There have been a number of publications on the type minerals of different countries and regions. These generally provide thumbnail sketches with basic information for each valid mineral species described from those places, as well as some more general mineralogical background on the areas. While these types of publications are useful compilations of mostly historical and collector interest, they probably have relatively little to offer researchers.

“Type Mineralogy of Brazil: A Book in Progress” takes a quite different tack. Besides the currently valid mineral species described from Brazilian locales, it includes invalid, discredited, unnamed, unidentified and problematic minerals. The entries are generally quite comprehensive in the information they provide, and often this data is from quite obscure and difficult to obtain sources. This is notably true of those entries dealing with phases that have not yet qualified as valid mineral species.

From my perspective as a descriptive mineralogist, it appears that the author is providing encouragement and plenty of ammunition for more mineralogists to work on Brazil's diverse, fascinating and somewhat neglected rare minerals. In furtherance of this, the book's introduction is something of a primer on describing new minerals: it explains the concept of a mineral species, details the steps required for describing a new species and even briefly explains the importance of studying new mineral species.

The author notes that only 74 of the nearly 5,600 known mineral species were first described from Brazilian deposits. This is far fewer than have been described from some much smaller (and no less geologically diverse) countries. The author, himself, is diligently working to increase this number and this book has the potential of enlisting today's and future generations of mineralogists to do the same. This publication is certainly “A Book in Progress” just as Brazil's mineralogy is research in progress.