Our civliization as we know it is dependent upon mining and minerals. This book is a sparkling discussion on the nature, origins, and characteristics and lore of the Earth's most common and valued minerals.

Chapters include such as Minerals and How to Know Them, the early uses of minerals, the Earth and its rocks (an intro to geology), and other chapters focus on various types of deposits, or mineral groups such as pegmatites, zeolites, metals, and enviroments in which they grow; unusual properties, gemstones, the uses, history, and beauty of minerals. Accompanied by many beautiful photographs, many of these in color. 19 chapters, and Appendix and Index.

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.

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.

I have used this book for my mineralogy class in college. I keep it as a reference. i believe my understanding of the physical properties of mineral could not have happened from lectures alone. It was this book which helped me and everyone in mineralogy classes throughout the U.S. There are easy to use tables and facts on almost every mineral you could come across in the field. I hope this book lasts with me the rest of my life.

This book is an excellent source of information for people interested in the field of gemmology. I have found that the contents covers a wide range of topics and presented in an easily understood format. It is a concise and well-illustrated book which makes it ideal as a reference book