In a series of entertaining essays, geoscientist Jelle Zeilinga de Boer describes how early settlers discovered and exploited Connecticut s natural resources. Their successes as well as failures form the very basis of the state s history: Chatham s gold played a role in the acquisition of its Charter, and Middletown s lead helped the colony gain its freedom during the Revolution. Fertile soils in the Central Valley fueled the state s development into an agricultural power house, and iron ores discovered in the western highlands helped trigger its manufacturing eminence. The Statue of Liberty, a quintessential symbol of America, rests on Connecticut s Stony Creek granite. Geology not only shaped the state s physical landscape, but also provided an economic base and played a cultural role by inspiring folklore, paintings, and poems. Illuminated by 50 illustrations and 12 color plates, Stories in Stone describes the marvel of Connecticut s geologic diversity and also recounts the impact of past climates, earthquakes, and meteorites on the lives of the people who made Connecticut their home."