Petrology, Igneous, Sedm, Metamo: A Primer

I was a student of Brent Owens in the Geology Dept. at William and Mary. He is an absolute first rate teacher and this text reflects aptitude for teaching. The desciptions are precise, the reading easy, and the subject material is up-to-date. I liked the text enough to keep it and not re-sell it to an incoming student.

This is a very good introductory petrology text which combines igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic petrology in one volume. With a publication date of 1996, it may be getting a little long in the tooth, however. For example, the book discusses the Wilson hot spot model without reference to mantle plumes. With the exception of some apparent confusion about the effect on seismic velocity of the asthenosphere, I found no significant errors nor editing problems. My only significant criticism is that all of the photographs are in black and white, and some are printed so darkly that details are hard to make out. One would think that, with a price approaching $100, the publisher would be able to include a bit of color in the appropriate places.