Text in German & English. Fossils are the petrified remains of former living organisms. Their systematics and their former living conditions are studied and described in palaeontology. In contrast to this, this book attempts to show the character of these life forms as signs and to pursue the question of whether fossils and representations of fossils can be considered "beautiful". For this reason, the pictures' sequence is not based on a palaeontological system of classification, but instead progresses from realistic representations of, for instance, a coral's body in its entirety through ever smaller sectors of the image and details divorced from context to almost abstract images. In an introductory text, Hillert Ibbeken explains the concept and the methodology of the work. The ambiguous expression "design" is used deliberately -- not in the sense of a purposive undertaking by a creating subject, but in the sense of nature making a mark, guided by mutation and selection. Katja Schoene writes about fossils' reception in the early modern age. The plants and animals enclosed in stone appeared too fantastical for anyone to consider them as anything other than "freaks of nature" (lusus naturae). Explanations of their origin were as multifarious as their different manifestations. "Rudolf zur Lippe deals with the forms of petrified life in relation to philosophical perspectives, pursuing the question of what "beauty" means and indicating, among other things, that the expression "beauty" cannot be unequivocally defined; that, for instance, different cultures may have entirely different ideals of beauty. The illustrated section is followed by a glossary by Helmut Keupp with a synopsis of life's development on Earth and a table of the Earth's history. Hillert Ibbeken was professor of geology at the Freie Universitat Berlin. He has had a lifelong interest in photography.

Although the rockhounding treasures are many in this vast and sparsely populated state, author Kenneth Graham points out that 'sometimes the joy is in the search itself.' The 75 sites described in this guide will take you across the red desert to the high mountain majesty of the Big Horns and Wind Rivers as well as the geologic wonders of Yellowstone National Park. Graham, a former hardrock miner, developed an interest in rocks at an early age, and he shares his enthusiasm for rockhounding and his appreciation for the diverse Wyoming landscape that holds the treasure. Each description provides detailed information complete with maps on how to find the remote as well as popular digs, what will likely be found there, the tools to bring, the best season to visit, the appropriate vehicle to drive, or when to lace up your hiking boots to get to those out-of-the-way places. Be sure to take along "Rockhounding Wyoming" to plan your next rockhounding adventure.

Expert Gerry Blair describes more than seventy of the state's best rockhounding areas, from jasper hunting in the historic mining district near Bagdad to searching for gold in the Superstition Mountains and digging for turqoise at the foot of the Hieroglyphic Range. This guidebook covers popular and commercial sites as well as little-known sites. It also describes where to view mineral specimens and prehistoric artifacts at Grand Canyon and Petrified Forest national parks, as well as on tribal lands. Brimming with advice on collecting and preparing gems and minerals, this handy book also includes maps and directions to each site and directions to museums, rock shops, and major public land areas. For the beginner, "Rockhounding Arizona" offers a complete introduction to this many-faceted hobby. For the expert, it is an outstanding guide and source-book.