This guide was organized with beginners in mind. The most common rocksare listed first, with a table to help you narrow down what you’re lookingfor and pictures if you are still baffled. The thinking here was that if youdon’t know the name, organizing the contents alphabetically won’t helpmuch.Because the United States is rich in fossils, many quite valuable orscientifically interesting, there is a section for various fossils. Rememberthat you cannot remove vertebrate fossils from public lands without apaleontological permit, but leaves, petrified wood, and insects are all therefor the collecting.For the minerals, there are sections for common minerals and commonmetals important for mining. The common minerals form most of our rocksand are rarely important to miners, except as indicators and to determinestructures. The minerals in the metals section are generally valuable, comefrom mining districts, and are usually either attractive or economicallyinteresting. Most of the highly scientific jargon and measurements stayedout; the information you need, like streak, hardness, and color, stayed in.Finally, there are gemstones. These are the most valuable or highlysought rocks and minerals from across the country. You can try to get themon your own, using one of the appropriate Falcon-Guides as a companion tothis title, or you can haunt the shows and shops and online retailers. Whatyou collect, and the order you collect in, is up to you.Remember that for all the “leaverite” you encounter—rocks thatsomeone suggests you should “leave ’er right” there—you never know whatmight appeal to you. Even glass can be interesting.