This book was originally published in 1970. Writing from the viewpoint
of a geologist rather than a chemist, the author outlines the
geologically important organic compounds and their reactions, as well as
the fundamental analytical methods used in organic chemistry. He
discusses the occurrence of organic residues in freshwater sediments and
sedimentary rocks and evaluates both the importance of these residues in
palaeoenvironmental and related problems and their role as biochemical
fossils. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in
non-marine organic geochemistry, together with anyone involved in the
related areas of organic oceanography, limnology, petroleum
geochemistry, coal and oil shale research and the space programme.