Edward Hitchcock dedicated this collection of lectures to his “beloved wife” for her general assistance and support; for shouldering the brunt of family responsibilities so that he might be freer to pursue his work; and for her lovely artwork, which he claimed did more than his voice to make the study of geology appealing to his students. He intended to write this book for many years, but the obligations of college presidency took all if his time and attention. Consisting of lectures from the early to mid-1840s, the book was published in 1851, after his return from Europe.