ALEXANDRIA,VA — Although minerals are essential to individual and national well-being and security, these resources are commonly invisible in finished consumer products. Minerals – Foundations of Society (3rd edition), a newly released publication from the American Geological Institute, presents an objective overview of non-fuel minerals and the critical role they play in societies throughout the world. In this richly illustrated, reader friendly, 96-page volume, the authors, Ann Dorr and Alma Hale Paty, describe the role of minerals in modern society including their significance, origin, and distribution as well as the economic, political and social issues affecting the development and use of mineral resources. This edition features thematic timelines and informative graphics and includes a dramatic poster with an educational activity for students.

    “Mineral resources are the building blocks on which modern society depends,” says author Ann Dorr, “however, this fundamental truth commonly goes unrecognized by the public.” To increase awareness and understanding of the role of minerals, the book includes many examples of mineral uses, both historical and current. Additional topics in this informative volume include the formation of mineral ore deposits, technologies used to mine and process mineral resources, environmental regulations and mineral legislation, mineral economics and consumption statistics, and political and national security considerations. Alma Hale Paty, co-author of the book, affirms “Minerals weave a web among all aspects of human life and our physical Earth, laying the foundations for a sustainable society.”

    Ann Dorr, a geologist and educator, wrote the first edition of Minerals – Foundations of Society in 1984 to provide members of the League of Women Voters with mineral information they needed to develop positions on a wide range of subjects – from local land use to national security. In response to its popularity, she produced an expanded second edition, published by AGI, in 1987. The 3rd edition was written collaboratively with Alma Hale Paty, also a geologist and educator, who is an active member of numerous mineral-related organizations.

    Copies of Minerals – Foundations of Society (ISBN 0-922152-60-8) are available from AGI at a list price of $19.95. Members of AGI member societies and teachers receive a discounted price of $15.95. Orders may be placed through the AGI Publications Center at http://www.agiweb.org/pubs, or by mail, telephone, fax, or e-mail (American Geological Institute, Attention: Publications Center, 4220 King Street, Alexandria, VA  22302, Tel: (703) 379-2480, Fax: (703) 379-7563, E-mail: pubs@agiweb.org). Please add $7.00 for postage and handling costs for the first copy and $1.25 more per additional copy in the contiguous U.S. Orders to addresses in Maryland and Virginia are subject to the applicable sales tax. All orders must be prepaid. Please make your check or money order drawn on a U.S. bank in U.S. funds payable to the American Geological Institute. AGI also accepts VISA and MasterCard. Orders are shipped by UPS Standard Service, whenever possible, and take two to three weeks for delivery. For additional information, bulk order pricing, or costs for overseas shipping, contact the AGI Publications Department.

    The American Geological Institute is a nonprofit federation of 40 geoscientific and professional associations that represent more than 120,000 geologists, geophysicists, and other earth scientists. Founded in 1948, AGI provides information services to geoscientists, serves as a voice of shared interests in our profession, plays a major role in strengthening geoscience education, and strives to increase public awareness of the vital role the geosciences play in mankind's use of resources and interaction with the environment. More information about AGI can be found at http://www.agiweb.org. The Institute also provides a public-outreach web site, http://www.earthscienceworld.org.
 

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