Book Description

This book provides an approachable and concise introduction to seismology theory. It clearly explains the fundamental concepts, emphasizing intuitive understanding over lengthy derivations. Topics include all that is needed for a comprehensive first course in seismology: stress/strain theory, seismic wave equation, ray theory, tomography, reflection seismology, surface waves, source theory, anisotropy and earthquake prediction. Detailed exercises follow each chapter, giving students the opportunity to apply the techniques they have learned to compute results of interest and to illustrate some of Earth's seismic properties.In several cases, computer subroutines are provided to assist with these exercises.Numerous illustrations accompany the text, including examples of seismograms and images of the global seismic wavefield. This textbook is ideal for any introductory course in seismology taught to upper-division undergraduates or first-year graduate students, and is especially suited for a one-semester class on seismology. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Pretty good, but lacking in depth
I just finished an intro to seismology course, and this was the textbook for it. It is easy to read and understand, covers most topics well, and is generally a good introductory textbook. It does, however, lack depth. Often I'd finish a chapter and still have a lot of questions on how, exactly, I could apply what I'd learned to a problem. I found this frustrating.

Excellent book
By going through the textbook and doing selected exercises one can complete the equivalent of a quarter-long seismology class. Well written and accessible to a wide range of interest levels and mathematical abilities, this book is excellent for anyone with a desire to learn about seismology at a quantitative level.

Excellent book
This book is based on Peter Shearer's intro to seismology class at scripps. I just took that class and the book was an excellent complement to the class. By going through the textbook and doing selected excercizes one can complete the equivilent of a quarter-long seismology class. Very well written, accessible to a wide range of interest levels and mathmatical abilities, this book is a must for anyone with a desire to learn about seismology at any level.

Love this book...
I took a quarter long course in seismology and this book fit the bill perfectly. Even though are class was not based solely on this book, I felt it added a great deal more to my enjoyment of the class. This is a great pre-graduate course book for an eye-opening look into seismology. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (2)

award-winning author
Wolman won a medal in 2000 from the American Geophysical Union, and in the citation they said, "although written 35 years ago, it remains one of the most cited works in geopmorphology and was recently republished by Dover, not as a historical artifact but as required reading for the newest generation of fluvial geomorphologists. Brimming with clarity and literacy... a good bedtime read." (well... at least for those who want to understand stream morphology.)

The classic of stream geomorphology
This book forms one of the foundations of the field of stream geomorphology from one of the founding fathers. I would recommend it as the basic text for someone serious about learning about fluvial geomorphology. Considerable work has been added to the field since Dr. Leopold's book was first published in 1964 but this forms a very good synthesis of a complex subject. As a civil engineer/geomorphologist, I have referred to this book many times over the past 25 years since I was one of his students at Berkeley. A great value in paperback. ... Read more

Book Description

Since the first edition of Open Source GIS: A GRASS GIS Approach was published in 2002, GRASS has undergone major improvements. This second edition includes numerous updates related to the new development; its text is based on the GRASS 5.3 version from December 2003. Besides changes related to GRASS 5.3 enhancements, the introductory chapters have been re-organized, providing more extensive information on import of external data. Most of the improvements in technical accuracy and clarity were based on valuable feedback from readers.

Open Source GIS: A GRASS GIS Approach, Second Edition, provides updated information about the use of GRASS, including geospatial modeling with raster, vector and site data, image processing, visualization, and coupling with other open source tools for geostatistical analysis and web applications. A brief introduction to programming within GRASS encourages new development. The sample data set used throughout the book has been updated and is available on the GRASS web site. This book also includes links to sites where the GRASS software and on-line reference manuals can be downloaded and additional applications can be viewed.

Book Description

This book is set to become the standard reference on debris flows, debris avalanches and related phenomena. The editors provide a complete treatment of all aspects of debris flow and debris avalanche research whilst making the book a useful tool for experts, researchers and students. Case studies are provided on a global basis which will illustrate graphically the real problems and real solutions associated with this devastating phenomena. The number of published articles in journals on landslides is literally exploding and where climate change is beginning to affect landslide activity, this book will be a much needed and long-sought addition to the literature currently available.

