Jerome Wyckoff

This is a pedestrian book, written in a workmanly style with little sparkle. Nonetheless I was delighted with it.

I've frequently complained about the geology books I've read that assume I already have some familiarity with the subject; this book treated me as the novice I am, explaining every little detail, and including a vast number of diagrams and photographs.
The only complaint I have is that, being dated 1967, it is still basically unaware of plate tectonics; there are a few hesitant nods to "continental drift" and that's it. But to be fair, I can't even really complaint about that; it was interesting in a quaint sort of way.

All in all recommmended.

I see that (purely coincidentally) I own a copy of the same author's 1999 Reading the Earth which appears to be essentially an updated version of the material in the same style, ie geology copiously illustrated. I look forward to reading it, and I assume this is what you really should look for and read, not this 1967 work.… (meer)