Book Description
Geosystems is written, organized, and illustrated to give new learners an accessible, systematic, and visually appealing start in the study of physical geography. This edition includes the brand new Geography Animations CD.
A four-part organization of chapter covers the energy-atmosphere system; the water, weather, and climate systems; the earth-atmosphere interface; and soils, ecosystems, and biomes.
For individuals with an interest in physical geography.
Customer Reviews:
Fun to read.......2007-08-17
Fun to read?! A textbook!? That's right. I'm reading this for my own edification, not for a class, and I'm enjoying it. This book is amazingly well organized. It flows from topic to topic, and learning is enhanced. With most textbooks, you know the routine. Read it, hope the teacher can explain it better, then reorganize the material in your notes into some more understandable fashion. With Geosystems, it's just "read and learn."
I used to hate geography, now I love it. For more detailed info on this book, read the excellent Amazon reviews by steele and nmatzke.
Ignore the Dullards, This is a World-Class Book for Serious People.......2007-06-30
I picked this gem up at the University of Colorado bookstore. I do not have the time for a third graduate degree, but if I did, it would be in Environmental Science.
Unlike most textbooks, this hardcover version is worth every penny, and the paperback is a bargain. This is a large book, 8.5 x 11, crammed with photos, extraordinarily well organized, illustrated, and presented, and it includes a CD ROM that the previous owner never opened that I find to be priceless: a series of illustrations and animations keyed to every chapter, with a non-punitive self-test. Also provided free are an online study guide. Supporting materials include a Student Study Guide and a Student Lecture Notebook that provides illustrations and diagrams to be integrated into the class binder. All are identified by ISBNs, but if you miss page xviii, which outlines "the package," you will be unaware of the other resources.
Each chapter has the base material, a focus study, a news item, and more often than not, a career link. Each chapter ends with self-study questions. My bottom line: this book, taken seriously, *is* a self-taught graduate program in Geosystems.
The only think I do not see in the book, and it may be in the study guide, is "Recommended Reading." BUT a complete array of current sources are fully cited as easily visible footnotes on most pages.
The only gap in this book, and it could probably be quickly developed as a supplementary paperback guide and CD, is the avoidance of an integrated discussion of costs and consequences. The entire study of Geosystems is irrelevant unless it can be explained to people in "true cost" terms. While the book excels, for example, at showing the severe drop in aquifers across specific places, it does not provide a guide to calculating current and future costs to society for ignoring these problems and allowing corporations and individuals to continue to externalize to the public and to future generations, the costs of being stupid and greedy today.
First rate book. One of the most serious textbooks, one of the best illustrated, explained, supported, and presented, I have every seen. For serious adults and emerging adults only--this is not a book, nor a class, for dolts just trying to meet a requirement for graduation.
Other recommended book:
High Noon 20 Global Problems, 20 Years to Solve Them
The Future of Life
Blessed Unrest: How the Largest Movement in the World Came into Being and Why No One Saw It Coming
The Ecology of Commerce
Ecological Economics: Principles And Applications
Valuing the Earth: Economics, Ecology, Ethics
Plan B 2.0: Rescuing a Planet Under Stress and a Civilization in Trouble
Water: The Fate of Our Most Precious Resource
Pandora's Poison: Chlorine, Health, and a New Environmental Strategy
Resource Wars: The New Landscape of Global Conflict With a New Introduction by the Author
A well done text. Top notch photos and diagrams........2007-03-21
I thought this was well organized and easy to understand for the most part. There were only a few parts (pages, really) that were sort of ho-hum. The diagrams and photos were top notch and really went well with the text. This text would be interesting to read just for the sake of it. I don't have another text to compare it to, which I imagine is a good thing. I've had other texts that were so bad that I only used them for the problem sets (Zill's diff eq text!) but the only external source I used with this book was the internet --and that was usually because something in the book sparked more curiosity.
I would have preferred more technical information (such as wave dynamics or quantative analysis) but I do understand this is an intro text and that I am a math geek.
Our instructor combined this text with the geography of the Pacific NW where I reside, and I certainly do look at the landscape quite differently after taking this course. For that, I give it a five.
Kudos to Christopherson for a well designed book.
Schoolbook with pleasant pictures.......2006-11-04
I know I bought this book for a class I'm taking and while the data is something I need to learn what I really like about this book is all the beautiful photography both in the book and in the accompaning CD have on them.
The authors wife is a professional photographer and he uses that to illustrate the concepts with asthetics.
Is the book a bit of a hard read? Yes but again it's a college level textbook so this isn't surprising but if you have to buy it for class don't despair you'll have a book full of beautiful pictures of mother nature to look at well after the college class is done.
Book.......2005-10-28
I have still failed to recieve the Book Geosystems: An Intoduction to Physical Geography. This is the only book that i have not yet recieved out of the books i have ordered. It has been 2 months and still no book. I will be asking for a full refund if the book is not in my possession by the end of this month.