Book Description

The breathtaking landscapes of America's national parks reveal the processes that shape our planet.

Many of our national parks, monuments, and seashores were established because of their inspiring geological features. The geysers of Yellowstone, the volcanoes of Hawaii, and the granite peaks of Yosemite bear witness to the "national park idea" as one of our country's greatest contributions to society. Parks and Plates explains the fascinating geological processes that formed the mountain ranges, volcanoes, shorelines, and other dramatic landscapes of America's national treasures.

Robert J. Lillie, a gifted teacher and expert on park geology, takes a unique approach to the subject. By structuring each section of Parks and Plates around major geological features, Lillie highlights geologic patterns across many different parks. He explains these fascinating landforms using examples from over 100 park sites to introduce and illustrate plate tectonics, a simple yet eloquent way to visualize geological processes. Lavishly illustrated throughout with full color photographs, diagrams, and maps, Parks and Plates will enrich the National Park experience for curious travelers and armchair explorers alike. 336 full-color illustrations. ... Read more

Book Description

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. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Nice book for the beginner
I have the habit of buying anything with geology, paleontology, history, etc. in the title, sometimes without thought to where I'm at with my knowledge base. This was one of those times! The book is a lovely, well illustrated, practical guide to geology for the beginner. Much of what the authors dedicate a single paragraph or page to I have had whole courses in already, so needless to say, I was not quite as enthused over the material as a new comer to the field might be. Certainly for the beginner, especially the Junior High natural science enthusiast, this would be a wonderful gift. It might even make a good text for a high school natual science course, as it covers considerable information on the earth sciences. I plan on giving my copy to a close friend with children interested in these subjects.

Great book. Good for beginners.
Today we were at 12000 feet looking into the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, and we decided we needed a book. Any book. A good book. A book that keeps you reading. The Practical Geologist was just the book! We read all night, and the night's not over yet! We learned about geology, and also came a little closer to God. I highly recommend it! p.s. I used to work for Borders.

essential
I use it to introduce students to basic physical geology. It is written at a basic level but the concepts are not oversimplified. The diagrams and text provide just the right amount of information- non- major students are informed but not overwhelmed. The Practical Geologist is a perfect supplement to the historical geology texts, and can serve as an informal and affordably priced lab manual. ... Read more

Book Description

Argon isotopic dating, which can be used with ease on small samples, is an important technique for estimating the ages of rocks. It has been used to assign reliable ages to the Earth and numerous meteorites. This second edition covers the standard principles and methods and incorporates many of new developments from the last decade. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Best Textbook of the Year
It made me laugh.It made me cry.A great book. Entertaining AND educational!!! ... Read more

Book Description

Two billion years of Earth history are represented in the rocks and landscape of the Southwest USA, creating natural wonders such as the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, and Death Valley. This region is considered a geologist's 'dream', since its rocks provide a slice through a huge range of Earth history, and provide examples of many of the geologic processes shaping the Earth. For this reason, the region attracts a large number of undergraduate field classes, and amateur geologists. Geology of the American Southwest provides the first concise and accessible account of the geology of the region, and will prove invaluable to students studying here. It will also appeal to anyone interested in geology and landscape, and is a valuable guide for visitors to the National Parks of the region. ... Read more

Book Description

A concise treatment of the fundamental principles of sedimentology and stratigraphy, featuring the important physical, chemical, biological and stratigraphic characteristics of sedimentary rocks. Emphasized are the ways in which the study of sedimentary rocks is used to interpret depositional environments, changes in ancient sea level, and other intriguing aspects of Earth history.Topics include the origin and transport of sedimentary materials; physical properties of sedimentary rocks; composition, classification and diagenesis of sedimentary rocks and principles of stratigraphy and basin analysis.For individuals interested in one text providing comprehensive coverage of both sedimentology and stratigraphy. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Solid as a rock
Although Boggs dispenses with the multicoloured pictures and obligatory CD-Rom favoured by many modern textbooks, this is not to his detriment. It results in a more concise textbook with clear and simple sketches used effectively to illustrate the text. Perhaps the book may appear somewhat `boring' to certain students, but I prefer to think of it as a `solid' textbook that says what it needs to in a generally clear and understandable manner. For those undergraduates who are more interested in quality rather than flashy appearances, this textbook will prove invaluable in your study of geology.

