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

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

• 
  Eric

  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

  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.
• 
  Fred

  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).
• 
  Leah Markum

  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.
• 
  Tina

  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 It is outdated in some areas, but the fundamental geology info is sound.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

  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

  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

  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

  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

  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

  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