Thank you. . . Very Concerned Customer
Book Description
With authoritative and detailed coverage, Skinner and Porter address all key areas of physical geology, as well as recent events that have shaped our world. The new edition is updated to address the latest in geoscientific research, theory, and knowledge.
Emphasis on the unifying themes of physical geology
Expands the earth systems science viewpoint of previous editions
Introduces readers to remote sensing, global positioning systems, and other tools
Exciting, first-hand accounts from the field relate geology to everyday life experiences
Includes a GeoDiscoveries CD with an interactive globe, animations, videos, and more
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful!!.......2007-07-05
Not only did the book arrive very quickly and in great condition but I had emailed the seller to ask a question and got an immediate reply within a couple of hours!! Would order from this seller again and again.
Very Good, if Pricy, Textbook.......2006-08-28
This book is one of the standard university texts in physical geology, along with Understanding Earth by Frank Press et al. The book is well written and very well illustrated. The discription of plate tectonics and it's integration throughout the book is very well done. Like most such texts, it has the disadvantage of being written by lifelong academics with little or no contact with the extraxtive industries. Their treatment of energy extraction is superficial at best. One of the most important developments in geology over the past 30 years, that of sequence stratigraphy, does not even get a mention, perhaps because it came out of the oil exploration industry. (Understanding Earth does devote a paragraph or two to sequence stratigraphy.)
I confess that I did not buy a copy from Amazon. I picked mine up at a Border's Bookstore in London. The only difference in my copy and one bought in the US is a large graphic on the cover saying "Restricted: not for sale in North America". Why the restriction? Like many university textbooks, this one can be bought in overseas at a fraction of the US price. My undiscounted Border's London price was $59.19, a little more than half the US price. Quite remarkable, considering the current weakness of the US dollar to the UK pound.
a very dynamic earth.......2006-01-25
Skinner, Porter and Park give you a richly illustrated introduction to geology. The text spans the breadth of modern geology, and shows an exciting and changing planet. There are numerous photos of examples of terrain, often accompanied by schematics to aid understanding. The latest techniques practised in geology are explained. Especially noteworthy is the extensive use of GPS. This has greatly aided recording the location of interesting geological samples.
Earthquakes are also well covered, and will probably be of interest to many readers, especially if you are in California. The history of the Richter and Mercalli scales is gone into. Unfortunately, predicting quakes is still very uncertain!
The discussion on earthquakes is also used as a good example of plate tectonics, where the latter is probably the central idea of geology.
An Excellent Physical Geology Textbook & Reference Source.......2005-02-28
This book is for all persons, students and others, who wish to learn geology with over 500 easy-to-read pages. The Earth is a giant machine, a machine that never stops. How the Earth-machine works is the story told in this book, and it is a fascinating story. The science that studies the Earth is geology, and those involved in the study are geologists. Physical processes are shaping the Earth now and have been shaping the Earth over the past 4.5 billion years.
Interesting and Easy to understand.......1997-12-23
It was an interesting book that I am going to use also after graduation. Even if I don't speak fluently English, the book was easy to understand. I had the book as recommended litterature in a Geology course. And after reading it I did pretty well on the exam.
Book Description
To understand timely issues such as natural disasters and environmental challenges–and to evaluate solutions to related problems–the average citizen needs a basic awareness of the scientific principles that influence our planet. This trusted book makes an often-complex subject accessible to readers with a strong focus on readability and illustrations.
Offers a meaningful, non-technical survey that is informative and up to date for learning basic principles and concepts. Includes a revised and expanded GEODe Earth CD-ROM. Updates and revises art and illustrations to include dozens of new high-quality, photographs carefully selected to aid understanding and add realism. Provides a wealth of new special-interest boxes, including "Earth as a System," "People and the Environment," and "Understanding Earth."
A useful reference for anyone interested in learning more about Earth's geology.
Customer Reviews:
Good Condition.......2007-10-01
I bought the book for my sis who is in college, so I cant speak for the content of the book, but the service and condition in which it arrived was excellent.
A very enjoyable text for the general reader as well as the student - with a nicely done CD.......2007-08-21
I have found reading this text to be an awful lot of fun. Does that sound strange? Learning how the physical features and materials of the Earth came to be has always been fascinating to me. Part of it is because of the vast amounts of time involved, but also because how the descriptions of what has been observed connects so well with what we have come to know. Certainly, there is a lot left to explain, but many things are pretty well documented.
While the concept of Continental Drift has been around for many decades, I remember some of the descriptions of Plate Tectonics when I was a kid in the 60s and the hoopla the idea of floating continents caused. Adults debated back and forth what they heard in the news without much real information about the ideas. Here we are four decades further on and a great deal of confirming discoveries have been made.
