5 comments about Introduction to Seismology.

1. 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.



2. 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.



3. 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.



4. I really like this little book! The layout is great (no clutter) and easy to read. The font is adequate, the equations clear and the tone relaxed. While it isn't as in depth as most other books on this subject, it makes for a handy reference. It is a broad overview of the fundamentals of earthquake seismology. I find that it explains some of the more rigorous subject matter in an easier to understand way. If you're not understanding a subject very well in say, the book: "Quantitative Seismology", just refer to this little gem and wala...it's like a lightbulb coming on. I particularly like the section on source theory. It's like a breath of fresh air. I can't say enough about how accessible this book is. I recommend it highly.



5. This textbook is very good. The author emphasizes on the mathematical taste in the description of seismic and geologic features. If you look at things on a mathematical perspective, this is the on you must have in your "library".

4 comments about Fundamental Astronomy.

1. I am an astronomy student, i like so much this book, because i can laern all about the fundamental ideas in astrophisics, is so easy to read, so clear and it have a wonderful content.

   The items of this book are so importants to any student in astronomy, and is very interesting to the other people, if they like study the universe.

   I like so much the part about CCD, and the study of spectrography, I realy want to have this book with me.

   Thank you so much.

   Pablo Cuartas.




2. .This is a great and comprehensive primary textbook for a student. It is massive introduction to the huge field of astronomical study, and as such contains much of the basic concepts and plenty of hands-on exercises.
   I have been mainly using the Finnish version, but having also browsed through the English one I can safely say that the two differ from each other only minimally and thus my experiences with the original hold true with the translation too.
   As an end note I might point out, that even though having studied astronomy at the university, it is by no means my area of expertise: I'm majoring in linguistics. That alone, I think, proves how clear and well-written this tome really is: even an Arts students can read it and actually understand and learn! ;)



3. Fundamental Astronomy is both the title and an excellent description of the content of this handsome hard back volume. For the book to reach the fourth edition, it must be hitting a niche in the market. The preface to the first edition in 1987 identifies that market as a "university textbook for a first course in astronomy" which is also suited for serious amateurs who "find the popular texts too trivial". In my opinion, that description from the original preface is "spot on" and makes this volume a must-buy for any serious amateur looking for a comprehensive overview of matters astronomical.
   
   The book covers the basics of astronomy, stellar astrophysics and mainly features of our Universe which are relatively close-at-hand. Large scale structure and cosmology are less than ten percent of the content. It covers all topics to considerable depth, far more so than most publications aimed at a general readership. It is mathematical, although the maths is present largely for academic completeness, and can be skimmed or by-passed as required without reducing to any great extent, the utility provided. Its usefulness for education purposes is enhanced by worked examples in each section followed by exercises.
   
   Within its 19 major sections, it contains much relevant and dare I say fundamental material. The book is well illustrated with mainly monochrome plates which are relevant to the subject at hand plus many carefully constructed, concise graphics and illustrations.
   
   This is a comprehensive reference volume, which will age but slowly on any serious amateur's book shelf, as the subject matter is largely timeless.



4. As an amateur astronomer who loves theory and the math that goes with it, I found this text to be utterly exquisite for helping me recapture a lot of my old math skills. While the real amount of calculus needed in the text was not overtly taxing, I did find the text very useful indeed for requiring the use of a strong algebra background, along with lots of Trig, and of course, geometry and Calculus.
   
   The problems in this book were intriguing, challenging and just awesome in every respect. For example, I found myself for the first time since I can recall, drawing Trig and geometrical diagrams to assist in visualizing a particular problem as an aid toward the ultimate answer! These problems, all of them mathematical in nature, are extremely interesting and encourage you to make a sketch of the phenomenon at hand in order to arrive at a solution.
   
   And in addition to the problems, the text has very useful solved examples that show you how a particular problem calculation is reached. You really do learn a lot just from these examples.
   
   I think the book might have benefitted from having even more exercises in it, which to me would make it even more useful for a semester university course in introductory Astrophysics. Instead of having 73 exercises, perhaps 150-200 problems would have been more 'whetting' to an appetite like mine is for Astronomy. But, I can heartily recommend that this book, if completed and all the problems worked, will definitely prepare one for a more challenging text with more Math and problems!
   
   The authors could only improve this thing with more text length and more problems, as far as I am concerned. The appendixes and Tables in the back give the student a little bit of good background to the Math needed in the book as well.
   
   This text is a complete WINNER in the category of INTRODUCTORY TEXTBOOKS for the beginning course in college Astronomy!

1 comments about Beyond the Moon: A Conversational, Common Sense Guide to Understanding the Tides.

1. Come on, admit it, you always thought you knew exactly what caused the tides, and why the Bay of Fundy has such a large tidal range! Hah! You only thought you knew. Now, thanks to Dr. Jim McCully's easy to read treatise, you will soon be able to impress all of your friends with great knowledge. Who knows, you might win some trivia contest!
   
   No, seriously, this is a readable and witty explanation of all of the many factors that go into the tidal process. This book patiently explains why tides come and go, why some areas have more than two tides per day, and where the water goes when it goes. Dr. McCully is a knowledgeable researcher and an entertaining writer who makes all the physics and astronomy easy to understand. If you have curiosity about all things natural, if you are a yachtsman or woman, or if you love to fish (as does the author), you will find this book incredibly interesting and helpful.

5 comments about The Geysers of Yellowstone.

1. The Geysers of Yellowstone is best guide to Yellowstones thermal features I know of, but I wish it would include some of the non-eruptive hot spring and mud pots. Never the less, the book is packed with in-depth information on everything the ever erupted in Yellowstone at time. I am a Yellowstone visitor for 8 years running, and more than half this book, I still don't know! A MUST for any geyser lover.



