<p>"Principles of Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology" by John D. Winter is a good book to get into when you get past the basics and want to learn more about petrology, as it also touches into concepts of density gradients of the earth and the creation of the galaxy. It is pretty pricey so if you found a used one for cheap or a PDF online I would recommend you read it as it gives most of the terminology you would be needing as a geologist. Agreeing with Universal_learner, Dana has great books to start out on and learn mineralogy and crystallography.</p>

<p>One of the things that I wish I took earlier on in my learning career was field geology because it really solidifies everything that you learned in class and read about in text by actually practicing the concepts. A little bit of advice for hands on labs is to actually take your time and exam your rock with a loupe, understanding the textures, and how that correlates with its formation.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-10T04:54:46.617Z
2020-02-10T04:54:46.617Z
HingedHD
<p>I highly recommend &quot;The Story of Earth&quot;, by Robert M. Hazen.  The title sounds like a children's book, but it's actually a very good starting place for learning about historical geology, which is essential for understanding other aspects of earth science. It's a very accessible look at how planets form, and it won't cost you nearly as much as the average geology textbook.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-01-21T02:52:29.973Z
2021-01-21T02:52:29.973Z
Karst
<p>I am a high school student who is thinking about going to university for Geological Sciences. I've had an interest in rocks and such since I was little, but I want to get an idea of what studying Geology at a post-secondary level would be like. I am looking for recommendations for high school/undergrad level books that would be accessible for a 16 year old, specifically on Mineralogy and Physical Geography (the areas I am most interested in). Thanks! </p>

<geology><mineralogy><reference-request>
Introduction to Geology Books
zachery moïse
# Introduction to Geology Books

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-02-08)

I am a high school student who is thinking about going to university for Geological Sciences. I've had an interest in rocks and such since I was little, but I want to get an idea of what studying Geology at a post-secondary level would be like. I am looking for recommendations for high school/undergrad level books that would be accessible for a 16 year old, specifically on Mineralogy and Physical Geography (the areas I am most interested in). Thanks!

**Tags:** geology, mineralogy, reference-request


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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-02-10. Score: 2

"Principles of Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology" by John D. Winter is a good book to get into when you get past the basics and want to learn more about petrology, as it also touches into concepts of density gradients of the earth and the creation of the galaxy. It is pretty pricey so if you found a used one for cheap or a PDF online I would recommend you read it as it gives most of the terminology you would be needing as a geologist. Agreeing with Universal\_learner, Dana has great books to start out on and learn mineralogy and crystallography.

One of the things that I wish I took earlier on in my learning career was field geology because it really solidifies everything that you learned in class and read about in text by actually practicing the concepts. A little bit of advice for hands on labs is to actually take your time and exam your rock with a loupe, understanding the textures, and how that correlates with its formation.


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### Answer by username_2 on 2021-01-21. Score: 1

I highly recommend "The Story of Earth", by Robert M. Hazen. The title sounds like a children's book, but it's actually a very good starting place for learning about historical geology, which is essential for understanding other aspects of earth science. It's a very accessible look at how planets form, and it won't cost you nearly as much as the average geology textbook.


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