Geopedia

Geopedia brings together a broad set of rock formations, minerals, landforms and geological events, each shown alongside the names people have given them over the centuries. Presented as an illustrated reference of several dozen entries, from Acasta gneiss to zircon, it is written for stone collectors and for anyone who enjoys unusual words.

Marcia Bjornerud argues that geology needs such a large vocabulary because Earth produces so many kinds of stone and so many kinds of change. Her entries also show how the field's terms record humanity's long relationship with rock. Some words draw on myth, some arrived from other languages, some have aged badly, and some are recent coinages. Her tone is witty and warm throughout.

Each entry closes with cross-references, so readers can leave strict alphabetical order and follow connections from term to term. The book is compact enough to take on field trips. Whimsical illustrations by Haley Hagerman accompany the text. Along the way it explains how the planet works, how Earth and life have shaped one another over billions of years, and how scientific understanding of the planet has deepened over time.