The pain, the agony....
I was an undergraduate geology student that used this text book for a class. I can say without a doubt that although the book is full of information, it was bogged down in details and the writing was unclear at times. My class generally ignored the text book and the ta's recommended not reading it unless we wanted to be confused. They even suggested that it would be useless in helping us with our exams. The professor poked fun at the book as well. The writing style in this book made concepts unclear at best.

Deep and complete understanding about sedimentary processes
This concise and clear book give you a complete understand about deposicional processes, sedimentary models and stratigraphy. I thanks to Boggs the oportunity to read it because it was possible to see the deposicional processes, facies and sedimentary models from the fluid's dynamical perspective and not the old uniformitarian environments model's view. This book is easy to read for graduate and posgraduate students. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Comprehensive Guide in a Portable Package!
There are many field geology guides out there, but not many which concentrate on technical how-to with standard geology field instruments, and are small enough to fit in your back pocket and glovebox with room to spare. An excellent reference resource with many illustrations for college or professional students first learning the time-tested hand tools of the geology trade, such as the Brunton, Jacob's staff and the like. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Well-written, informative sediment and stratigraphy text
This is a very good, thorough, and informative text that covers all the basics of sedimentology and stratigraphy. It is frequently used as a textbook in such classes, including when I took it at Baylor University. It is easy to understand, well-organized, and very clear. ... Read more

Book Description

The interactions between tectonic uplift, river erosion and alluvial deposition are fundamental processes which have acted to shape the landscape we see today.These processes are of course ongoing, and are important not only in geomorphology, sedimentology and structural geology, but also hydrology and river engineering.The authors have combined their specialities to bring together evidence and a variety of examples from both field and experimental studies to demonstrate how alluvial rivers are responding to uplift, subsidence and lateral tilting.Such recognition of the nature of river response yield criteria for the identification of active tectonics elsewhere, especially in areas without a history of seismic activity, or in the stratigraphic record.This volume will be of interest to graduate students, consultants and academic researchers in geomorphology, sedimentology and stratigraphy, structural geology, hydrology, geophysics, and geography. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Best intro to the topic, but could use some revision....
"Active Tectonics And Alluvial Rivers" comes with a trio of authors that certainly sounds authoritative and reliable, although Dumont was unknown to me thus far (my bad!), but the names of Schumm and Holbrook definitely were enough for me...
The main value of this quick and agile treatise lies in being possibly the first one specifically dealing with the relationship between tectonics and all manners of fluvial affairs. Treatments in recent textbooks by Miall and Bridge also cover the topic of course, but in this case we meet with unprecedented focus...

In these days of explosion in research in all of the Earth sciences, it is not surprising that even an essay on such a specialized subject has to be structured in an intricate series of chapters and subsections ranging widely over many different subdisciplines and topics. The list of contents shows coverage of essentially all of the main aspects of fluvial geomorphology, hydrology and sedimentology in relation to factors of active tectonic control, positively highlighting throughout the importance of both forward and inverse approaches to the analysis of a wide range of field and laboratory (flume) case studies, including relevant work by the authors themselves...

The main letdown for me, however, came exactly from the general content of the book! I suppose no one would be daring to delve into the complexities of interactions between fluvial processes and tectonic controls without being fairly well grounded in the basics of the subject... Yet, I was left with a feeling that the authors all too easily glossed over an introduction to some main theoretical aspects of relevance to all the discussions that would follow. The structure of the whole book essentially consists in a long series of (even too) detailed descriptions and discussions of case studies, an approach that inevitably brings about some discontinuity. This doesn't really help the reader in forming a logical thread of synthesis on his mind, busy as he must be in making sense of all the different examples. Chapter summaries won't help either, as they often appear to be too cursory and simplistic, and in a couple of instances even report observations on issues that are not so relevant to what has been discussed, such as in chapter five on "Earthquake effects"! The final result is therefore that the reader is left with quite some homework to do in order to come out with general insights and principles from a somewhat spotty and fragmented maze of case studies...
On the other hand, it is to be considered, as well, that the subject has never undergone extensive review in the past, and that its inherent difficulties (let's face it, anything river-related is a tricky mess!! By far the most complex geomorphic systems...) imply an open road ahead for research, still to be fully explored. So, although lacking in explicit overview, the book was not and could not have been intended to provide easy or ready-made answers! Let's say that a second, more careful read can clear up the mind and aid in pinpointing a few principles of general relevance...
Of possible help however could be a paper published by two of the authors, which though much less detailed, contains the most interesting hints and observations you could gather from the book in a much more concise version! (Holbrook & Schumm, 1999, "Geomorphic and sedimentary response of rivers to tectonic deformation: a brief review and critique of a tool for recognizing subtle epeirogenic deformation in modern and ancient settings"", Tectonophysics 305: 287-306)

