some basic conceptual geometry.

I would suggest reading some basic introduction to mineralogy websites before tackling this book. Also, I have found that for the conscientious mineralogy students who possess a "more refined" reading level and who are putting genuine effort into the class, this book is a valuable edition. Other texts simply do not cover as much material as found here, such as x-ray diffraction and optics. Overall meant for students and not the self-taught, although that depends on the individual, but in general I would not recommend this for the beginner who wants to learn on his/her own. Still, a great text. Try getting some olders editions with less sub-subjects edited out for a real comprehensive text!

old-school text
Oi, how much more convoluted can a text get?With every edition, this text gets less organized. Or that is at least true for the last 3 editions, anyways ... Eg. In how many chapters can the topic of "symmetry" be covered? Keeping it to 1 would be much easier to digest, thankyou.

The text is written in old-school rambly style... sure, it covers all topics, but it is hard to learn from (and in my experience, even harder to teach from). There are better options out there. Nesse "Intro to Mineralogy" text.

Thorough and Well Illustrated
The book contains excellent diagrams, graphs and other illustrations, which are useful for all students. Although the CD has valuable tutorials for beginning students, the text is often too technical and "dry" for beginners. Besides discussing crystallography and mineralogy, the book also provides a good review of chemistry and methods for analyzing minerals. Overall, the book is an excellent reference for upper level undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty.Lower-level undergraduates may require a less technical textbook.

From a student's perspective
I just finished the semester, so I think I have a pretty good feel for the book now.At the beginning I found it difficult simply because it occasionally used terms and diagrams before explaining them.As the semester progressed and I became more knowledgable about the subject, I found the textbook increasingly helpful and readable.Certainly there is a lot of good stuff in here, and the CD was unecessary but fun.Overall, it was a good complement to the lectures.

A very useful tool for anyone learning about minerals
I have used this book for my mineralogy class in college.I keep it as areference. i believe my understanding of the physical properties of mineralcould not have happened from lectures alone. It was this book which helpedme and everyone in mineralogy classes throughout the U.S. There are easy touse tables and facts on almost every mineral you could come across in thefield. I hope this book lasts with me the rest of my life. ... Read more

Book Description
Derived from the content of the respected McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, Sixth Edition, each title provides thousands of definitions of words and phrases encountered in a specific discipline. All include:

* Pronunciation guide for every term
* Acronyms, cross-references, and abbreviations
* Appendices with conversion tables; listings of scientific, technical, and mathematical notation; tables of relevant data; and more
* A convenient, quick-find format ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Necessary Book
Excellent book, good definitions, but wish it also included pronunciation guide for each word. ... Read more

Book Description
The classic in the field since 1848, this extraordinary reference offers readers unsurpassed coverage of mineralogy and crystallography. The book is known for integrating complete coverage of concepts and principles with a more systematic and descriptive treatment of mineralogy. The revised edition now includes a CD-ROM to let readers see the minerals and crystals, while also viewing chemical composition, symmetry, and morphological crystallography. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Manual of Mineral Science (23rd ed.) Top in Field!
This new edition has made several improvements over the last one. The organization is clearer and better prepared. This book provides a better explanation and more detailed examples than other books of this type. The CD is a great asset for readers in comprehending the heirarchy of crystal organization and provides better visualization of the three-dimensional aspects of the various crystal forms and structures. ... Read more

Book Description
This book on minerals has been assembled by a geologist who has taught elementary mineralogy for several decades. The presentation of mineralogical information in this book builds from atomistic components, thorough geochemical principles, to the formation of crystal structures and crystallization processes in Part 1. This is followed by classical morphological characterization of crystals and then to the physical properties of minerals in Part II. Crystallographic classification of minerals is presented in Part III with emphasis on geologist-friendly visualization. This is succeeded by chapters on the roles that minerals play in rock-forming process in Part IV, that in this book is expanded beyond the abbreviated treatment characteristic of most other mineralogy textbooks. Part V is an updated review of instrumental techniques that are used in the study of mineralogical materials, including separate chapters on X-ray diffraction and "cook-book" optical mineralogy. The final two chapters, in Part VI, present the systematics of mineral classification in accord with the modified Dana classification, and an alphabetical description of minerals.

