Can anyone recommend a good general book on geology? I’m after something meaty that could feasibly be used as part of studying for a degree in geology. I’ve no intention of doing a degree, just my idea of fun……

Thanks

It’s a while ago now, but Earth by Press & Siever was a decent general 1st year introductory text. Try amazon..

Yeah, the Press and Siever book is the standard introductory text for all earth-science related courses. It’s pretty good with some nice illustrations.

If you get more into it, for lots of areas there are books with local walks which explain what you are seeing as you go along. Also, if you have an iphone, the app from the BGS (British Geological survey – their website is pretty good as a starting point too, lots of interactive stuff) is good.

If for a bit of fun, may I suggest obtaining something more specific to where you live / go on holiday and you can go and see some of the features discussed.

Depends if you want some more “popular science” reading or a big meaty text book.

The textbook Earth: Portrait of a Planet by Marshak is good. The 1st edition is a bit too outdated but the 2nd volume is excellent if you don’t want to pay the full £45 for the latest one.

In terms of easier reading, Bill Bryson’s “A Short History of Nearly Everything” has a good introduction to the basics and is a very entertaining read.

There’s a great book called “Hutton’s Arse” which is a great introduction to the world of geology in Scotland and a background on the formation of geology as a science which is also a nice bit of pop-science.

If you want more a coffee table type book, this is good

One of the authors is a friend of mine.

Another thumbs up for “Huttons Arse” top read for rock watchers.

Geology & Landscapes of Scotland by Con Gillen is also worth a look 😀

Rock doctor here:

you need understand geological time scales, check out ‘The Key to earth history – an introduction to stratigraphy by Doyle, Bennett and Baxter.

then understand depositional processes, try Global Geomorphology by Summerfield.

like others have said, the bgs is a good website, but get out in the field, contact your local geology group and go on trips… far better explained with the rocks infront of you. Have a look at the Geological society website for details of groups and trips where you live…

http://www.bgs.ac.uk/
http://www.geolsoc.org.uk/index.html

I’ve got Earth by Press and Siever on my desk – course text for a first year module i’m teaching. It’s very readable for an academic textbook, especially if you get the most recent edition (though older ones will be cheap second hand on Amazon).

I want a degree level book, as stated in the OP. Thanks for the replies.

I already have studied Geology as part of a civil engineering degree. I also already have field guides and a few BGS titles, just no book on Geology broadly speaking. I want something I can refer to as I read field guides at home. I’ve got Huttons Arse, it’s a good book. Got A Short History of Nearly Everything, skims over a lot of stuff for sure. Looked at Land of Mountain and Flood, nice book but not what I want at this time. Don’t own a coffee table 😆

I’ll have a look at squidwards and alpinegirls suggestion, they answer my question 😈

you need understand geological time scales, check out ‘The Key to earth history – an introduction to stratigraphy by Doyle, Bennett and Baxter.

then understand depositional processes, try Global Geomorphology by Summerfield.

good god, that’s my Undergrad coming back to haunt me.

First year lectures consisted of a large part of Key to Earth history, lectures given by Doyle and Bennet.

Summerfield was a standard text, as reccommended by Bennett.

That Baxter though, he was a grumpy Glaswegian, taught me exploration Geochemistry, oh and how to give a b’llking for keeping everyone up in halls of residence.

I’d be surprised in Mike Summerfield was not on STW – right pedantic he was, I used to get loads of marks knocked off essays for spelling and grammer when the technical details were spot on. He’d then spend half the next lecture lecturing people on English rather than geomorphology.
He book was good though – see if you can find some spelling mistakes 😆

Press & Siever – standard issue reading for undergrads. It is a good book.

to be honest though, Geomorphology was always part of Physical Geography, which by default makes it about 60% padding…

😉

Men of Rock….. very interesting with super camera work…..

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00wkc1b

The Oxford Companion to the Earth

Might get it cheaper here

The Oxford Companion to the Earth
Hancock, Paul L.
The Oxford Companion to the Earth, by Edited by Paul L Hancock, Consultant Editor: Brian J Skinner, pp. 1184. Oxford University Press, Jun 2001. ISBN-10: 0198540396. ISBN-13: 9780198540397

Here is a wealth of information on planet Earth, ranging from the heights of the ionsphere down to the red-hot molten core. Written by some 200 expert contributors, and illustrated with over 600 pictures, including 16 pages of color plates, The Oxford Companion to the Earth offers 900 alphabetically arranged entries that cover everything from deserts and wetlands to mountains, caves, glaciers, and coral reefs. There are articles on natural phenomena such as tornadoes and tsunamis, volcanoes and earthquakes, jet streams and weather fronts; on the history of Earth, including the origin of life, Burgess Shale fauna, dinosaurs, and the Ice Ages; on key figures, such as Agassiz, Cuvier, Darwin, and Lamarck; and on such important ecological concerns as acid rain, the ozone layer, industrial waste disposal, and the greenhouse effect. The Companion also examines the great sources of wealth to be found in the Earth, from coal and oil to gold, silver, and diamonds, and many curious land formations, from sinkholes and fiords to yardangs and quicksand. There are brief entries on rock types, from amber to travertine, and extensive essays on cutting-edge aspects of the earth sciences, such as seismology and marine geology. The Companion includes extensive cross-references, suggested further reading, an index, and many useful appendices, with a geological timescale, facts and figures about the Earth, and a table of chemical elements. The Oxford Companion to the Earth is a unique reference work, offering unrivaled coverage of our home planet. Generously illustrated and vividly written, it is a treasure house of information for all lovers of natural history, geology, and ecology, whether professional or amateur.

jeez, lot of geologists on here…… 😆

and another…

I remember thinking Earth was good as an undergrad. Beyond that, the subject becomes lots of specialist niches

jeez, lot of geologists on here

Iain, as you know – we all love the mud…

Any geological dictionary will be useful for explaining technical terms etc. refer to mine all the time.

Penguin Geology Dictionary is superb for undergrad.

Like I say, Earth by Marshak is good. It was the most comprehensive undergrad book I’ve used in my time here, but not much use past 2nd year.

A real “meaty” book would be the Encyclopedia of Geology by Richard C. Selley, Robin Cocks, and Ian Plimer – a bargain at 599euros from EAGE!

A while ago but I used Dynamic Earth by Skinner and Porter as a 1st year text. No idea how it compares with the other texts though as been a while…

The thing is a general geology text book would be more suited to A level study than degree. When you get to degree level you are then looking as general books on sedimentology, ingneous petrology, structural and metamorphic geology. You need to be a bit more specific in area you want some “general” information on.

Not a book, but this is very useful especially if you need to look up local geology in the British Isles.

Open Geoscience

Nice of them to give it away….

And if you want harmonised (by lithological age at least) 1 to 1million scale geology for Europe then you could try here:
one geology Europe
Obviously not quite as useful as the UK 50k stuff but it’s a start. Might even get coastal subsidence areas and geohazard areas added for the 52 largest EU towns added in about 3 years……