Roadside Geology books - Science Book Reviews : Earth Science

          The Roadside Geology books for various states and regions explain what you're looking at when you travel on the U.S. highways. Each edition is an excellent guide to take with you on a driving vacation, and it will make your highway travel a significant part of the adventure. The books are listed by states or geographical regions.

          Recommended readers' age group -- in my opinion? First grade through graduate school. No kidding. My whole family (including the 9- and 11-year-old kids) uses Roadside Geology of New York. It describes the history and structure of the Finger Lakes, Niagara Falls, the Adirondack Mountains, and other observable features of the landscape. The earth's history is related to specific highway routes, e.g., in the New York edition, the section devoted to Interstate 90 from Syracuse to Buffalo explains that the hills are drumlins that were formed by glaciers during the Ice Age (in the Pleistocene epoch).

          I used the same edition when I was was studying physical geology in college. It was just as useful for that purpose. The Earth's simple beauty and the technical explanations are interwoven that well.

          The titles in the book series are listed below. Please click on any title in the list to display the current price and shipping information. If the book you want isn't listed, please use the search box, in case it was published after this list was written (2002).