Plate Tectonics: A Very Short Introduction

This is, as advertised, a great introduction,,, I would venture a single suggestion... increase the physical size of the book (or at least the illustrations) so that the illustrations which are so very helpful can be more easily studied. Consider my idea this way....if you - the author/publisher - think illustrations will help us understand the points you are making... use the word size within the illustration (not in the written text) as the measure for text size selected for the publishing your manuscript so you don't accidentally overturn the whole objective of your book...to spread knowledge about your life's work.And no....I don't have what might be described by any doc as 'poor' eyesight!.

Molnar does an excellent job explaining key elements of plate tectonics. His book is understandable even for those with little background in geology or geophysics. Molnar, an expert on mountain building, nicely explains how collisions of plates with continents atop cause mountain belts to form. He also questions the limitations of plate tectonics in explaining formation of such mountains. Understanding Molnar's very short book requires little mathematics. An ideal text for college science courses for non-science majors, and for those who want to understand the evolution of Earth's geological features and phenomena.

I read this book or one similar to it my senior year in high school 1970. It absolutely caught my attention as a way to explain why the continents had separated from Gondwanaland.I really liked revisiting the theory in light of the advances made since then

The book was an easy to read discussion of plate tectonics. The technical terms were easily understood and presented in an interest manner. Technically sound and entertaining is a winning combination for a science book! I wold recommend this book to anyone interested in the topic but is not a scientist in the field.

The thing is they take a long time to read because of the look up feature. It's like reading a book in the Library of Congress.

This book is too technical for people who are new to the subject of plate tectonics. In fact, I think it is fair to say that if you can understand this book you don't need to read it but if you need to read it you won't understand it. Books like this have to be leavened with a human dimension in the form of stories about people. This book has such stories but they are very brief and tend to get burried under the tecnical detail. There are other books in the "A Very Short Introduction" series which give far more accessible introductions to plate tectonic (e.g. "Earth Science: A Very Short Introduction"). I would suggest that anyone who was entirely new to the subject should read one of them instead.

I thought this was an excellent 120 pages book on a complex subject. It discusses a variety of subjects besides the title of plate tectonics and which are related to it: continental drift, oceanic seafloor spreading, fracture zones, subduction of tectonic plate edges, faulting, the creation of mountains and plateaus, earthquakes, volcanism, oceanic magnetic anomalies, and the locations of concentrated metallic ores. The text is accompanied by almost 40 sketches and diagrams elaborating on the discussions provided in the text.The book also introduces the grand concepts of Earth geology such as the mantle, lithosphere, and asthenosphere. It also provides a short history of the development of the concept of plate tectonics.Finally, the book provides specific detailed descriptions of the formation of major mountain ranges and plateaus such as the Himalayas, the Tibetan Plateau, Tien Shan, the Tarim Basin, the movement of Eastern Asia, the Andes, and the western US mountain ranges. It also gives a short description of the movement of India from the eastern edge of the African Plate to the Eurasian Plate over the past 90+ million years.

There are few who are capable of telling the story of plate techtonics including critical details. Peter Molnar is one of those chosen few who can deliver such a story succinctly and precisely.

I really enjoyed reading this book. Peter Molnar is an expert in his field and provides a superb overview of tectoic processes. He examines seafloor spreading and the magnetic anomalies that confirmed this process, fracture zones and transform faults, the subduction of oceanic lithosphere, the composition of the lithosphere, continental tectonics, and the relationtionship between plate tectonics and other phenomena such as ice ages and the production of oil and gas resources. If you are interested in the dynamic nature of our planet then I would highly recommend reading this book. It is excellent.

I Bought this for a friend who expressed an interest in 'continental drift' who I don't think has a great scientific background. I am in two minds whether it will be too advanced or not for them, as after a quick overview of plate tectonics it goes into quite some detail on the actual mechanics. It also goes to some lengths to explain how the theory was proposed and by who and when and who discovered and when the various lines of evidence that have gone to make plate tectonics an accepted theory. Being a geology student myself I found the book very interesting, but I think the level may be too much for someone without any basic knowledge. I may come back and edit this when My fried has attempted this book.

An excellent example of a VSI which will be ideally suitable for the casual or serious reader with an interest in what makes the earth move! I’ve read several publications on plate tectonics over the years but none has encapsulated the fundamentals of the subject as effectively as this book does. It provides comprehensive and lucid descriptions of the dynamic processes involved and is augmented by numerous diagrams. No prior knowledge of earth sciences will be required to gain a good understanding of tectonic theory and how it has developed from the original concept of continental drift which prevailed fifty years ago. Plate Tectonics is a well-written, informative and easy read worthy of a five-star rating.

This is a small but excellent introduction to the current science of plate tectonics. Not just the main issues but also the level two ones.Strongly recommended for all readers with even a slight interest in this new science, almost all discovered within the last fifty years.

Very good introduction. Goes into somewhat more than but it is well organised. I would recommend this book for those with an interest to learn the first principles of this fascinating science.