The History and Sedimentology of Ancient Reef Systems (Topics in Geobiology) Book

Reef. The very word conjures up restful, tropical images wrapped in warmth and displayed in shimmering colors. So it is with this book, a series of reef images, past and present brought to life by thoughtful and probing analysis and revealed through well-written and beautifully illustrated articles. Ever since Darwin reported on his investigations of far-flung reefs, these structures have held an unending fascination for earth scientists. The fact that their fossil predecessors contain a wealth of information about past life and can be filled with a king's ransom of hydrocarbons, means that they will always be subjects of legitimate scientific study. This book likewise is a gold mine of up-to-date information, a report card on the status of reefs and reef research at the beginning of the millennium. Although the perspective is geological, the articles are multidisciplinary, and so the book is a treasure-trove for biologists, ecologists and oceanographers. It brings together, in one place papers by the experts who have for many years sought to understand the nature of reefs in different time periods. While it might have suffered from the lack of a centralist view, it does not, because each author has clearly tried to place temporally distinctive reefs in a larger global context. Thus the authors rarely just report on `their' reefs, but to our benefit cannot resist comparing and contrasting reefs with one another and wresting as much paleoceanographic information out of their data as possible. One particular phrase from this book that sticks in my mind is that reefs are a `plethora of paradoxes'. This truism is illustrated again and again as different reefs are chronicled. It is clear that if we want to read the valuable information that they contain, we must do so carefully using all the tools at our disposal, and with an open mind. Some of the most engaging parts of the book occur when different authors interpret reefs in the same period in earth history, in different ways. Likewise, it is particularly compelling to read the view of ongoing reef studies by a pioneering reef worker. In short, this volume is, at the same time, a wonderful source of basic information, and a grand overview of modern and ancient reef systems, for students of all ages. Although you may begin in a restful frame of mind, when you have read it all, there will be much to ponder, not only about the fossil record but also about what reefs are telling us of our modern world. Noel P. James, Kingston, OntarioRead More