Sand and Soil: Earth's Building Blocks

Marie St. Onge-Davidson is president of the Essential English Centre in
Ottawa.

These latest volumes in the Rock, Minerals, and Resources series
continue with the same excellent quality of text and design as presented
in earlier volumes. The contents of each book is organized into 10
chapters, supported with a table of contents and an index. Scientific
terminology and other terms that appear in bold type in the text are
further explained in a glossary at the back of the book. The text is
easy to read, with colourful illustrations, maps, photographs, and
diagrams interspersed throughout.

Fossils looks at “when, where and how” fossils were formed, the
various types of fossils, the history of paleontology, fossil fuels,
uses of fossil fuels, pollution, extinction, evolution, and the
evolution of humans as documented by fossils.

Sand and Soil studies the dust bowl, the definition of soil, soil
formation, soil layers, organisms in soil, sand, soil distribution,
farming technology, irrigation, soil scientists, uses of sand and soil,
erosion, and protecting the soil.

Water discusses what makes up water and how it was formed on earth, the
three states of water, the water cycle, water highways, water
underground, surface water, how water shapes the earth, water situations
around the world, water and life, the uses of water, treating water,
water power, the effect pollution has on our freshwater supply, control
of our water supply, as well as dams and reservoirs.

Metals covers the use of earth metal in space exploration, what metals
are, ore deposits, locations of some metals, finding ore deposits,
mining, milling, and smelting, the uses of metals, steel, pollution in
the production of metals, and recycling of metal. All of these
informative books are highly recommended.