Geology

Geikie, James, 1839-1915Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.5

Word count: 186K words
Chapters: 19

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Geology by James GeikieAuthor: Geikie, James, 1839-1915,Language: English, Class: QE: Science: Geology, Release Date: Feb 18, 2011

Editor's review

This Geology by James Geikie is a representative work of British popular geology writing from the late nineteenth to early twentieth century. Geikie, a former professor of geology at the University of Edinburgh, was skilled at turning specialized content—strata, volcanoes, glaciers, river erosion—into clear, readable prose, often starting from everyday landform phenomena and then introducing geological principles, balancing information with readability. As a free Project Gutenberg e-text, it is better treated as a sample of early popular geology writing than as a contemporary textbook: its terminology and some theoretical statements are outdated, but precisely for that reason readers can directly sense the argumentative methods and scientific language of modern geology in its formative period. It suits slow reading by those interested in the history of science, the natural-history tradition, or English popular-science writing, and also serves as supplementary reading after an introduction to geology, to compare past and present knowledge. Read it alongside a modern geology textbook, taking care to distinguish basic principles that still explain phenomena from specific conclusions that have been revised.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Beginning readers interested in basic geological principles and natural landforms
Readers in literature and history studying Victorian-era popular science writing
University students who want to supplement their reading of the history of science with English primary texts
Teachers and self-learners who enjoy appreciating argumentative methods in classic popular science

Not a good fit for

Exam-preparation readers who need the latest geological data and modern terminology
Readers expecting many color diagrams and field-case photographs
People with limited English reading stamina who only want quick conclusions

Reading tips

Read the table of contents first and select chapters by landform type; there is no need to read linearly from the first page to the last.
After each chapter, check the relevant concepts against a modern geology textbook and mark where theory has changed.
Keep a notebook of recurring terminology to help understand the book's overall argument.
Read with a map or field observation, comparing the book's descriptions with landforms around you.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this Geology suitable for complete beginners to read directly?

It can serve as supplementary reading beyond the beginner level. The narration is relatively accessible, but the book was written early, and its terminology and theoretical framework differ from modern textbooks; readers with no background at all may mistake outdated statements for current conclusions. It is advisable first to have middle-school geography or general geology knowledge, then read it as a history-of-science text for a clearer gain.

Why is it described as a sample of the history of science rather than a modern textbook?

The book was written when the modern geological system was not yet fully settled, and some conceptual divisions and theoretical explanations have been revised by later research. Its value lies in showing how early geologists observed phenomena, organized evidence, and developed arguments, not in providing contemporary knowledge that can be cited directly. Readers should understand it within the context of the history of science.

How difficult is the original English, and what preparation is needed?

The original is late nineteenth- to early twentieth-century English popular science writing, with long sentences and dense geological terminology, but the overall logic is clear. University-level English reading ability is advisable, along with a geology dictionary or bilingual glossary. There is no need to verify every unfamiliar place name and stratigraphic name; first grasp the main line of argument in each chapter.

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Geikie, James, 1839-1915 Author · Scottish · 1839–1915

James Geikie (1839–1915) was a Scottish geologist known for his work on glacial geology and for writing on geology for a general readership. His representative works include Geology and Fragments of Earth Lore: Sketches & Addresses Geological and Geographical. Judging from these titles and the available information, his writing combined systematic accounts of geological knowledge with collected sketches and addresses, covering both geology and geography and tending toward accessible presentation for ordinary readers rather than specialist papers alone. The available library records are limited, and details of his education, posts, and specific scholarly contributions are not recorded; public information is likewise limited and difficult to verify. What can be confirmed is that he wrote several popular works on glaciers and geology, devoting considerable effort to making specialist geological knowledge readable, and this remains the most distinctive feature of his works.