The language of this book is straightforward and written to be understood. Clear, readable discussions with a minimum of technical language are the rule. The frequent headings and subheadings help students follow discussions and identify the important ideas presented in each chapter. In the Eleventh Edition, we have improved readability by examining the chapter organization and flow and by writing in a more personal style. Significant portions of several chapters were substantially rewritten in an effort to make the material more understandable. <...>

The 12th edition of Essentials of Geology, like its predecessors, is a college-level text for students taking their first and perhaps only course in geology. The text is intended to be a meaningful, nontechnical survey for people with little background in science. Usually students are taking this class to meet a portion of their college’s or university’s general requirements.
In addition to being informative and up-to-date, a major goal of Essentials of Geology is to meet the need of beginning students for a readable and user-friendly text; a text that is a highly usable tool for learning the basic principles and concepts of geology <...>

Earth is a very small part of a vast universe, but it is our home. It provides the resources that support our modern society and the ingredients necessary to maintain life. Therefore, knowledge of our planet is critical to our well-being and, indeed, vital to our survival. The science of geology contributes greatly to our understanding of planet Earth. Media reports frequently remind us of the geological forces at work on our planet.

Earth is a very small part of a vast universe, but it is our home. It provides the resources that support our modern society and the ingredients necessary to maintain life. Knowledge of our physical environment is critical to our well-being and vital to our survival. A basic geology course can help a person gain such an understanding, and can also take advantage of the interest and curiosity many of us have about our planet—its landscapes and the processes that create and alter our physical environment.

Earth is a very small part of a vast universe, but it is our home. It provides the resources that support our modern society and the ingredients necessary to maintain life. Knowledge of our physical environment is critical to our well-being and vital to our survival.

The thirteenth edition of Essentials of Geology, like its predecessors, is a college-level text that is intended to be a meaningful, nontechnical survey for students taking their first course in geology. In addition to being informative and up-to-date, a major goal of this book is to meet the need of students for a readable and user-friendly text that is a valuable tool for learning the basic principles and concepts of geology.
Although many topical issues are treated in the 13th edition of Essentials, it should be emphasized that the main focus of this new edition remains the same as the focus of each of its predecessors: to promote student understanding of basic principles. As much as possible, we have attempted to provide the reader with a sense of the observational techniques and reasoning processes that constitute the science of geology.