Review by Library Journal Review
Chris and Helen Pellant update the 1992 handbook Rocks and Minerals: A Photographic Guide; this newest iteration has fresh typeface, excellent use of white space, and more than 600 detailed photographs. Initial pages discuss tips for collecting specimens, notes on organizing a collection, and equipment, along with mineral composition and characteristics and rock formation basics. Mineral identification notes (listed by main chemical group), followed by information on rock identification (igneous, metamorphic, sedimentary), comprise the bulk of the book. Concise, pithy entries explore composition, formation, hardness, cleavage, fracture, color, and texture. Taylor's detailed photographs round out the work. VERDICT Beautiful and useful. A necessary addition when updating or enhancing a library's 549 section.
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