What do wolves, the Edmund Fitzgerald and tectonic plates have in common? All are included in the first update of a Michigan geology and geography textbook in a quarter century.
Randall Schaetzl, professor of geography and geological sciences at Michigan State University (MSU), hatched the project in 2004, leading 54 authors from 15 universities and governmental agencies to amass the 672-page book.
Schaetzel says the comprehensive yet readable textbook fills a gap in the literature of the state, discussing modern concepts of geology as well as current environmental and social problems.
“Older geology texts were pre-plate tectonics,” he says, referring to the notion that the earth’s crust is broken into plates. The movement of those plates explains the formation of continents and the ever-changing global terrain. “This is a big step forward” in teaching geology, he says.
Called “Michigan Geography and Geology,” and published by Pearson Custom Publishers in Boston, it is now available at the MSU Student Bookstore for $93, and on amazon.com. He expects public libraries to have the book soon.
When Schaetzel first came to MSU in 1987, he developed a Web site with hundreds of pages embedded, and used the massive resource for teaching. But it was hard to keep the site updated, and students wanted a book.
“They wanted to be able to read while on a Stairmaster and while doing other things,” he says.
The geography portions of the text are cutting edge, covering land use issues like urban sprawl and the price the state is paying for it; Detroit’s racial issues; and even an overview of casinos in Michigan.
“This book should really stand the test of time. The graphics are superb, with many new maps that have never been published or even conceived of previously,” he says.
Source: Randall Schaetzl, MSU
Gretchen Cochran, Innovation & Jobs editor, may be reached here.
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