This book was originally published in 1970. Writing from the viewpoint of a geologist rather than a chemist, the author outlines the geologically important organic compounds and their reactions, as well as the fundamental analytical methods used in organic chemistry. He discusses the occurrence of organic residues in freshwater sediments and sedimentary rocks and evaluates both the importance of these residues in palaeoenvironmental and related problems and their role as biochemical fossils. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in non-marine organic geochemistry, together with anyone involved in the related areas of organic oceanography, limnology, petroleum geochemistry, coal and oil shale research and the space programme.