"Rock" in the New Year!

Interested in rocks, minerals, and gemstones? These books contain everything you need to know, as well as ideas for crafts, using rocks in gardens and landscaping, history, fossils, and more!

Updated November 24, 2025
Drag items up and down to your preferred order then select the "Save Order" button.
Crystal RX : daily rituals for cultivating calm, achieving your goals, and rocking your inner gem boss
McCann, Colleen
Paper Book
Tap into your "Soul GPS" with this essential guide to the healing power of crystals, from their ancient origins to their modern-day applications. Since the dawn of time, people have been drawn to gemstones, using them in burial rites, divination practices, healing rituals, spiritual...

133.2548 McCann 2018

Voices in the stones : life lessons from the native way
Nerburn, Kent
Paper Book
"Do not begrudge the white man his presence on this land. Though he doesn't know it yet, he has come here to learn from us." -- A Shoshone elder The genius of the Native Americans has always been their profound spirituality and their deep understanding of the land and its...

299.7 Nerburn 2016

The hour of land : a personal topography of America's national parks
Williams, Terry Tempest.
Audiobook
For years, America's national parks have provided public breathing spaces in a world in which such spaces are steadily disappearing, which is why close to 300 million people visit the parks each year. Now, to honor the centennial of the National Park Service, Terry Tempest Williams, the author of...

333.78 W675 2016

Cobalt : cradle of the demon metals, birth of a mining superpower
Angus, Charlie
Paper Book
Finalist for the 2023 Trillium Book Award The world is desperate for cobalt. It drives the proliferation of digital and clean technologies. But this "demon metal" has a horrific present and a troubled history. The modern search for cobalt has brought investors back to a small town...

338.2 Angus 2022

Stones into schools : promoting peace with books, not bombs, in Afghanistan and Pakistan
Mortenson, Greg.
Paper Book
From the author of the #1 bestseller Three Cups of Tea, the continuing story of this determined humanitarian's efforts to promote peace through education In this dramatic first-person narrative, Greg Mortenson picks up where Three Cups of Tea left off in 2003,...

371.822 M842s 2009

The price of stones : building a school for my village
Kaguri, Twesigye Jackson.
Paper Book
The extraordinary story of one man's gift to orphaned children in need of hope Can one person really make a difference in the world? Twesigye Jackson Kaguri defied many naysayers-and his own nagging doubts-and proved that, with a dream and incredible determination, he could...

372.9676 K119 2010

Illustrated guide to nature : from your back door to the great outdoors : wildflowers, trees & shrubs, rocks & minerals, weather, night sky
Paper Book
Bursting with beautiful images and completely authoritative text, this comprehensive nature field guide will help families, amateur adventurers, and empty nesters enjoy and understand nature--from wilderness camping to their own backyard.This nature guide introduces you to constellations and weather...

508.7 IL6 2014

4th rock from the Sun : the story of Mars
Jenner, Nicky
Paper Book
Everything you ever wanted to know about the red planet revealed in an up-close and personal tour of MarsMars is ingrained in our culture, from David Bowie's extra-terrestrial spiders to H.G. Wells's The War of the Worlds. The red planet has inspired hundreds of scientists, authors and...

523.43 Jenner 2017

The Firefly guide to minerals, rocks & gems
Hochleitner, Rupert
Paper Book
Step-by-step Questions and Answers with detailed color photographs for easy identification. The Firefly Guide to Minerals, Rocks and Gems is designed for easy and reliable identification of minerals, gems and rocks. The identification process begins with the stone's streak color,...

549 Hochleitner 2019

Fifty minerals that changed the course of history
Chaline, Eric.
Paper Book
Praise for Fifty Animals that Changed the Course of History: It's the sort of book that has you saying 'Wow, listen to this...' and 'Did you know...' to companions over and over. --The Globe and Mail Fifty Minerals that Changed the Course of History<...

