230 book reviews
APPLIED SEDIMENTOLOGY by R. C. Selley, Academic
Press, San Diego, 2000. No. of pages: 523. Price: £56.95
(hardback). ISBN 012 636375 7.
This textbook, the second edition of Applied Sedimentology,
which in reality is the fourth edition of Introduction to Sedi-
mentology first published in 1976, aims to provide senior
undergraduates with a firm foundation on which to interpret
sediments whilst emphasizing the application of sedimen-
tology to the exploration and exploitation of natural
resources. Unfortunately, this edition fails to provide an
up-to-date synthesis of present-day applied sedimentology.
Early editions of this book were well received, yet our
science has moved on whilst the majority of this text has not.
As to providing a firm foundation in sedimentology for
advanced undergraduates, in my opinion the treatment of
process-based sedimentology and the interpretation of
depositional environments based upon rigorous facies ana-
lysis is less than that I would expect at undergraduate level.
These topics are covered more clearly and more fully in
other available undergraduate textbooks. The text is unfortu-
nately afflicted with rather dated process sedimentology; for
example, we have classic ‘Bouma’ turbidites described
under a section of text on ‘high concentration turbidity cur-
rents’ and storm processes are not considered at all in the
chapter on ‘aqueous processes’. Other areas of the text are
equally bemusing. When describing the mineralogical com-
position of sandstones we are treated to a range of rather
unusual ternary diagrams, which do not include any of the
widely adopted classification schemes.
Some figures are poor and washed out; other diagrams
lack scales, and the author has a tendency of providing
rather colourful figure captions about ‘perplexed’ or ‘over-
THE CRUISE OF THE BETSEY, WITH RAMBLES OF A
GEOLOGIST by Hugh Miller, 1858, facsimile edition with
Introduction and Notes by Dr Michael Taylor, Preface by
T. C. Smout, National Museums of Scotland, 2003. Pages:
A1–64; 1–486; B1–36. Price: £20.00 (soft covers). ISBN
1 901633 54 X.
This volume, popularly referred to as Cruise of the Betsey, is
mainly a facsimile of Hugh Miller’s book first published in
1858. Although Miller is best known geologically for The
Old Red Sandstone (1841), this volume is possibly more
entertaining. The book is an account of Miller’s travels in
Scotland in the period 1844–1847, and much of the original
material was originally published as a series of articles in
The Witness, an Edinburgh newspaper of which Hugh Miller
was the editor. Miller committed suicide in 1856, and the
material was edited for publication by the Rev. William
Symonds, assisting Lydia Miller following her bereavement.
However, this is no mere facsimile! My surprise on
receipt of the book was that, when compared with the origi-
nal, this volume is in a larger format and about twice as
Copyright # 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
whelmed’ geologists. However, comments like ‘known to
the aboriginals of these parts as cornstones’ whilst describ-
ing caliche from Freshwater West in Pembrokeshire, Wales,
is in my opinion neither entertaining nor necessary.
An albeit rudimentary analysis of the cited references
highlights one of the problems with the textbook. Chapter
3 is not exceptional in any way, with about 15% of the cited
references published since 1990 (mostly references to new
textbooks or edited thematic volumes), and 70% published
before 1979. Yes, our science builds upon the shoulders of
giants, but many recent developments are simply ignored.
The undergraduate reader could be forgiven for thinking that
sedimentology is a moribund branch of science with limited
new advances.
Finally, a comment on the title Applied Sedimentology.
What does this mean in 2004? As one might expect, given
the key strengths of the author, there is a very good emphasis
on petroleum geology, yet so much applied sedimentology
today reflects changing society issues, climate change,
environmental sedimentology, acquifers and water resource
geology, aggregates and industrial minerals, sediment
dynamics and coastal zone management, but all of these
topics are largely ignored.
So, I have to say that whilst I am sure that there are some
good bits, my overall impression is that this textbook fails to
deliver, and should not find its way on to the reading list for
modern modules on sedimentology or applied geology.
Duncan Pirrie
Published online in Wiley InterScience
(www.interscience.wiley.com).
DOI: 10.1002/gj.978
thick. This is due to two main factors. Firstly, Miller’s text
has been slightly enlarged, making for easier reading, and
footnotes have been added. Secondly, Michael Taylor of
the National Museums of Scotland has added some 100
pages, divided between an exceptionally informative Intro-
duction that precedes Miller’s text, and a section following
the text with a valuable glossary, further notes on the text,
and an index. He also includes a comparison of the stratigra-
phy as understood at the time Miller wrote the articles, and
that accepted at the present time.
Michael Taylor must be credited as Hugh Miller’s number
one representative in the 21st century (there is even a pas-
sing physical resemblance in the beard!). His Introduction
of some 40 pages, plus an extensive reference list, brings
Hugh Miller sharply into focus, and places him clearly in
the context of the 1840s. The background to the Disruption
of the Church in 1843, resulting in establishment of the Free
Church, was a major influence on Miller’s writing. Indeed,
the Betsey was the Free Church Yacht of the Minister for the
Small Isles, John Swanson, who had been forced to leave his
comfortable house and glebe on Eigg. The effects of the
Geol. J. 39: 225–231 (2004)