Roadside Geology Of Arizona

That's the way it is with any book by Halka Chronic. The folks who buy them, use them -- and usually use them up. I have had three "Arizona", two each "Colorado" and "New Mexico" and am on my third "Utah" Roadside series. I would no more drive somewhere without these books than I would without five gallons of water in the Southwest desert summers.

The first chapter or two of all these books is a Geology 101 of the State -- including terms, an historical timeline, and discussion of the latest geological theories that have any bearing at all on the landforms you will see from your car or truck as you drive across the state.

Then coomes the good part -- a series of chapters with exciting names like "Route 60; Globe to Mesa". As you drive, your companion reads the book, keyed to mile-markers, freeway exit ramps, small towns, etc. Every rill, dike, escarpment -- even the various colored rocks you see as you ride through the roadcuts on the freeway -- are explained. Follow the highways in the book, and you're and expert on Arizona geology.

But it's never that simple, of course. Soon you're taking your friends and relatives from out of town through those same trips, showing them the beauties of your state that Halka Chronic helps make come alive. Out comes the book again and again, and finally it begins to fall apart from sheer, joyous use.

That's why I threw away my third "Roadside Geology of Arizona" yesterday. But don't worry, I already bought my fourth copy -- and I'm sure I'll buy my fifth in another five years or so.

23 of 23 found the following review helpful:

A great traveling adventure book  Jan 23, 2002

I went on a trip out West and found this book very useful. The organization of the material is outstanding, so that it's perfect for people who know a little or a lot about geology. The first section of the book covered basic introductory geology information. The book then covered the three provinces that make up Arizona. Each section covered the geology to be seen on specific highways, such as Interstate 40 as it goes from Flagstaff to Winslow in the Colorado Plateau Province. There are also geological bedrock maps included with the aforementioned highway section. Geological descriptions of the national parks in this state provided a better understanding of what the traveller is observing.

I am also the proud owner of the Roadside Geology books for Hawaii, Maine, New Mexico, and Utah. Non of these have let me down, and as my collection grows so will the number of stars for outstanding ratings. A big thanks goes out to the authors of these fabulous books! Your dedicated work is much appreciated!

19 of 19 found the following review helpful:

A great book if you travel around the state  Sep 18, 2000
By John "John"
I have to admit that I am not normally interested in geology. But as I've traveled around the state by car or bike the uniqueness of Arizona's geology has always fascinated me. I purchased this book on a whim and found it to be one of my favorite books. Now, whenever I'm going to be traveling in a new part of the state I read about the geology of the area that I'm traveling through. Because this is written in a "roadside" format, the book explains what you'll see as you drive (or bicycle) through the various regions in the state.

11 of 13 found the following review helpful:

Wait for the New Edition Not Just a Reprint  Nov 08, 2007
By Elizabeth A. Kunzer "Sandy Kunzer"
While the rocks may not have changed much since this book was researched, written and published, our way of looking at them certainly has. Plate tectonics is not even listed in the index and this overarching paradigm of modern geology rates less than 4 pages in the introductory text. Therefore, the explanations of the origins of many of the features rely on outdated hypothoses or ignore the now well documented origins altogether. There are several newer books that will give the interested lay person a much better introduction to the geology of Arizona until this one is completely revised to incorporate modern thought throughout the text.

1 of 1 found the following review helpful:

A dry delivery of interesting information  Jun 28, 2011
By lynn del sol "lynn_del_sol"
When I wanted to find out something about the geology of central Arizona (not the Grand Canyon, not Sedona, etc), I followed my usual system of internet search, Amazon search, library search and pretty much drew a blank except for this book.

I'm glad to report this book delivers the goods. It is organized into brief, convenient sections describing geology around the routes you would take driving through AZ.

Unfortunately, the writing style is pure textbook tedium making the gathering of information from its pages a chore. Worthwhile (as far as I know) for facts, but almost painful to read. It could use a 21st century update.

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