The strengths of this book is the upgraded classicial mineralogy, the inclusion of geochemical and geological aspects of mineralogy, and appropriate level of optical mineralogy and an exceptionally through section on analytical instrumentation and techniques. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Truly Mineralogy for Geologists
The problem with most mineralogy textbooks is that they're written by and for mineralogists. For the average geologist, this can make learning mineralogy unnecessarily difficult. This book solves that problem. It is by far the best intro to mineralogy text I've been exposed to. It wasn't released until after I'd already taken my first minearlogy class and I bought it anyway on a professor's recommendation. I was not dissappointed. I used this book more often as a reference in my last year of geology study (to get my BS) than the text I'd learned from, bookmarked and written notes in. I also used it extensively when I was teaching mineralogy lab as a graduate student and a few of my students found the book so helpful they bought it as well. If you're looking for a great mineralogy text, get this one - even if you're required to get a different one for your classes. If you're a professor - PLEASE consider making this the required text for your mineralogy class. It is excellent. ... Read more

Book Description
This book on Applied Clay Mineralogy is comprehensive.It covers the structure, composition, and physical and chemical properties of kaolinite, halloysite, ball clays; bentonites including sodium montmorillonite, calcium montmorillonite, and hectorite; and palygorskite and sepiolite.There is also a short chapter on common clays which are used for making structural clay products and lightweight aggregate. The location and geology of the major clay deposits that are marketed worldwide and regionally include kaolins from the United States, Southwest England, Brazil, and the Czech Republic along with halloysite from New Zealand and ball clays from the US, England, Germany, and Ukraine.Bentonites from the U.S. and Europe are included along with palygorskite and sepiolite from the U.S., China, Senegal, and Spain.The mining and processing of the various clays are described.Extensive discussions of the many applications of the clays are included.The appendices cover the important laboratory tests that are used to identify and evaluate the various types of clay.Many figures are included covering electron micrographs, processing flow sheets, stratigraphy, and location maps.

* Provides the structure and composition of clay minerals, as well as their phyisical and chemical properties
* Discusses pplications for Kaolin, Bentonite, Palygorskite and Sepiolite
* Contains appendixes of laboratory tests and procedures, as well as a test for common clays ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Invaluable Identification Guide
As a user of this book as a student of Geology I can highly recommend it.There is no douth in my mind that this remains the best book made foridentification in optical mineralogy. In addition to containingdescriptions of optical properties for over 450 minerals, it has a easy touse system of tabels which crossreference and compare the opticalproperties of the minerals. This system is very well taliored and makesidentification, not a dream but a lot easier. The book also has a largesection on the theory of optical mineralogy and polarizing microscope.

Information Rich Treasure
I used an older edition of this book in my crystallography studies.It is fasinating to see the pictures.There is a complete section that was helpful on using the polarising microscope.It also has an identificationguide which is useful although a modern database could also do this type ofsearching.A good book for a geology student. ... Read more

Book Description
Following in the tradition of the "System of Mineralogy" introduced by Wiley in 1837, this one-of-a-kind reference brings mineralogy into the 21st century. It describes all of the over 3700 recognized mineral species. New features include emphasis on mineral structure, presenting descriptions of all the important species. New specially commissioned structure diagrams describe all the important mineral groups. All homologous species are classified and all polymorphic forms identified. Compact and convenient in one volume, it offers exceptional coverage on where minerals can be found and accurate, up-to-date references. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Desperately needs larger font and photos.
I am a geologist, but for heaven's sake, pics at least as good as a cheap field guide would be in order, especially for some of the more unusual minerals. Would also love to see some of the zillions of examples of granites that you can find at your average kitchen type granite center. The geology though is good, just a bit dry.

