<p>'Quantitative methods are increasingly important in the earth sciences but there are few good books specifically written to help earth scientists develop the mathematical tools that they need. This book helps to fill the gap by providing a concise introduction to mathematical modelling with an emphasis on examples taken from the earth sciences.</p><p>One of the major strengths of the book is that it is possible to get a good overview of a whole topic during an initial read of the relevant chapter without getting too bogged down in detail. Where additional detail is provided it is invariably worth further study. Another strength of the book is the large number of worked examples embedded in the text – almost every other double-page spread seems to have one. With very few exceptions, these examples are of great help in providing both focus and clarity to what may sometimes seem a little obscure. The style of the book is informal - I wish that it had been available when I was an undergraduate to help counterbalance the “theorem-and-proof” approach that I was subjected to...<br />In short, the book provides excellent value for money and is a well-crafted introduction to mathematical modelling for earth scientists. Armed with insights obtained from this book, the reader will be well placed for further study of selected topics at the next level of detail.'Geoscientist</p>