About the Author

Michael Collier has won the National Outdoor Book Award, the National Park Service Director's Award and the U.S. Geological Survey's Communications Award. In 2005 he received the American Geological Institute's Outstanding Contribution to Public Understanding of Geosciences Award for his decades of work. He lives in Flagstaff, Arizona.

Reviews

Michael Collier has used his experience as a pilot to fly the coasts of the United States to take stunning photographs of the coast line from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and north to Alaska.... What Collier offers in this book are some wonderful photographs with geologically oriented commentary to help explain why each coast is different [and] addresses the human presence on the coast.... This is a beautiful picture book, not a geological treatise. But it is still wonderful to "read" the pictures. There isn't much text, but I see the personal experience of the author, and the geologic understanding that he has of what he is photographing. The book offers an interesting viewpoint: to help explain the geologic processes that are happening today, and happened yesterday in the rocks we explore for.--David Bartel "The Leading Edge, publication of the Society of Exploration Physicists" (1/1/2010 12:00:00 AM)

Selection, NSTA/CBC Outstanding Science Trade Books 2010 Come fly along our North American coastal landscapes. Observe the results of the forces of tides, wind, waves, and weather in shaping them. This gorgeous book invites inquiry with its detailed and carefully selected images. The author is also a pilot, inviting readers to accompany him on his journeys to learn more about the geology of coastal areas and barrier islands. The text is stunningly enhanced with his color photography. He also introduces observers to the effects of human structures on coastal landforms. It's easy to imagine this book in an "inquiry corner" where students observe carefully to find the answers to specific geology questions. Maps, a glossary, and a sound index support these sorts of lessons.-- "National Science Teachers Association Recommends" (3/1/2010 12:00:00 AM)

[A] beautiful informative volume.-- "Publishers Weekly Web Exclusive Online Reviews" (9/7/2009 12:00:00 AM)

Award-winning photographer Michael Collier provides an educational glimpse at how the forces of nature sculpt the landscape. The only way to fully appreciate these dramatically beautiful sights is with a bird's eye view and Collier was simply born to fly. His expertly crafted aerial images are paired with highly informative text, which makes this book an amazing treat for both the eyes and the mind.-- "Shutterbug" (12/1/2009 12:00:00 AM)

It would be hard to imagine a more eminently qualified person than Collier, who is a doctor, photographer, writer, geologist and pilot, to produce such a visually stimulating and enlightening book on the subject.... Collier's aerial portraits of these environments capture their moods and essence in ways not possible from eye-level. Wonderful abstract patterns of river deltas and gently meandering waterways contrast with powerful ocean waves bashing rocky bulwarks; slivers of sand islands stand as sentinels in seemingly tranquil waters that are imperceptibly yet relentlessly gnawing away at the fragile shores. The book is packed with wonderful photographs and a wealth of information that makes interesting and informative reading. Collier's way with words is entertaining; information about the vast array of geological processes that shape our world is presented in easy-to-read layman terminology... You don't have to be a scientist to be captivated by this book.--Peter Skinner "Rangefinder Magazine" (9/1/2009 12:00:00 AM)

Michael Collier's franchise in beautiful, deeply informed aerial geologic photography continues with Over the Coasts as his expert eye brings us the incomparable shores of the North American continent. You'll read this once to drink in the photographs, once more to absorb the text, then again and again.--Andrew Alden "About.com" (9/9/2009 12:00:00 AM)

Where the land meets the sea, land can be shaped quickly, as revealed in dramatic, ever-changing scenery. In evocative words and stunning images, aerial photographer and geologist Michael Collier chronicles changes that have occurred--and are occurring--along North American coasts: the Atlantic, the Pacific, the Great Lakes, and the Gulf of Mexico... The vivid text accompanying the beautiful photographs make Over the Coasts as much as informative geology primer as it is an attractive coffee-table book.--Sid Perkins "Science News" (12/19/2009 12:00:00 AM)