Title page of 'The Student's Elements of Geology'

First published in 1871, the 'Student's Elements of Geology' was a work intended to offer a first entry into geology. Charles Lyell had previously written 'Principles of Geology' then in its tenth edition and out of print and 'Elements of Geology' then in its 6th edition. The 'Student's Elements' were an abridged, simplified and even more illustrated version of the 'Elements'. It aimed to define the technical vocabulary of geology into a concise and cheap book still offering 636 figures.