Magic World: Inclusions in Quartz by Jaroslav Hyrsl and Gerhard Niedermayr. Bode Verlag. Orter Putt 28, 45721 Haltern, Germany; geogentur@aol.com. 2003; 240 pages; 49 [euro] plus shipping and handling (hardbound).

You know the quartz specimen that you have, the one that isn't very attractive because of all the crud in it? Maybe you should take another look at it--you will want to after reading Jaroslav Hyrsl and Gerhard Niedermayr's book on quartz inclusions. It makes the reader realize that the "crud" can actually be interesting and often beautiful minerals. The book is presented in parallel columns of German and English, adopting a new approach for Bode Verlag, which usually publishes only in German.

This is a beautiful, illustrated work with more than 330 color photos of quartz inclusions, some common, others rare. It would be unfair to call it a "coffee table book;' but it certainly has a general appeal and will have grandma saying, "Oh, that one is pretty!" I do not have a problem with that at all; I am all for public outreach and believe our hobby would be better served by being more assertive. However discreetly, what Hyrsl and Niedermayr do is open a relatively overlooked field of collecting, where one can go far with dedication and even limited funds. To be sure, large high-grade alpine quartz crystals, crud or no crud, cost a fortune, and if you find a top-notch piece with silvery galena in clear quartz from Arkansas or a really fine quartz from Messina with shattuckite and papagoite, you will be lucky to get it for four figures. However, if you decide to acquire "interesting" inclusions in quartz crystals, you will find yourself looking for inconspicuous specimens that are easy to locate and inexpensive to purchase. Careful research and perhaps a hand lens may well show that the crud is actually an interesting mineral, and you have a superb piece.