Fists Full of Gold: A Complete Guide to the Art of Prospecting: How You Can Find Gold in the Mountains and Deserts

I just got this book and wow... Just wow! I live in Gold rich areas and found Chris, like many, the3ough Youtube. I decided instead of getting one of the other books Chris and other prospectors recomended, to start with this book. I am so happy I did! This is definitely a THE BOOK to get. Whether you are brand new to Gold or experienced, you should benefit from this book. I am not very experienced, but I have been recovered small Gold. Chris's writing style and teaching style really is like nothing else. I'm a smart guy, but learning is a challenge for me. This book is perfectly illustrated, with relative pictures and personal stories that keep the subject interesting, and very informative. I was worried about not having colored images as many have complained about. I almost didn't buy. How can I learn rocks without color? However once receiving the book, I realize that this is not an issue. The pictures seem to enhance every paragraph as you go along. The broader understanding comes in and is better than any color picture. It's not just a good Gold book, it's a good book in general! Well written, well spoken, I really appreciate the time taken to hammer in one lesson, YES THERE IS GOLD OUT THERE AND YOU CAN GET IT! One of the included endorsements for this book was that it is a value at $100. That really is no joke, this book could have easily been a series of publications @ $20 a pop. Thank goodness Chris put it all in one book. You can tell he WANTS you to learn. With my review comes one caveat, I am not an experienced prospector. For all I know Chris could have us all chasing our tails! However, I feel pretty safe in saying I doubt that's the case. There are things in here I never heard of and now clarify so many things I see on the field. It's very clear Chris has put in the years of hard work and intellectual homework. All of this in a easy to read, understand manner. Chris! I'm relatively new to your channel but big thanks from AZ! Can we get a pdf and hardback?

This has thus far proven to be my #1 go to book as I am immersing myself into gold prospecting. I have a shelf full of books and printed downloads of info I have browsed on first order and found Fists Full of Gold to be the right combination of thoroughness, jargon decode, and ease to read. The author is a trained mining engineer and geologist and he has the gift of being able to write clearly and concisely for a wide ranging audience from beginner (like me) and experienced prospector. It's easy to pick up in any chapter and quickly figure out where you may need to back up in the book to educate yourself on terms or techniques. I particularly found the geology section to be a breakthru in my education. Other relevant to my pursuits gold mining geology works are just too much written by geologists for geologists. The gold mining geology section in this book has proven to get me up to a level of knowledge where I can at least plod thru some of the more scholarly works. Great pics and diagrams add to the ease of reading and fun in this book. It's both a book you can read and a go back to reference. It covers the gamut of placer mining techniques including metal detecting and has more info on lode mining than any other "primer" on gold prospecting. The author also has a great website which is referenced thoughtfully and not overly in the book for more detail, better quality photographs, and more up to date info and stories. Buy this one for sure. and I agree with another poster that Dave McCraken "Gold Mining in the 21st Century" is another worthy work.

"This book is the most comprehensive and up-to-date book on gold prospecting. Within its pages is everything you need to know to find gold today." The book description is on point! Buy the book! It's fantastic! Get one for yourself and get a copy for a friend. There is so much information all laid out well, and digestible. I've got stuff highlighted. This guy has clearly answered more than a few questions during his career. Even my own and there it all is in black and white. 🫣 Great work on this comprehensive gold prospecting encyclopedia. The chapters on gold mining, gold prospecting tools, homemade gold prospecting equipment, prospecting clubs, and BEYOND! Looking forward to see what you write next.

I have not read much of this book yet, but it seems to have plenty of technical information that a person could use to have a better chance of finding gold. This would require studying the concepts in this book and practicing the methods described in it.

Very helpful for a first timer to get a broad scope of understanding on technologies and processes used by prospectors.

This book was out of stock for a while, but I followed up with the author a couple times until he notified me that they were back in stock. All I can say, is I'm really glad that I persisted. I've been metal detecting for many years, but I've always lived in areas mostly devoid of gold. I just hunted beached, parks and any private property I could get permission for. I've only had the opportunity to gold pan a few times in my life. Now I'm living in an area known to have gold. This book is the most amazing collection of information about gold prospecting that I've ever seen. If you want to know about how to identify where to look, he talks about it in depth. Want to know about metal detecting for gold, tons of information on that. Panning, sluicing and high banking, yep, hard rock mining, yep, geology and different types of rocks and their relationship to each other, yep. I plan to re-read this book several times until maybe 10% of the information sticks. I know that even that amount will help me to be more successful in gold prospecting.

Great book and some what technical. I would say it's great for beginners to learn the concepts to get started. As Chris says a book will only go so far, getting out in the field and putting it to practice is what will really make you a prospector! I recommend reading this book to get started!

I have been mining on small scale for 20 years however I did pick up the book to just get reaquanted with simple geology and prospecting. The other half of the book is good for people who are new. However stick with some of the geo he talks about and learn it. You will become successful. Good honest book written for mostly new folks but the geology is for anyone interested in this sort of thing.