Travelers on Missouri's highways may not notice the gargoyles lurking by the roadsides, but if they slow down, they might catch a glimpse of the hunkering, contorted figures looming in the road-cuts. No, not those oddly shaped sculptures on castles and cathedrals. In southwest Missouri, gargoyles are the charming rock outcrops that flank many roads and highways. Gargoyle Country explores the fascinating geological history of southwestern Missouri for general readers.

This is not a typical geology book with traditional rock columns and complicated nomenclature. Rather, it has numerous colorful illustrations and useful maps. Because the region is now heavily populated, much of the geology is brought out in historic buildings and various "rockworks" that use rocks that once were plentiful but are now hard to find in an urbanized environment. Gargoyle Country even includes descriptions and directions to specific places where the reader can see and touch real geology.