In spite of my rather substantial criticism, I guess it's fair to say that as an introduction to the subject this little treatise should not be missed by anyone interested! A second edition could come up with updates from a steadily growing body of literature, and above all with more introductory and summarizing background all throughout, in order to better lead the reader toward understanding and, why not, inspiration for further research...

First comprehensive book on the topic
This is the first book, in my opinion, to really focus on the effects of active tectonics in the fluvial system regime.Many books focus on tectonic geomorphology or fluvial geomorphology, but none has integratedboth subject areas for a thorough discussion on the integration of thetwo.

I really appreciated that the authors concentrated on case studiesrather than jargon.The two background chapters are sufficient to startthe advanced reader on the extremely interesting case studies.I alsoappreciated the division of the case studies into forward and inversemodeling approaches.

The applicatons section was full of studies ofmodern approaches in engineering, stratigraphy, and neotectonicinterpretation.

Overall, this book was the perfect synthesis of tectonicsand fluvial systems.Stan Schumm is a master on river morphology.He andHolbrook and Dumont should be commended on their effort! ... Read more

Book Description

Completely updated, the second edition of this comprehensive volume not only covers all major areas of hydrogeology, it takes a process-oriented, integrated approach so that readers can gain a complete understanding of the relationship between physical and chemical aspects of this subject. Provides a good balance between theory and application and includes new areas such as contaminant hydrogeology. Includes extensive reference list and suggested readings. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Good Reference though difficult to read
I used this text in my undergraduate studies and found it difficult to glean specific answers to applied questions.However, it is very detailed reference that I found useful in my professional career. ... Read more

Book Description

M->CREATED ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excellent Recopilation of material
After seeing this book, I see a lot of emphasis in structural geology. We could also add some input on Sedimentology and Geostatistics, which care more about reservoir heterogeneity. ... Read more

Book Description

This book is an introduction to the physical processes of cohesive sediment in the marine environment. It focuses on highly dynamic systems, such as estuaries and coastal seas. Processes on the continental shelf are also discussed and attention is given to the effects of chemistry, biology and gas.
The process descriptions are based on hydrodynamic and soil mechanic principles, which integrate at the soil-water interface. This approach is substantiated through a classification scheme of sediment occurrences in which distinction is made between cohesive and granular material. Emphasis is also placed on the important interactions between turbulent flow and cohesive sediment suspensions, and on the impact of flow-induced forces on the stability of the seabed.

An overview of literature on cohesive sediment dynamics is presented and a number of new developments are highlighted, in particular in relation to floc formation, settling and sedimentation, consolidation, bed failure and liquefaction and erosion of the bed. Moreover, it presents a summary on methods and techniques to measure the various sediment properties necessary to quantify the various parameters in the physical-mathematical model descriptions. A number of examples and case studies have been included. ... Read more

Book Description

This volume celebrates the 100th anniversary of theAssociation of American Geographers. It recognizes the importance oftechnologies in the production of geographical knowledge. The original chapters presented here examine technologies that haveaffected geography as a discipline. Among the technologies discussedare cartography, the camera, aerial photography, computers, and othercomputer-related tools. The contributors address the impact of suchtechnologies on geography and society, disciplinary inquiries into thesocial/technological interfaces, high-tech as well low-tech societies,and applications of technologies to the public and private sectors.Geography and Technology can be used as a textbook in geographycourses and seminars investigating specific technologies and theimpacts of technologies on society and policy. It will also be usefulfor those in the humanities, social, policy and engineering sciences,planning and development fields where technology questions arebecoming of increased importance. Geography clearly has much to learnfrom other disciplines and fields about geography/technology linkages;others can likewise learn much from us. ... Read more

Book Description

Completely revised and updated for its second edition, this volume belongs to the Open University series on oceanography. It is designed so that it can be read on its own or studied as part of the Open University third-level course, S330 Oceanography.



