This year, I’ve decided to post another list of great books to buy for the geologist in your life. All of these are available as e-books, so they make excellent last minute gifts.
If you want to look at previous years gift lists, here they are:
Book #1:
The Floor of Heaven: A True Tale of the Last Frontier and the Yukon Gold Rush
by, Howard Blum
I read this book several years ago when I was working as an exploration geologist in Alaska, and I really enjoyed it. The book is well written and captivates you with a thrilling – and true! – story from the Yukon Gold Rush.
Available from Amazon here. $13.99 on Kindle.
Book #2:
Earth: An Intimate History
by, Richard Fortey
This classic book by Richard Fortey is an excellent read. I can also recommend his books Life and Trilobite.
Available from Amazon here. $12.99 on Kindle.
Book #3:
A Portrait of the Scientist as a Young Woman
by, Lindy Elkins-Tanton
This is a delightful memoir by planetary scientist Lindy Elkins-Tanton. I was fortunate enough to spend some time with Lindy when we were both based at MIT. She is an amazing woman, and you will enjoy her book.
Available from Amazon here. $15.99 on Kindle.
Book #4:
Bright Galaxies, Dark Matter, and Beyond: The Life of Astronomer Vera Rubin
by, Ashley Jean Yeager
Here is another great book about an incredible scientist, the astronomer Vera Rubin. Highly recommended!
Available from Amazon here. $14.99 on Kindle.
Book #5:
How to Build a Habitable Planet: The Story of Earth from the Big Bang to Humankind
by, Charles Langmuir and Wallace Broecker
This classic book, written by two famous geologists, is a must-read for any geologist. I first read this book as a graduate student, and I learned so much about the formation and evolution of the planet.
Available from Amazon here. $34.99 on Kindle. There is also an older, free version of the book here.
Book #6:
The Dinosaur Hunters: A True Story of Scientific Rivalry and the Discovery of the Prehistoric World
by, Deborah Cadbury
This delightful book tells the story of the rivalry between two 19th century geologists: Gideon Mantell and Richard Owen. The book also tells much about 19th century fossil hunting and interpretation.
Available on Amazon here. $8.99 on Kindle.
Book #7:
Mapping the Deep: The Extraordinary Story of Ocean Science
by, Robert Kunzig
This is a fantastic, easy-to-read book on oceanography and marine geology. The writing is excellent. Very highly recommended.
Available from Amazon here. $13.77 on Kindle.
Book #8:
Missions to Mars: A New Era of Rover and Spacecraft Discovery on the Red Planet
by, Larry S. Crumpler
This is a great book about some of the recent Mars missions, written by a NASA scientist. A great read!
Available on Amazon here. $14.99 on Kindle.
Book #9:
The Red Planet: A Natural History of Mars
by, Simon Morden
This is another great book on Mars, written by a science fiction author (although this is, of course, non-fiction) with a Ph.D. in geophysics.
Available on Amazon here. $17.99 on Kindle.
Book #10:
The New Climate War: The Fight to Take Back Our Planet
by, Michael E. Mann
Last but not least, I can recommend this excellent book on climate change, which discusses the role that big fossil fuel companies have played in climate change misinformation. This book is alarming, but also inspires hope. Michael Mann convinces you that it is not too late to avert the worst of climate change.
Available from Amazon here. $12.99 on Kindle.
Happy holidays, everyone! I hope you have a relaxing, lovely time with your family and friends.
Georneys 