The story of William Smith, the surveyor who became interested in the rock strata that he saw in the mines and canal cuttings where he worked and ended up drawing the first geological map of England and Wales. It also tells the story of his battle with the "establishment" - the gentleman geologists who thought that a man from the lower classes couldn't provide a valuable contribution to science, and who refused to give him credit for his map. He did, in the end, receive the recognition he deserved.

Readable and informative.