The book begins by describing the characteristics of waves and tides, and their behaviour in shallow water. After outlining the sources of sediment supply to the oceans, some theoretical aspects of sediment movement and deposition by currents are considered. After looking at wave action in the littoral zone, the interplay of tidal currents, river flow and wave action in estuaries and deltas are explored. The final chapter provides an overview of shelf processes.

This is a vital book for all oceanography undergraduate students worldwide.

Easy to use question and answer format
Full colour illustrations throughout
35-40% revised and extended from 1st edition ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Better Understanding of the Coastal Environment
As one of the Open University Oceanography Series, this book offers an excellent introduction to the physical processes operating in the nearshore and immediate offshore environments of the coastal zone. With a particular emphasis on the relationship between process and form, this work covers essential ideas and practical applications for university level instructors and students interested in the coastal environment. The book material is straightforward, readable, and offers the opportunity to develop fundamental research questions at a variety of levels. Best of all, it's a well-organized work at an affordable price. ... Read more

Book Description

Dynamic Earth clearly details the mechanisms responsible for plate tectonics, volcanic hotspots, and many resulting geological processes.Starting from basic principles, coverage provides a fundamental exploration into the principles of convection in the earth's mantle, summarizes key observations and presents all the relevant physics. The book begins with a brief history of the key ideas leading into mantle convection, covering more than 200 years of geological thought. It concludes with surveys of geochemical contraints on mantle evolution and the thermal evolution of the mantle, with implications for changes in the surface tectonic regime.Main concepts and arguments are presented with a minimum of mathematics.For the reader who desires fuller coverage, more mathematical versions of important aspects are also included. This book will be of interest to a broad range of geologists who desire a better understanding of the earth's internal dynamics. Graduate students and researchers working on the many aspects of mantle dynamics and its implications for geological processes will find it particularly useful. It is also suitable as a text for upper undergraduate and postgraduate courses in geophysics, geochemistry, and tectonics. ... 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

The story of the gentleman farmer from Edinburgh who discovered that the earth was millions of years old, not six thousand, and paved the way for Darwin's theory of evolution.

There are three men whose contributions helped free science from the straitjacket of theology. Two of the three-Nicolaus Copernicus and Charles Darwin-are widely known and heralded for their breakthroughs. The third, James Hutton, never received the same recognition, yet he profoundly changed our understanding of the earth and its dynamic forces. Hutton proved that the earth was likely millions of years old rather than the biblically determined six thousand, and that it was continuously being shaped and re-shaped by myriad everyday forces rather than one cataclysmic event.

In this expertly crafted narrative, Jack Repcheck tells the remarkable story of this Scottish gentleman farmer and how his simple observations on his small tract of land led him to a theory that was in direct confrontation with the Bible and that also provided the scientific proof that would spark Darwin's theory of evolution. It is also the story of Scotland and the Scottish Enlightenment, which brought together some of the greatest thinkers of the age, from David Hume and Adam Smith to James Watt and Erasmus Darwin. Finally, it is a story about the power of the written word. Repcheck argues that Hutton's work was lost to history because he could not describe his findings in graceful and readable prose. (Unlike Darwin's Origin of the Species, Hutton's one and only book was impenetrable.) A marvelous narrative about a little-known man and the science he founded, The Man Who Found Time is also a parable about the power of books to shape the history of ideas. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

