Eric Chaline is the author of Fifty Animals that Changed the Course of History, as well as numerous titles on philosophy and history.
[Review of hardcover edition: ] Believe me, once you start mining this book, you'll have no trouble digging out nuggets of fascinating information!--Jan Johnston The Columbian (Vancouver, WA) (12/09/2012) [Review of hardcover edition: ] Gives a fascinating perspective on the scope of human development.--Foreword Reviews (09/20/2012) [Review of hardcover edition: ] This series...has hit the nail on the head again.-- (12/08/2012) [Review of hardcover edition: ] Interesting, affordable and readable.... Offers the reader an opportunity to delve further into each mineral's historical significance in an accessible way.-- (10/15/2012) [Review of hardcover edition: ] The brief sections are consistently interesting, and plenty of supplemental illustrations and photos make this a handsome volume...best-suited to curious kids and casual mineralogists.-- (07/01/2012) [Review of hardcover edition: ] This is a beautiful book, nicely bound and richly illustrated... written in an easy to read, casual style. It may be of interest to middle or high school students, or their teachers who are looking for some historical background on these minerals. It is also suitable for the layperson.-- (05/01/2013)