549.09 Ch35 2012

Footprints : in search of future fossils
Farrier, David
Paper Book
A profound meditation on climate change and the Anthropocene and an urgent search for the fossils--industrial, chemical, geological--that humans are leaving behind What will the world look like in ten thousand years--or ten million? What kinds of stories will be told about...

551 Farrier 2020

A brief history of Earth : four billion years in eight chapters
Knoll, Andrew H.
Paper Book
Harvard's acclaimed geologist "charts Earth's history in accessible style" (AP) "A sublime chronicle of our planet." -Booklist, STARRED review How well do you know the ground beneath your feet  Odds are, where you're standing was once cooking...

551 Knoll 2021

Rocks and minerals
Bonewitz, Ra.
Paper Book
Did you know culinary salt is the mineral halite? Or that the pigment vermillion is powdered cinnabar, a mineral whose name comes from the Persian for "dragon's blood"? Discover the extraordinary mineral treasures that form our planet and that today we use in everything, from...

552 B641 2012

The illustrated guide to rocks & minerals : how to find, identify and collect the world's most fascinating specimens, featuring over 800 stunning photographs and artworks
Farndon, John.
Paper Book
This is the ultimate photographic guide to the world of rocks and minerals, and how to build a collection, featuring over 800 stunning photographs and artworks. This is the ultimate visual encyclopedia of rocks and minerals, with a directory of over 300 specimens. It instructs the amateur geologist...

552 F23 2015

Rocks and minerals : a photographic field guide
Pellant, Chris
Paper Book
Created in association with Smithsonian Institution, this authoritative guide features more than 500 rocks and minerals. Packed with photographs and details on characteristics, distinguishing features, and more, Smithsonian Handbooks: Rocks and Minerals makes identification easy. ...

552 P363r 2014

National Geographic pocket guide to the rocks & minerals of North America
Garlick, Sarah
Paper Book
A handy beginner's field guide to geology, identifying 160 minerals, rocks, fossils, and geological formations. With photos, fact boxes, and descriptive text for each item, plus a useful introduction to geology basics. Compact, comprehensive, and easy to use,...

552.0973 G184 2014

Ruby, sapphire & emerald buying guide : how to evaluate, identify, select & care for these gemstones
Newman, Renee
Paper Book
These guides feature full-color photography throughout and help consumers and professionals make the smart choice in their purchase of precious and semiprecious gems and metals.

553.84 N467

Dinosaurs rediscovered : the scientific revolution in paleontology
Benton, M. J.
Paper Book
Over the past twenty years, the study of dinosaurs has transformed into a true scientific discipline. New technologies have revealed secrets locked in prehistoric bones that no one could have previously predicted. We can now work out the color of dinosaurs, the force of their bite, their top...

567.9 Benton 2019

Fossil men : the quest for the oldest skeleton and the origins of humankind
Pattison, Kermit
Paper Book
"Riveting. ... Pattison's uncanny ability [is] to write evocatively about science. ... In this, he is every bit as good as the best scientist writers." --New York Times Book Review (Editors' Choice)  "Brilliant. ... A work of staggering depth." --Minneapolis Star Tribune ...

569.9 Pattison 2020

Rock gardening : reimagining a classic style
Tychonievich, Joseph
Paper Book
AHS Book Award winner   Rock gardening --the art of growing alpines and other miniature plants in the company of rocks in order to recreate the look of a rugged mountaintop--has been surging in popularity. Time and space constraints, chronic drought in...

635.9672 Tychonievich 2016

Outdoor stonework
Saville, Laurel.
Paper Book
The wonderful, timeless, practical, aesthetic value of stone This book will contain a brief history of how and why stone has been used in structures throughout the world. It discusses stonework projects for the home and how to create them, whether they are do-it-yourself projects or ones...

693.1 Sa94

The Cartiers : the untold story of the family behind the jewelry empire
Brickell, Francesca Cartier
Paper Book
"A dynamic group biography studded with design history and high-society dash . . . [This] elegantly wrought narrative bears the Cartier hallmark."--The Economist The captivating story of the family behind the Cartier empire and the three brothers who turned their...

