Until science and technology point us in a different direction, it remains a truism that modern industrial societies would collapse without sustained extraction of various resources. Whether its oil, coal, uranium, copper or some other resource, humankind has been extracting these from the ground and elsewhere for millenia.
Although given today's environmental awareness we are not likely to celebrate our efforts in this regard without feeling a bit guilty, this was not always the case. Many cultures have celebrated such efforts in the past, most notably on coins, tokens and medals:
While the most obvious collectors for many of the books devoted to mining are professionals who are (or have been) actively involved with various extractive processes...
...there is at least one type of mining that has long attracted a much broader range of book collectors -- mining for precious metals:
Among the many folks who collect such books are modern-day prospectors, survivalists, folks interested in local history, folks interested in the Industrial Revolution, and so on:
Because countries like Australia, and states like Georgia, Colorado, California, Nevada, Montana and Alaska, were foci for various types of mining, folks interested in the history of these areas also are likely to pursue a number of books about mining:
Many folks who collect these types of books also collect other items associated with these processes. Two of the most popular are stock certificates for various types of mining companies and maps of various gold mining regions:
Several bibliographies exist for these types of books...
...but a specialist independent bookseller will prove equally valuable.
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