Bare Bones Geology is a user-friendly book for those who desire some acquaintance with geology: not a technical overload, but a pleasurable introduction to how our Earth works and a bit about its extended past. The books is well illustrated with 56 black & white photographs and 8 drawings.

Twenty-three chapters arrange within three parts: Eyeballing Landscapes, Practical Geology : Coping With Geologic Hazards, and Geology to Stir the Brain. Two chapters in the last part are "Asking 'Dumb' Questions in Geology and Answers", and "Geological Puzzles : A Selection." The "Dumb" Questions chapter asks such questions as "Why are the oceans salty?" and "Did cave men ever slay a dinosaur?".

The author, Alan M. Cvancara, Ph.D, is a retired Professor Emeritus of Geology at the University of North Dakota and the author of A Field Manual for the Amateur Geologist