A necessary biography
Repcheck's biography of James Hutton (the father of geology) is a well presented insight not only into the character and mindset of a man who provided the ultimate steps to establishing the Earth's true age in the face of religious doctrine, but also provides a fascinating general history of the time before and during the Scottish Enlightenment.
It is the latter that allows Repcheck to give substance to what would otherwise become an essay for two thirds of the book barely deals with Hutton, more with the history of various personages at the time. As such, under the guise of dealing with Hutton's youth it becomes apparent that this author has little source material so we are treated to a lengthy chapter on the Jacobite uprising and the battle of Culloden. None of which Hutton appears to have actively participated in. Still, it is presented in an interesting manner.
To begin we are given a somewhat nostalgic and romantic scene of an aging man finally proving his theories off Scotland's windswept coasts (the kind of thing that might open a tv documentary) and we then move swiftly into a commentary on previous scientific thinkers such as Luther, Gallileo et al and how they tentatively challenged Christian representation of the earth's origins to fit in with doctrinal requirements. We are also given details on how early Church thinkers kept altering the date of the world's creation to ensure that foretold events were always pushed back as the apocalyptic event approached. An opening page on the uniqueness of Castle rock's composition allow Repcheck to give us an early history of Edinburgh. Then we move into a seventy page history lesson on the early eighteenth century (roughly 1715 - 45) focusing on Bonnie Prince Charlie that just keeps on the titular track by telling us where Hutton was at each point as he studied to be a lawyer, then a doctor before, come 1745, settling onto a farm at Slighhouses where his management led to his fascination with soil and erosion.
The second half of the book devotes itself entirely to following the greatest thinkers of the Enlightenment - Watts, Black, Hume, Hutton and Smith (plus several others) and how they formed their own 'Inklings' that met discussed and formed a scientific clique in Edinburgh. As a result we then move rapidly on through his years spent study rock strata, his formulation of geothermal science to explain the cyclic nature of an ancient Earth, contradicting opponents like Werner who espoused the universal ocean theory. Eventually Hutton delivered his two lecture, 500 single print texts and promptly was the focus of both support and attack from those who say his statement that placed the earth as extremely ancient. The argument raged well beyond his death until eventually people like Lyle and Darwin saw the inevitability of fact and serious attempts began at dating the earth (eventually via isotopic decay in the 1950s).
If you had only read half this book you might be forgiven for thinking it had very little to do with Hutton and admittedly in the first part this is one of those books where the content tends to wander off the subject matter but it is done in a manner that the extra information about the period is fascinating in itself. However, come the latter stages, Hutton's presentation of his theories is placed within the intellectual context of the age, stressing its importance to the scientific community as a whole and permitting further achievements. What this book attempts to do with some success is give the modern reader an elegy to the Father of Geology from who simple observations contradicted the human view in an altogether Galilean way.

unearths a forgotten heroic scientific giant
This books makes a powerfully convincing case that James Hutton was a revolutionary scientist who literally gave us our modern conception of the world. The planet earth is over 4 billion years old and it is Hutton who first rigorously refuted the dogma that the world was created a mere 6,000 years ago. More importantly, he saw that currently active physical processes were responsible for the world's present shape and history, that these processes acted slowly but over vast periods of time. To understand our world is to see it as James Hutton did.

Repcheck beautifully presents the social context in which Hutton lived, with a lively and fascinating account of the Scottish Enlightenment and Hutton's relations with the leading figures of his day, a remarkable period of human intellectual development. The social history is the greatest strength of the book. But one also walks away with an appreciation for the enormity of Hutton's contribution and a great fondness for this loveable and remarkable man.

Mistaken
Hutton

Its been said that we live in a world of ideas. Sometimes ideas lead to good things but not always. One idea that has contributed greatly to the confusion over the age of the earth is usually attributed to James Hutton. The Man Who Found Time by Jack Repcheck is a recent book which gives some of the Hutton story. The book is subtitled: "The Discovery of the Earth's Antiquity."

It is from Hutton that we've gotten the religious idea of Uniformitarianism, often identified with the phrase The Present is the Key to the Past. The idea is that by observing natural processes in today's world, a person would come to the conclusion that since these processes are generally very slow, it would take a long, long time to develop the geologic formations we see today. In the main, Hutton's idea was (and remains) a denial that the earth's feature could have been produced by a catastrophe, especially a water related event, in the earth's history.

