• Provides a unique overview of modern mineralogy
• Explains how minerals grow and transform deep in the Earth
• Emphasizes the importance of minerals as resources
• Explores the importance of mineral impact on human health
• Places mineral 'evolution' in the context of cosmology and planetology

  
Minerals existed long before any forms of life, playing a key role in the origin and evolution of life; an interaction with biological systems that we are only now beginning to understand. Exploring the traditional strand of mineralogy, which emphasises the important mineral families, the well-established analytical methods (optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction) and the dramatic developments made in techniques over recent decades, David Vaughan also introduces the modern strand of mineralogy, which explores the role minerals play in the plate tectonic cycle and how they interact with the living world. 
  
Demonstrating how minerals can be critical for human health and illness by providing essential nutrients and releasing poisons, Vaughan explores the multitude of ways in which minerals have aided our understanding of the world.