Cambridge guide to minerals, rocks and fossils / Кембриджский путеводитель по минералам, горным породам и окаменелостям

It is over 20 years since this book first appeared and numerous reprints and several foreign language editions are a measure of its success. The colour plates that were specially commissioned for the First Edition have been retained, although presented in a slightly different way, and are supplemented by 17 new plates. There have been significant advances in the geological sciences over the past two decades and the text has been thoroughly revised so as to take account of them. In particular we have tried to ensure that mineral names, chemical formulae and structural data accord to current international practice as recommended by the International Mineralogical Association (IMA). We are pleased to acknowledge the guidance given by such recent references as Hey's Mineral Index (Clark, 1993) and the Encyclopedia of Mineral Names by W. H. Blackburn and W. H. Dennen, edited by R. F. Martin (Canadian Mineralogist Special Publication 1, 1997). We are grateful to Dr Monica Grady for her help in revising and improving the section on meteorites and tektites. Some of the line drawings have been replaced, additional ones added, and colour has been introduced to improve clarity. The publishers have given the book a new look that we hope will appeal to readers. Sadly, Dr Roger Hamilton, who was responsible for the part of the First Edition that dealt with fossils, died in 1979. Dr Brian Rosen, a colleague at The Natural History Museum, has undertaken the task of revising this section for the new edition. He has secured the help of several specialist contributors in order to ensure that the descriptions of fossils are accurate and up-to-date. These contributors are listed on page 223, and their help is most gratefully acknowledged. We are pleased to acknowledge the links with The Natural History Museum in London in the preparation of this new edition. We are grateful also to Caroline Rayner, Stephen Scanlan and Laura Hill of Philip's for their help in the preparation and production of this volume. <...>