MICHAEL COLLIER
OVER THE RIVERS
AN AERIAL VIEW OF GEOLOGY
by Michael Collier
“Collier’s photographs and words make this fantastic book serve both as a fascinating introduction to geology and an artistic display of America’s natural wonders…The book is a must-have.”
- Science Books and Films, praising Michael Collier’s Over the Mountains
“Rivers flow from the mountains to the sea. Nothing could be simpler; nothing could be more complex.” And under the commanding artistry of award-winning photographer and author Michael Collier, nothing could be more engaging and spectacular. In his new book OVER THE RIVERS: An Aerial View of Geology (Mikaya Press; October 2008; $34.95), aerial photographer Collier invites us into his little Cessna 180 for the ride of our lives—tumbling through gorges, skirting through a maze of islands, and meandering through backwaters, as we follow the rivers of North America.
A gifted science writer and geologist, Collier’s heartfelt passion for the earth is manifest both in his stunning photographs and his lyrical writing. OVER THE RIVERS stands apart from your usual geology tome as a unique blend of art and science; it inspires, as well as enlightens.
OVER THE RIVERS is Collier’s second book in a series focused on the evolution of landscapes and follows his well-received 2007 book, Over the Mountains. In clear and vivid language, Collier describes the fundamental geological processes and forces that cause one river to “sway its hips” across the land, another to drop over a cliff, and a third to separate into a sprawling delta. Whether it’s the Colorado twisting and slashing down from the high mountains all the way to Mexico’s Sea of Cortez, the stately Mississippi rolling through America’s heartland, the New River barreling through the wooded hills of West Virginia, or the Yazoo, the Dead, the Snake, the Thunder, the Niobrara, the Bighorn, the Platte, the Rio Grande, or the Knik, Collier’s breathtakingly beautiful photographs celebrate the beauty and grace of North America’s rivers.
Recognized for their artistic and scientific values, Michael Collier’s photographs have appeared in dozens of books, as well as major magazines and newspapers. He has written scripts for two documentary films about the Grand Canyon, won the National Park Service Director’s Award for A Land in Motion, the National Outdoor Book Award for The Mountains Know Arizona, and the U.S. Geological Survey’s Shoemaker Communications Award for Dams and Rivers. The American Geological Institute honored him in 2005 for his outstanding contribution to the public understanding of the geosciences.
OVER THE RIVERS brings us the braided channels, rolling races, broad flat washes, alluvial fans, and unheralded waterfalls of America. The view is remarkable. We look forward to speaking with you about Michael Collier and OVER THE RIVERS.