What are crystals and how do they form? How are crystals related to minerals, and what are their properties? This book answers these questions and many more about cool crystals. From their unique structure to the most popular types of crystals in the world, everything readers need to know is covered!

What kinds of fossils exist, and where are they found? What are fossils and how do they form? This book answers this question and many more about the fascinating world of fossils. From the discovery of dinosaurs to the information fossils reveal about Earth's prehistoric past, everything readers need to know is covered!

What are minerals and how do they form? What do they look like and where are they found? This book answers these questions and many more about magnificent minerals. From their role as the building blocks of rocks to the most common minerals on Earth, everything readers need to know is covered!

From their geologic role on Earth to their most common uses in everyday life, everything readers need to know about rocks is covered. What are igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic, rocks? How are they different and how do they form? This book answers these questions and many more about the rocks that make up our planet.

Think rocks are boring? Hard to like? Kinda just sit there, doing nothing? Why even write a whole book about them?? Bethany Barton will tell you why . . . because we wouldn't be here if there were no rocks! From the Grand Canyon to volcanos to diamonds and fossils, geology--the study of rocks--shows us where we've been and where we're going. With tons of humor and scores of fascinating facts, Bethany Barton introduces younger readers to geology and why rocks matter . . . enough to write a whole book about them!

Mineral collecting by amateur rockhounds has never been more popular. Old quarries, road cuts, and exposed landscapes are being examined by new generations of minerals enthusiasts. Each needs a comprehensive guidebook with clear photographs and accurate data. This is it. In a thick but handy format, more than 700 different minerals and rocks are grouped by color (for ease of location in the book) -- blue, red, yellow, brown, green, white and black crystals; brown and gray sedimentary rocks; and meteorites for anyone lucky enough to find one. Each has a picture -- four to a page -- opposite detailed but clear data: Chemical formula Hardness Color Density Lustre Cleavage Fracture Tenacity Crystal form Similar minerals and where they are likely to occur. And many will have a diagram of its crystal form -- up to four, for fluorite, for example. The Minerals Encyclopedia is unusual for the number of minerals it covers: more than 700 in 448 pages, with a useful glossary, an introduction to mineral collecting, printed front and back flaps that offer quick reference in the field, and a measuring rule on the back cover. This is a superior reference for rockhounds, geology students and outdoors people with an interest in what's under their feet.