Do yourself a favor - don't buy this book
I think the Danas would be embarrassed if they lived to see their name on the cover of this book - probably the worst compendium of mineralogical data in the history of science. Here, inaccuracies and errors are the norm rather than exception, and the quality of print and paper are no match even to a circa-1900 missionary's Bible. Sloppy sources like this one do more harm than good by perpetuating errors and introducing new ones, so do yourself a favor and spend your hard-earned $350 on something else.

Long-awaited reference needs work
As a professional geologist, I use this reference often but I have foundnumerous errors. An example is that the mineral Pentlandite, an importantore of nickel, is not listed in the index. A German website is compiling anerrata list on this book and it is many pages long of spelling, locality,formulae and indices errors. Other complaints are: The informationconcerning the economic use of the minerals is too sketchy and incomplete;and the page paper is too thin and fragile.

Comprehensive, essential mineral species reference
I use the book almost daily while working on a large mineral collection.It is up to date and comprehensive with valuable references to localities.The book is fragile with thin pages so must be used with care. It should bepublished as a CD ROM.

Is the publisher nuts?
I can't believe that John Wiley & Sons (the publisher) actually tries to sell this book as "compact".It's 1100 pages!The Peterson Field Guide to Rocks and Minerals is a much better "compact"guide.This thing should really be on CD-ROM. ... Read more

Book Description
This learner-oriented text is written in a casual, jargon-free style to present a modern introduction to mineralogy. It emphasizes real-world applications and an “outside-in approach” as well as the history and human side of mineralogy.Chapter topics include elements and minerals; crystallization and classification of minerals; mineral properties: hand specimen mineralogy; optical mineralogy; igneous rocks and silicate minerals; sedimentary minerals and sedimentary rocks; metamorphic minerals and metamorphic rocks; ore deposits and economic minerals; crystal morphology and symmetry; crystallography; units cells, points, lines, and planes; x-ray diffraction; atomic structure; and descriptions of minerals.For individuals interested in the science of mineralogy, and how minerals impact everyday life. ... Read more

Book Description
A practical introduction to ionic compounds for both mineralogists and chemists, this book bridges the two disciplines. It explains the fundamental principles of the structure and bonding in minerals, and emphasizes the relationship of structure at the atomic level to the symmetry and properties of crystals. This is a great reference for those interested in the chemical and crystallographic properties of minerals. ... Read more

Book Description
Features new chapters on crystal chemistry and mineral stability diagrams, more logical treatments of morphology and internal crystal structure along with extensively revised chapters on mineral chemistry and physical properties. Includes outstanding illustrations, hand specimen photographs and transmission electron microscope structure projects. ... Read more

Product Description
Few books achieve a connection between scientifc theory and real world environmental problems, but this one does. Generous use of color images, exercises, and case studies make it friendly for the classroom or non-mineralogist. Discover crystallography, surface chemistry, mineral-solution equilibria, organic matter, and soil mineral analysis. The book includes a lengthy exploration of world-wide applications of mineralogy in soil taxonomy, tectonics, radionuclides, pesticides, enzymes, and more. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description
Science professionals, writers, and students everywhere will want to have this exhaustive guide to the terms and expressions used in modern geology and mineralogy. The dictionary contains 7,000 terms, covering physical geology, historical geology, plate tectonics, petrology, stratigraphy, and more--each with definition identified by the field in which it is primarily used. Also included are helpful cross references, plus an appendix with SI units, conversion tables, periodic table, and geological time scale. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The mineralogy section is a disaster.An error rate of 80%!
I am a mineralogist and bought this book for my wife as an office copy.Upon checking it out I found, to my horror, that the mineral entries are essentially worthless.There are an appalling number of omissions anderrors.I cannot express too strongly how disastrous this portion of thebook is.I have not done a similar check on the geology terms, but thereis every reason to believe they are just as bad as the rest. ... Read more