This concise accessible market-leading textbook brings together the wide-ranging fundamentals students need to understand rocks & minerals & shows them how they relate to the broader Earth materials & environmental sciences Designed specifically for one-semester courses it is beautifully illustrated to explain the key concepts in mineralogy & petrology This edition has been fully updated based on classroom experience & new features include a completely new chapter providing an elementary introduction to thermodynamics kinetics radioactive decay & absolute dating; new mineral descriptions & many new stunning color photographs; & a new section on hydraulic fracturing & discussion of some of its most serious potential environmental consequences The book uses stunning photos of mineral specimens & rock thin sections to help students build a core understanding It also creates a highly effective learning experience through close integration of clear illustrations with engaging text & helps students to easily visualize crystal structures through the Crystal Viewer's 3D software available online