* A magnificent collection of 66 pieces of petrified wood mainly from the Western United States, specially photographed to show the artistic beauty hidden in Nature's masterpieces * All the images are unpublished and were specifically shot for this book * Authoritative text by the Curator of Minerals at the American Museum of Natural History This stunning book documents a collection of 66 extraordinary pieces of petrified wood, mainly from Western United States (Arizona, Oregon, Washington). Specially photographed they are shown in their entirety and in magnificent details. Petrified wood is formed from fallen trees that in the absence of oxygen and microbes, and with water containing minerals, through a replacement process called permineralization, slowly transform into visually spectacular fossils. But Nature often uses a paintbrush in its preservation magic, splashing the wooden canvas with an array of colors and hues before fixing it in a matrix of hard durable quartz, thereby creating splendid works of art. Petrified wood has been found throughout the world, but actual petrified forests are truly noteworthy in the United States, the most famous being the Chinle Formation forest of Arizona.

The story of the curse made famous by the hit show Dead to Me The Petrified Forest National Park in Northeast Arizona protects one of the largest deposits of petrified wood in the world. Despite stern warnings, visitors remove several tons of petrified wood from the park each year, often returning these rocks by mail (sometimes years later), accompanied by a "conscience letter." These letters often include stories of misfortune attributed directly to their theft: car troubles, cats with cancer, deaths of family members, etc. Some writers hope that by returning these stolen rocks, good fortune will return to their lives, while others simply apologize or ask forgiveness. "They are beautiful," reads one letter, "but I can't enjoy them. They weigh like a ton of bricks on my conscience. Sorry...." Bad Luck, Hot Rocksdocuments this ongoing phenomenon, combining a series of original photographs of these otherworldly "bad luck rocks" with facsimiles of intimate, oddly entertaining letters from the park's archives.

Children will love this delightful and informative book about the Arizona National Petrified Forest. Learn about the history of the Petrified Forest and how these large conifers turned to solid stone. Discover the science behind how wood becomes petrified and how the wood gets its colors. Read about where petrified wood can be found and how we can help preserve our National Park for future generations. Older children from 5th grade and up can read this book on their own and even use the information to generate reports for school about this scientific phenomenon. Includes full color images of the Petrified Forest, the Petrified Forest National Park, the unique Painted Desert and colorful pieces of petrified wood.