Essentials of Geochemistry

Features

• Cover Type: Hard Cover with 704 pages
• Published by: Jones & Bartlett Publishers
• Edition: 1st Edition January 31, 2005
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0763726427
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0763726423
• Book Dimensions: 8.9 x 7.1 x 1.6 inches
• Weighs: 2.8 pounds

Product Description
Essentials of Geochemistry provides readers with a solid understanding of the basics and approaches for doing modern geochemical analysis, including thermodynamic and kinetic modeling. Dr. Walther's text uses a unique "concepts of chemical equilibrium" approach, which considers the chemical reactions that occur, and offers both an environmental and quantitative focus to introduce students to the basic chemical principles important for studying the earth. This timely, accessible text features several examples and end-of-chapter problems designed to maximize students' comprehension of the rapidly advancing field of geochemistry.

Reader Reviews
My prof. utilized this text for the first time last semester, and assumed it would be a good text. My background was Chem I, Chem II, Organic Chem, and Quantitative Analysis. I and a classmate with a similar background both found this text to be ineffective and inefficient. For example, one must page to Chapter 5 before finding a periodic table; every chemistry text I've seen thus far includes one on the opening pages. The treatment of atomic orbital energies was the worst I've ever seen - what introductory texts handle with a few well-chosen diagrams was written out into a page of excruciating text (p 146-147). Equations were given, but it was not always readily clear what each symbol stood for; examples were nearly non-existant. I was so excited about this course and I'm just grateful that the instructor was of much higher quality than the text.