The authors write with a lively style what could have been a dry as dust textbook. I love the way it is organized, the wonderful illustrations, and the "Students Sometimes Ask" feature. Each chapter is summarized well with the main concepts in bullet points. There are review questions so you see if you have internalized the material enough to formulate a proper answer. A list of key terms is also provided (with the page numbers so you can pop back into the chapter to dig into those words that haven't quite stuck in your brain).
The authors also list web sources for materials they provide on their Prentice Hall website. A particularly nice CD comes with the text that not only presents animated slides of the material for each chapter, but it is also narrated. There is also a chapter quiz for the material presented on the CD. This disk is a very nice feature for our more visually oriented age. Sure, I prefer the text, but I bet I could sell studying the CD to young people quite easily.
The physical geology of the Earth is covered very well in the book's (and CD's) twenty-four chapters. After the introduction we dive into plate tectonics, minerals, igneous rocks weathering & soil, sedimentary rocks, metamorphism and a lot more. And like all science texts, the concept of climate change is presented.
I think general readers like myself can enjoy this book and get a great deal from it.
Average customer rating:
- Introduction to Groundwater Modeling
- Outdated and of little value
- Highly recommended
|
Introduction to Groundwater Modeling: Finite Difference and Finite Element Methods
Herbert F. Wang , and
Mary P. Anderson
Manufacturer: Academic Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Environmental Science
| Earth Sciences
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Earth Sciences
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Geography
| Earth Sciences
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Geology
| Earth Sciences
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Boundary & Finite Analysis
| Engineering
| Applied
| Mathematics
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Hydrology
| Civil
| Engineering
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Civil
| Engineering
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
Groundwater
| Environmental
| Civil
| Engineering
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
Hydraulics
| Environmental
| Civil
| Engineering
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
Environmental Science
| Earth Sciences
| Professional Science
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Earth Sciences
| Professional Science
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
Geology
| Earth Sciences
| Professional Science
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Outdoors & Nature Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Science Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
All Amazon Upgrade
| Amazon Upgrade
| Stores
| Books
Engineering
| Amazon Upgrade
| Stores
| Books
Professional & Technical
| Amazon Upgrade
| Stores
| Books
Science
| Amazon Upgrade
| Stores
| Books
All Titles
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Professional
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Science
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Applied Groundwater Modeling
-
Dynamics of Fluids in Porous Media (Dover Books on Physics and Chemistry)
-
Groundwater Hydraulics And Pollutant Transport
-
Effective Groundwater Model Calibration: With Analysis of Data, Sensitivities, Predictions, and Uncertainty
-
Applied Contaminant Transport Modeling
ASIN: 012734585X |
Book Description
The dramatic advances in the efficiency of digital computers during the past decade have provided hydrologists with a powerful tool for numerical modeling of groundwater systems.
Introduction to Groundwater Modeling presents a broad, comprehensive overview of the fundamental concepts and applications of computerized groundwater modeling.
The book covers both finite difference and finite element methods and includes practical sample programs that demonstrate theoretical points described in the text. Each chapter is followed by problems, notes, and references to additional information. This volume will be indispensable to students in introductory groundwater modeling courses as well as to groundwater professionals wishing to gain a complete introduction to this vital subject.
Key Features
* Systematic exposition of the basic ideas and results of Hilbert space theory and functional analysis
* Great variety of applications that are not available in comparable books
* Different approach to the Lebesgue integral, which makes the theory easier, more intuitive, and more accessible to undergraduate students
Customer Reviews:
Introduction to Groundwater Modeling.......2003-05-05
I found this text very valuable in explaining the differences between these two methods and how each handles the dependent variable (head) and its first derivative (flow). The text also discusses Laplaces equation, iterative methods including Gauss-Seidel/SOR. Chapters are dedicated to finite difference and finite element methods under steady-state and transient conditions. It also demonstrates how each element is handled separately using finite element method and then the equations are assembled into a conductance matrix.
This text is a very good complement to other modeling texts. However, if you want to learn how to set up your hydrogeologic conceptual model, what data is needed to develop a good model, how to choose your numerical model, verify, calibrate your model, interpret results and perform a post audit, this is not that text. For the purpose of model setup etc. I would recommend Applied Groundwater Modeling.
Outdated and of little value.......2001-12-09
I found this book somewhat outdated. Even though it was well-written if was of little value. There are several other books of better quality.
Highly recommended.......2000-03-31
I've used this book in two of my groundwater modeling classes. Despite the fact that it is a little outdated, it has the clearest explaination I've come across of the mathematics behind groundwater modeling. In addition, it contains very good example problems.
