In general, lives of noteworthy accomplishment are led by people with an obvious talent, or more than one. Occasionally, though, someone with no discernible gift whatsoever may distinguish him or herself with a remarkable life. Such cases invite the question of how? How did it happen? With age I have realised that mine is such a life, and, inevitably, I have asked that question. It may happen in cases like this that, as one searches for an answer, one looks for precedents: or even for gifts not inherent in oneself but from outside. I did neither: it came to me unbidden. As I sang, the lines in the hymn resonated so powerfully I could not get away from them: ‘As noiseless let Thy blessings fall as fell Thy manna down.’ That was it. Unobtrusively I had been blessed – again and again and again.

A dozy, unsocialised child follows a boringly ordinary course through life until gradually things start to work out for him in increasingly extraordinary ways. The only prize I ever won at school was the Natural History Prize, no academic accolades or colours for any sport. I was rewarded for loving undemanding nature; almost a non-prize. Nearly fifty years later, in a small town I had never visited before I was introduced to the author of a slim volume on the geography of the area. “Not THE Nick Norman,” she asked. I might have blushed. In 1987, aged 42 I had married, and gone on to father two children, one now a top lawyer, the other on a similar trajectory in medicine. Having dreamt of being a farmer, I owned a farm in Franschhoek, which put me in about the most envied group of people in South Africa. After a successful career in mineral exploration in Africa and South America I turned my hand to writing about geology in a way accessible to lay readers. Three best-sellers followed. The Red Sea opened up and the River Jordan stopped flowing, for the Israelites to reach their land of milk and honey. In between, though, there were 40 years in the wilderness.

This is my narrative. Yours will be different. Unpack it and you will find blessing after blessing. See how I found mine.

Rivers are significant geomorphological agents, they show an amazing diversity of form and behaviour and transfer water and sediment from the land surface to the oceans. This book examines how river systems respond to environmental change and why this understanding is needed for successful river management. Highly dynamic in nature, river channels adjust and evolve over timescales that range from hours to tens of thousands of years or more, and are found in a wide range of environments. This book provides a comprehensive overview of recent developments in river channel management, clearly illustrating why an understanding of fluvial geomorphology is vital in channel preservation, environmentally sensitive design and the restoration of degraded river channels. It covers: flow and sediment regimes: flow generation; flow regimes; sediment sources, transfer and yield channel processes: flow characteristics; processes of erosion and sediment transport; interactions between flow and the channel boundary; deposition channel form and behaviour: controls on channel form; channel adjustments; floodplain development; form and behaviour of alluvial and bedrock channels response to change: how channels have responded to past environmental change; impacts of human activity; reconstructing past changes river management: the fluvial hydrosystem; environmental degradation; environmentally sensitive engineering techniques; river restoration; the role of the fluvial geomorphologist. Fundamentals of Fluvial Geomorphology is an indispensable text for undergraduate students. It provides straightforward explanations for important concepts and mathematical formulae, backed up with conceptual diagrams and appropriate examples from around the world to show what they actually mean and why they are important. A colour plate section also shows spectacular examples of fluvial diversity.

Earth is constantly changing. Wind, water, and even humans change Earth's surface. The land is broken down and worn away by erosion. Introduce students to weathering and erosion with this science reader that features easy-to-read text. Nonfiction text features include a glossary, index, and detailed images to facilitate close reading and help students connect back to the text. Aligned to state and national standards, the book also includes a fun and engaging science experiment to develop critical thinking and help students practice what they have learned.

Developed for Introduction to Soils or Soil Science courses, The Nature and Properties of Soils, 15th Edition, can be used in courses such as Soil Fertility, Land Resources, Earth Science and Soil Geography. The Nature and Properties of Soils is designed to engage today's students with the latest in the world of soils. This hallmark text introduces students to the exciting world of soils through clear writing, strong pedagogy, and an ecological approach that effectively explains the fundamentals of soil science. Worked calculations, vignettes, and current real-world applications prepare readers to understand concepts, solve problems, and think critically. Written for both majors and non-majors, this text highlights the many interactions between the soil and other components of forest, range, agricultural, wetland and constructed ecosystems. Now in full-colour, the 15th Edition includes hundreds of compelling photos, figures, and diagrams to bring the exciting world of soils to life. Extensively revised, new and updated content appears in every chapter. Examples include: coverage of the pedosphere concept; new insights into humus and soil carbon accumulation; subaqueous soils, soil effects on human health; principles and practice of organic farming; urban and human engineered soils; new understandings of the nitrogen cycle; water-saving irrigation techniques; hydraulic redistribution, soil food-web ecology; disease suppressive soils; soil microbial genomics; soil interactions with global climate change; digital soil maps; and many others.

The most modern, scientific approach to teaching our changing planet, at the most valuable price in the market. Geology is everywhere in our daily lives. We are surrounded by materials and resources extracted from the Earth, our climate is changing at alarming rates, and hazards due to Earth's processes are leading to major catastrophes. We will be reliant upon a population of informed citizens to make and vote for policies that protect our Earth, and change that will keep our planet habitable. Therefore, understanding our Earth has never been more important. Understanding Earth leads the way by fully integrating the study of climate science into the core intro geology curriculum. Through strategic placement of the climate science chapters at the beginning of the geomorphology content, we offer a text that places our changing climate as a key force shaping the rest of our discussion on Earth's surficial processes. Understanding Earth is now supported by Achieve Read & Practice, the most affordable digital solution in the market. It's easy to use and streamlined, with just the ebook and adaptive quizzing engine LearningCurve, which prepares students with core foundational concepts so they arrive prepared for class. Instructors receive performance analytics to identify class strengths, areas for improvement, and competencies.