739.2709 Cartier Brickell 2019

Art on the rocks : more than 35 colorful & contemporary rock painting projects, tips, and techniques to inspire your creativity
Bac, F. Sehnaz
Ebook
Grab your colors, head outside, and start painting beautiful works of art on stones. Art on the Rocks, an all-inclusive instruction book, is packed with creative ideas, step-by-step projects, and endless inspiration for creating masterpieces that are truly one with nature...

745.723 Bac 2017

A year of stone painting : 52 mandala designs to inspire your spirit
Bac, F. Sehnaz
Ebook
You can craft a new mandala every week for one year with this full-color guide by the author of the bestselling The Art of Stone Painting. F. Sehnaz Bac, an artist and seasoned archaeologist, presents step-by-step instructions for fifty-two projects. Her easy-to-follow guide will...

745.723 Bac 2019

Rock painting for beginners
Rechl, Christine
Paper Book
Turn rocks and stones into tiny treasures--to display at home or to give to your friends! Using pens, markers, paints, brushes, and the simple lessons in this book, you'll be able to turn stones into gorgeous works of art that everyone will love. Design expert Christine...

745.723 Rechl 2024

Rock art critters : paint the perfect pebble
Scicluna, Denise
Paper Book
Over 40 creative projects to transform ordinary rocks into cute and colorful animals, bugs, or fish! Helpful pictures and clear instructions will have kids and adults enjoying hours of artistic fun! Get ready to rock on! In this helpful guide, readers will discover: Tips for...

751.426 Scicluna 2018

Werner's nomenclature of colours : adapted to zoology, botany, chemistry, mineralogy, anatomy, and the arts
Syme, Patrick
Paper Book
A taxonomic guide to the colors of the natural world, with 13 palettes and 110 color swatches, cherished by artists and scientists for more than 2 centuries "Before Pantone, there was Werner's Nomenclature of Colours"--Architectural Digest This...

752 Syme 2018

Stonehenge : a new understanding : solving the mysteries of the greatest stone age monument
Parker Pearson, Michael
Paper Book
Stonehenge stands as an enduring link to our prehistoric ancestors, yet the secrets it has guarded for thousands of years have long eluded us. Until now, the millions of enthusiasts who flock to the iconic site have made do with mere speculation--about Stonehenge's celestial significance,...

936.2 P229 2013

Blood diamonds : tracing the deadly path of the world's most precious stones
Campbell, Greg.
Paper Book
Journalist Greg Campbell leads the reader down the international diamond trail of brutality, horror, and profit - providing an on-the-ground and in-the-mines story of global consequenceFirst discovered in 1930, the diamonds of Sierra Leone have funded one of the most savage rebel campaigns in...

966.404 C152

Stampede : gold fever and disaster in the Klondike
Castner, Brian
Paper Book
In 1897, the United States was mired in the worst economic depression that the country had yet endured. So when all the newspapers announced gold was to be found in wildly enriching quantities in the Klondike River region of the Yukon, a mob of economically desperate Americans swarmed north. Within...

971.91 Castner 2021

Jungle of stone : the true story of two men, their extraordinary journey, and the discovery of the lost civilization of the Maya
Carlsen, William
Paper Book
The acclaimed chronicle of the discovery of the legendary lost civilization of the Maya. Includes the history of the major Maya sites, including Palenque, Uxmal, Chichen Itza, Tuloom, Copan, and more. NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * Illustrated with a map and more than 100 images. ...

972.81 C197 2016

Ghost town living : mining for purpose and chasing dreams at the edge of Death Valley
Underwood, Brent
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER . A long-abandoned silver mine for sale sounded like an adventure too great to passup, but it turned into much more-a calling, a community of millions, and hard-earned lessons about chasing impractical dreams. "Inspiring and meditative-the...

979.487 Underwood 2024


Library staff! You can create and contribute to lists. Contact your catalog administrator or log in here.