MINERALOGY AND OPTICAL MINERALOGY

When this hefty volume arrived in the mail, I realized that I was in for some serious reading, but I didn’t know yet that this was only one part of the story. The viewing turned out to be just as extensive. I was looking forward to seeing this package that puts much emphasis on new teaching and learning approaches. This emphasis partly answers the question: Why another textbook on mineralogy? What sets the text apart from other mineralogy books, according to the authors’ own words, is (1) an integrated DVD with color figures and animations, (2) a searchable mineral database, (3) the use of modern pedagogy, (4) the way information is presented, from basic to advanced material. What may possibly ruffle some feathers in academia is the authors’ concern that mineralogy courses are taught in old-fashioned ways, that they are, more often than not, boring or tedious. I don’t believe things are quite so bad. I am sure there are plenty of lecturers who make a conscious effort to teach an interesting mineralogy course, and I am also sure that there are many students who enjoy these courses. To give a brief overview of contents, the book has 24 chapters, an introductory one, followed by five chapters that cover the basics of mineralogy, and 18 chapters on advanced topics covering chemical aspects, crystallography, diffraction, optical mineralogy, mineral analysis, environments of mineral formation, nomenclature and classification, systematic mineralogy, and “non-geological” mineralogy. Each chapter has an introduction page that recounts a personal story related to the topic being presented, including some of the more troublesome experiences while being a student. This introduces a conversational style of presentation that breaks with the more rational-impersonal approach of typical textbooks. The book is amply illustrated, and all the printed figures (plus more material) are also …