Book Description
A nuts-and-bolts introduction to geographic information systems (GIS), this book outlines the basic concepts and diverse uses of this technology in a local government environment. Emphasizing the value of integrating data from various sources, the book provides a set of tools for improving the way public services are delivered, resources are managed, and policy decisions are made. Rather than stressing the computer technology that is so rapidly changing in the GIS industry, this book concentrates on the concepts upon which this technology is based: information systems design, computer-aided mapping, topological data structures, geographic base files, and land records systems. It also provides the latest information on the U.S. Census Bureau's TIGER files and the Global Positioning Satellite System established by the U.S. Department of Defense. Special features include fourteen case studies, a chapter describing the enormous effort required to set up and manage a typical GIS project, and an appendix on who is using GIS technology and how it is being used. Whether they run the GIS or help run the government, readers of An Introduction to Urban Geographic Information Systems will learn efficient and effective methods for improving the impact that local government has on its citizens.
Average customer rating:
|
Introduction to Physical Geography
Ralph C. Scott
Manufacturer: West Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Explore the World
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Earth Sciences
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Geography
| Earth Sciences
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Earth Sciences
| Professional Science
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
All Titles
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Children's Books
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Professional
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Science
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
College Algebra with Modeling and Visualization (3rd Edition) (Rockswold Series)
ASIN: 0314062602 |
Book Description
Writing in clear prose, Ralph Scott offers a complete introduction to physical geography in a concise paperback. It contains well-balanced, well-illustrated coverage of the major themes of physical geography: the characteristics, interdependence, and global distribution of the earth's major physical features (weather and climate, natural vegetation, soils, and landforms). The process-oriented approach, with an emphasis on systems, shows how the Earth is a single, functioning entity. An emphasis on North America characterizes this edition. Biogeography, particularly ecosystems and food chains, is covered in detail in two chapters.
Book Description
For generations, the ground beneath the feet of our ancestors seemed solid and unchanging. Around 30 years ago, two things happened that were to revolutionize the understanding of our home planet. First, geologists realized that the continents themselves were drifting across the surface of the globe and that oceans were being created and destroyed. Secondly, pictures of the entire planet were returned from space. As the astronomer Fred Hoyle had predicted, this 'let loose an idea as powerful as any in history'. Suddenly, the Earth began to be viewed as a single entity; a dynamic, interacting whole, controlled by complex processes we scarcely understood. It began to seem less solid. As one astronaut put it, 'a blue jewel on black velvet; small, fragile and touchingly alone'. Geologists at last were able to see the whole as well as the detail; the wood as well as the trees. This book brings their account up to date with the latest understanding of the processes that govern our planet.
Book Description
This book is organized around the three parts of the biosphere: land, water, and air. Each section contains descriptions of the environmental problems associated with that part of the biosphere. In the section on the atmosphere, for instance, such problems as acid rain and the greenhouse effect are discussed. Immediately following each problem or "challenge" are suggested ways that individuals can help solve or alleviate them. This book has been written to provide the reader with some easy and practical ways to protect the Earth and to help understand why the task is so important.
Average customer rating:
|
Introduction to Geography
Edward F. Bergman , and
Tom L. McKnight
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall College Div
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Politics
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Human Geography
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Geography
| Earth Sciences
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Travel
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Travel Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
ASIN: 013472416X |
Books:
- Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering
- Getting to Know ArcGIS Desktop: The Basics of ArcView, ArcEditor, and ArcInfo Updated for ArcGIS 9 (Getting to Know series)
- Getting to Know ArcGIS Desktop: The Basics of ArcView, ArcEditor, and ArcInfo Updated for ArcGIS 9 (Getting to Know series)
- Getting to Know ArcGIS Desktop: The Basics of ArcView, ArcEditor, and ArcInfo Updated for ArcGIS 9 (Getting to Know series)
- Grand Canyon: A Different View
- Grand Canyon: A Different View
- Historical Geology: Evolution of Earth and Life Through Time (with CD-ROM and InfoTrac)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Gods and Generals
- Flotsam
- Willa Cather : Later Novels : A Lost Lady / The Professor's House / Death Comes for the Archbishop /
- ABC Go!: a Completely New Selection of Outstanding Children's Stories and Poems Compiled for Enrichm
- After the Affair: Healing the Pain and Rebuilding Trust When a Partner Has Been Unfaithful
- Dealing with Darwin : How Great Companies Innovate at Every Phase of Their Evolution
- Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica, Third Edition
- Mast Cell Differentiation and Heterogeneity
- With Faith and Physic: The Life of a Tudor Gentlewoman - Lady Grace Mildmay, 1552-1620
- Yesterdays Are Forever : A Rite of Passage Through the Marine Corps and Vietnam War
Rand McNally Goode's World Atlas 21st Edition
Applied Physical Geography: Geosystems in the Laboratory (6th Edition)
Geosystems Student Lecture Notebook: An Introduction to Physical Geography
Places and Regions in Global Context: Human Geography
Applied Physical Geography: Geosystems in the Laboratory (5th Edition)