Repcheck's book (from Perseus Publishing, 2003) of some 200 pages plus a listing of source materials provides not only some insights into Hutton's life as a Scotsman and how Hutton came to his conclusions about earth history but also gives some interesting historical notes about 18th Century Scotland where Hutton lived. Recheck also reports that Hutton was not immune to the temptations of the flesh as he fathered a child by a young woman to whom he was not married.

Though trained in medicine, Hutton apparently never pursued a medical career but felt it more interesting to do other things, including a stint at farming. He was very much attracted to Issac Newton and his work. From him, it is said, Hutton learned or picked up observational skills.

Hutton, observing the give and take of tides and what he believed were pressures from deep in the earth, came to think that all of these would, over eons of time, create what he saw in front of his eyes. Hutton was not the first to come up with the thought that the earth was very old. He had probably read John Woodward's Essay Toward a Natural History of the Earth (1695) or William Whiston's New Theory of the Earth (1696) or perhaps G.L. de Buffon's 34 volume Histoire Naturelle (1749). These and other works of his day tended to stray away from the straight-forward reading of scripture. Hutton strayed even further from that path to the extent that the Bible was no longer considered a valid source of earth history. His thinking was first printed in 1788, based on lectures given in 1785. His book, The Theory of the Earth was finally published in 1795. Two years later, March 26, 1797, Hutton died, apparently of kidney failure.

Today, in most corners of geologic thought, Hutton is considered the Father of modern geology. His idea of a long age for earth history encouraged Charles Lyell to write his Principles of Geology, three volumes completed by 1833. These, in turn, provided Charles Darwin the grist for his later efforts. Hutton led to Lyell led to Darwin; a series of ideas.

Repcheck's work is interesting in that it provides a brief history of Hutton and his 18th Century thinking. As a balanced work, however, Repcheck could have gone a step further and showed that not all modern day geologists stand in awe of Hutton's work. There are many who take strong exception to the idea that the present is the key to the past but who, instead, maintain that the past is the key to the present. Many of these geologists are alive and well today and have written and spoken on the subject in many ways and venues but Repcheck does not mention them. This suggests that Repcheck is either ignorant of such people or is unwilling to acknowledge them for fear that some people might be tempted to hear what they have to say. In my opinion, it is the latter concern which Repcheck is facing. (...)

Disappointing
The topic of this book - the story of the man who first discovered how the earth had evolved over countless ages of geologic time - is intriguing and full of promise. Unhappily, the book does not live up to the promise.

To be fair, not a great deal seems to be known about James Hutton and any writer would be stretched to develop a book-length manuscript with so little directly relevant material. This explains the tediously detailed tangents that the writer chooses to indulge in. They provide background and context but are pedestrian and uninspired.

The writer is introduced on the back cover as an editor "with a long career of publishing works of science". It seems that this is the first book he has written and one should therefore be tolerant. It doesn't explain why it is so poorly edited. The copy editing alone is abysmal - was there no-one to check typos and spellings? He over-uses the word "rigorous" which only goes to point out that his own work is less than rigorous. The book is noticeably US-centric and in parts the US-based vocabulary is both inappropriate and distracting. A greater sensitivity to words would have added a lot.

We have to be grateful to the writer for introducing this little-known scientist to a wider readership. However, he does not do his subject justice.

New Respect for the Scots
I picked up this book having never heard of James Hutton and having no big interst in geology. But this book is more than a tale of rocks. It is a story about scientific discovery, breaking down established scientific/religous barriers, and most importantly a tale of friendship.

A very clear and consice book about a man who it seems was destined to be forgotten if not for people like Jack Repcheck. The book is very well structured from beginning to end. Repcheck is a master of presenting the histories of people, places, and thoughts. Repcheck does a great job describing the beliefs of the scientific community (or the beliefs imposed by religious sources) during each period of scientific discovery.

I was truly amazed at the brilliance that called Edinburgh home during the lifetime of James Hutton. One can only assume that the friendships between Hutton, Adam Smith, Joseph Black, and David Hume only helped blosom their scientific advances which in turn made our world forever grateful ... Read more