2. Now in its third edition and completely revised, this geyser Bible remains the definitive guide to Yellowstone's erupting thermal features. Detailed maps of each of Yellowstone's geyser basins and colorful descriptions of every known geyser make the book both easy to read and easy to use when stalking eruptions of even the most elusive geysers. A fascinating list of all the world's other known geyser regions, many of which have suffered from geothermal development, makes the reader realize all the more what a special place Yellowstone really is.



3. This is a fine book, but WHY is it cross-listed under "Natural Disasters"? Geysers are no more "disasters" than trees or rivers are. I don't get it.



4. If the phenomenon of geysers interests you, this is your book. It should be the yardstick by which all others on the subject are measured.

   Superbly well organized, and written, this book readily conveys the author's enthusiasm for the subject. I would have preferred a few more color photographs in addition to the cover, but this is a minor quibble. The black and white photos are chosen carefully, and give a good idea of the feature involved.

   The book discusses all known geysers in Yellowstone, which park contains a substantial majority of these features on the planet. Maps are supplied, and are easily deciphered. Data is given concerning the eruptive pattern of each geyser, where known, and this proved most helpful during a recent trip to this magnificent area.

   The feature I enjoyed the most was the detailed appendix, setting forth all known geyser fields anywhere on Earth. I guarantee some of the locations and features will surprise you. The author also discuuses which of these fields are most endangered by unwise development of geothermal power.

   Very, very highly recommended. Indeed, I should say it is indispensible for anyone planning a trip to Yellowstone National Park. Enjoy.




5. This book provides a thorough and comprehensive description of every darned geyser in Yellowstone National Park by a recognized expert. The descriptions are organized geographically by geyser basin, which is a good framework. Photographs are found throughout the book, but none in color. This is the book's primary drawback. On the other hand, inclusion of color would probably make the cost of the book prohibitive...... Great for reading about the geysers BEFORE going to the Park, but I wouldn't use this for a guidebook while IN the Park. I'd go to Carl Schreier's "Yellowstone's Geysers, Hot Springs & Fumaroles" for that. Together, the two books make an outstanding package.

No comments about New Theory of the Earth.

1 comments about Exploring Stone Walls: A Field Guide to New England's Stone Walls.

1. The book, Exploring Stone Walls, A Field Guide to New England's Stone Walls by Robert Thorson is split up into eleven detailed chapters. From there it is distributed into three separate sections. The first section is divided into four chapters. Thorson mainly talks about how there are many different types of life in and or around a stone wall. Many different types of organisms live here including the smallest life forms such as lichens and bacteria to large mammals such as dogs and cats. Although Thorson doesn't give much of an overview about this section, it is highly detailed fact-wise. I found this quite interesting because even if you are not an in-depth stonewall observer, than you can still have an enjoyable time watching them if you also have other interests such as ecology or if you're a naturalist. During the course of this book, there was one small segment about how he talked about artificial stone being very abundant throughout New England. I feel like this had little reference to the rest of the topics that Thorson was explaining. But there was an extremely well-developed chapter that I felt helped me overcome the very puzzling question of "How do you know whether to classify stone as a wall or a pile?" Very challenging question. Or is it? There is a simple answer to this problem. If the wall is anything less than four times long than it is wide it is a pile and vice-versa. In chapter eight of the book there is a well thought of segment about how to determine a certain wall's age. If you like to have history tied in with reading than you'll like this book. I didn't enjoy the chapter about the terrain because it was too detailed and it barely even talked about the walls. But his best chapter was chapter eleven, where he described some of his personal favorite stone walls to visit. This is even more interesting if you love to travel and explore. Overall, Thorson is a very good author and many people will benefit reading this book.

No comments about Paleoclimatology: Reconstructing Climates of the Quaternary (International Geophysics).

2 comments about Remote Sensing: The Image Chain Approach.

1. Most hard-core remote sensing engineers would love this book, especially those interested in the overall design and physics of sensors themselves. I don't reference it as much as other texts I own on the subject, although I do reluctantly consider it a "must have" for remote sensing students who are interested in pursuing the field further. The price tag was not student-friendly, however.



2. The other books on the subject of remote sensing mainly look like they were written by and for geologists. There is usually lots of tabular data, tons of prose on the subject, and very little in the way of mathematics or algorithms. This just won't do if you are a programmer or engineer who needs to know how the final product got to be the final product, from optics to sensors to image processing. Engineers understand via equations and figures, and this book delivers those details.
   
   Granted, the author does and must skip quite a few details when he is deriving equations such as the governing equation on the light that hits a sensor that appears to be coming from a target point. However, if the author was to go into those details the book would be 6000 pages long, not 600 pages. The part on image processing is OK, but still weaker than Gonzales and Woods book Digital Image Processing (3rd Edition). That book is essential if you want to manipulate the final product. Once again though, Schott had to delete some of the details in order to keep the book on track and on topic and prevent it from becoming an unwieldy tome. Highly recommended for engineers interested in remote sensing from an engineering standpoint.

2 comments about 3-D Seismic Interpretation.

1. This is very good book on 3D seismic interpretation written in a very simple language.



2. I bought this book, amongst others, in order to update myself on the essentials of 3-D interpretation whilst learning to use a 3D software package. I chose it as a reference text, before returning to work as a Geophysicist after a seven year break. It was just what I needed to refresh my memory! The book is easy to read, concise and well organized. It also has plenty of current and essential references on each topic which saved me a lot of research time.

1 comments about Applied Geophysics.

1. I first came across Telford during my Postgraduate days in Nigeria. It's has been my second bible ever since. It's a classical book in Applied Geophysics. It has no rival. I would encourage geophysicists world-wide to have a second look at the book, especially, professionals, postgraduate and undergraduate students. It's complete with modern references in Applied Geophysics.