In this truly unique celebration of mining, breathtaking aerial photographs by award-winning photographers Jim Wark and Richard Woldendorp accompany ground-level pictures of mines, mine-side oddities, and mine communities. Informed but breezy narratives by mining experts John Trudinger and Karlheinz Spitz identify and explain the images.

The World of Mining shows that mining and associated activities can be impressive, attractive, and even spectacular. The book illustrates most if not all aspects of mining and mineral processing, in all its varieties, and from different environments throughout the world. It illustrates the colourful history of mining and its importance to the development of civilisation as we know it. It depicts the wide range of activities in modern mining, from exploration to mine closure, as well as traditional mining by skilled practitioners, using methods adapted to local conditions.

A visual feast for anyone interested, with and without a background in the earth sciences or photography. Recommended as well as a primary and secondary school information source on the subject.

"...a highly credible and lavishly produced volume..."

-- Australian Journal of Mining, November 2011

Jim Wark is a aerial photographer who specializes in capturing unusual landscape and cultural images throughout North and Central America. His vision of Earth from on high reflects both his experience as a naval aviator, and his reverence for the Earth's geography gained during a career in mining and geology.
In 2005 Jim Wark was the recipient of PAPA's (Professional Aerial Photographers Association, Intl.) first ever lifetime achievement award. In 2006 Jim was the first recipient of the EPSON Aerial Photographer of the Year Award. Jim Wark summarizes his feelings about his passion in this way: 'I am an aviator, a mining engineer and a photographer, in that order. Or maybe it's the other way around. My life's work has been in aviation and earth sciences, and combining these interests with an inherited instinct for photography has fulfilled my deepest ambition.'

Richard Woldendorp, born in The Netherlands in 1927, showed from an early age an interest in painting and drawing before studying commercial art. He immigrated to Australia in 1951. Intrigued by the uniqueness of the Australian landscape, he became a landscape photographer with a strong interest in aerial photography, which he feels captures the vastness of the outback best. His love of the Australian landscape has led to extensive travel throughout the country. Richard Woldendorp has won numerous photography awards, held numerous exhibitions, published various books and has photos in public collections across Australia and in America. Amongst his many awards was acceptance into the Society of Advertising, Commercial and Magazine Photographers Hall of Fame, and nomination as Western Australia's Professional Photographer of the Year for 1998. More recently, Richard Woldendorp was named a State Living Treasure for Western Australia.

Karlheinz Spitz is an environmental consultant with many years of working experience in Canada, Europe, Asia, and Australia. His main interest is the environmental assessment of large resource development projects in developing countries. He worked on many mines in South East Asia, covering a wide range of minerals and a diverse spectrum of environmental and social settings. Karlheinz Spitz understands mining as a sustainable economic activity; his focus is on the social, economic and environmental performance of mining. In 2008, together with John Trudinger, he published a textbook on mining and its environmental and social interactions with the host region, and created the related website www.miningandtheenevironment.com. He continues to be fascinated by the disparity of the image that mining enjoys in the public and the importance of mined products in our daily life. 'Mining is as important to society as farming or transportation and housing, with fewer environmental impacts at a global scale. Yet it arguably attracts more negative publicity than any other human activity.'

John Trudinger is an environmental consultant with more than 45 years of professional experience. Growing up in the mining town of Ballarat, Australia and trained as a geologist, he became involved in the emerging environmental business in the early 1970s. He has since contributed as team member or team leader, to environmental investigations and assessments for more than 100 resource development and infrastructure projects. He has travelled widely and has carried out consulting assignments throughout Australia, Asia and North America. His particular interest is the management of mine wastes in the mountainous wet tropics. Like most people working in the mining sector, John is highly supportive of an industry that requires much skill and knowledge while offering exciting but demanding opportunities. For him, mining is not a search for wealth, but a sustainable activity, that is essential for the well-being of mankind, now and in the future.