Publisher Description

This stunning book documents a collection of 66 extraordinary pieces of petrified wood, mainly from Western United States (Arizona, Oregon, Washington). Specially photographed they are shown in their entirety and in magnificent details. Petrified wood is formed from fallen trees that in the absence of oxygen and microbes, and with water containing minerals, through a replacement process called permineralization, slowly transform into visually spectacular fossils. But Nature often uses a paintbrush in its preservation magic, splashing the wooden canvas with an array of colours and hues before fixing it in a matrix of hard durable quartz, thereby creating splendid works of art. Petrified wood has been found throughout the world, but actual petrified forests are truly noteworthy in the United States, the most famous being the Chinle Formation forest of Arizona. AUTHOR: Ernest Beck is an award-winning professional writer and editorial consultant. A former Wall Street Journal staff reporter, he focuses on the intersection of design and business, innovation, and public policy. George E. Harlow, a magna cum laude graduate of Harvard College in 1971, received his Ph.D. from Princeton in 1977. He is currently the Curator of Minerals and Gems in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at the American Museum of Natural History. Trained as a geologist specialising in mineralogy and crystallography, SELLING POINTS: . A magnificent collection of 66 pieces of petrified wood mainly from the Western United States, specially photographed to show the artistic beauty hidden in Nature's masterpieces . All the images are unpublished and were specifically shot for this book . Will appeal to all collectors of petrified wood and minerals as well as those who do not collect but are interested, or are scholars in the field . Authoritative text by the Curator of Minerals at the American Museum of Natural History 193 colour

Author Biography

Ernest Beck is an award-winning professional writer and editorial consultant. A former Wall Street Journal staff reporter, he focuses on the intersection of design and business, innovation, and public policy. George E. Harlow, a magna cum laude graduate of Harvard College in 1971, received his Ph.D. from Princeton in 1977. He is currently the Curator of Minerals and Gems in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at the American Museum of Natural History. Trained as a geologist specializing in mineralogy and crystallography, Dr. Harlow has concentrated his research on the chemistry and structure of minerals as tools for understanding their origin and the record of geological processes they contain. Dr. Harlow is a fellow of the Mineralogical Society of America and the author of over 100 scholarly texts. John Bigelow Taylor and Dianne Dubler, the creators and developers of this project, are New York based photographers, specializing in architecture, works of art, antiquities and jewelry. They have created the photography for over 250 books. John Gillespie and his spouse, Andrea Borden, have been actively collecting minerals for more than 30 years. Gillespie has been a portfolio manager and securities analyst for more than thirty years. Since 1997, he has served as the managing member of Prospector Partners, LLC. Mr. Gillespie received a B.A. cum laude from Bates College in 1980 and an M.B.A. from Stanford University Graduate School of Business in 1986. In addition, he is on the Board of Trustees and Chair of the Investment Committee of Bates College.

Long Description

* A magnificent collection of 66 pieces of petrified wood mainly from the Western United States, specially photographed to show the artistic beauty hidden in Nature's masterpieces * All the images are unpublished and were specifically shot for this book * Authoritative text by the Curator of Minerals at the American Museum of Natural History This stunning book documents a collection of 66 extraordinary pieces of petrified wood, mainly from Western United States (Arizona, Oregon, Washington). Specially photographed they are shown in their entirety and in magnificent details. Petrified wood is formed from fallen trees that in the absence of oxygen and microbes, and with water containing minerals, through a replacement process called permineralization, slowly transform into visually spectacular fossils. But Nature often uses a paintbrush in its preservation magic, splashing the wooden canvas with an array of colors and hues before fixing it in a matrix of hard durable quartz, thereby creating splendid works of art. Petrified wood has been found throughout the world, but actual petrified forests are truly noteworthy in the United States, the most famous being the Chinle Formation forest of Arizona.

Details