This is a practical and illustrated guide to over 160 rocks and minerals found throughout the world. The text entries describe the general appearance of each rock or mineral, together with its economic and decorative uses. Fact panels provide checklists for identifying each subject, including simple tests that can be performed, and gives major examples of occurrence worldwide. The various forms of each rock or mineral are illustrated with photographs, which have annotations picking out important surface details. The introduction provides a guide to the subject for the complete beginner, explaining how rocks and minerals are formed, how they occur and how to identify them. It also features a section on building a rock and mineral collection, and a list of useful addresses.