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A Brief History of Earth: Four Billion Years in Eight Chapters
Odds are, where you’re standing was once cooking under a roiling sea of lava, crushed by a towering sheet of ice, rocked by a nearby meteor strike, or perhaps choked by poison gases, drowned beneath ocean, perched atop a mountain range, or roamed by fearsome monsters. Probably most or even all of the above.
The story of our home planet and the organisms spread across its surface is far more spectacular than any Hollywood blockbuster, filled with enough plot twists to rival a bestselling thriller. But only recently have we begun to piece together the whole mystery into a coherent narrative. Drawing on his decades of field research and up-to-the-minute understanding of the latest science, renowned geologist Andrew H. Knoll delivers a rigorous yet accessible biography of Earth, charting our home planet's epic 4.6 billion-year story. Placing twenty first-century climate change in deep context, A Brief History of Earth is an indispensable look at where we’ve been and where we’re going.
Features original illustrations depicting Earth history and nearly 50 figures (maps, tables, photographs, graphs).
The story of our home planet and the organisms spread across its surface is far more spectacular than any Hollywood blockbuster, filled with enough plot twists to rival a bestselling thriller. But only recently have we begun to piece together the whole mystery into a coherent narrative. Drawing on his decades of field research and up-to-the-minute understanding of the latest science, renowned geologist Andrew H. Knoll delivers a rigorous yet accessible biography of Earth, charting our home planet's epic 4.6 billion-year story. Placing twenty first-century climate change in deep context, A Brief History of Earth is an indispensable look at where we’ve been and where we’re going.
Features original illustrations depicting Earth history and nearly 50 figures (maps, tables, photographs, graphs).
5 pages, Audiobook
First published April 1, 2021
About the author
Andrew H. Knoll
12 books69 followersProfessor of Natural History and a Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Harvard University.
More info about Knoll's work on the Knoll Lab website.
More info about Knoll's work on the Knoll Lab website.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 423 reviews
May 17, 2021
The book opens with the most honest statement I have ever read: "In the beginning was ... well... a jot, a speck, a fleck, at once incomprensibly small but unimaginably dense. It wasn't a localised concentration of stuff in the vast emptiness of the universe. It was the universe. How it got there, no one knows."
What I learned from the book was how the sun generates heat. It took me endless readings of that chapter to actually understand it, I have no background in physics at all, and for that the book is 5 stars. The title exactly describes the contents, and for a basic book covering from the speck to us right now, it is really excellent reading, but it isn't always easy. But then the best things often aren't .
What I learned from the book was how the sun generates heat. It took me endless readings of that chapter to actually understand it, I have no background in physics at all, and for that the book is 5 stars. The title exactly describes the contents, and for a basic book covering from the speck to us right now, it is really excellent reading, but it isn't always easy. But then the best things often aren't .
March 15, 2024
Dünyamızın 4 milyar yıllık tarihini 200 sayfaya sığdırmış jeolog Andrew H. Knoll. Her ne kadar akademik dilden uzak durmaya çalışsa da, kitabı hakkıyla okumak için birazdan daha fazla biyoloji bilgisi gerektiriyor. Ancak mükemmel bir çalışma ve hayretler içinde bırakan bilgilerle okunması gereken bir kitap.
Özellikle dünyanın yakın gelecekte yaşayacağı tehlikeler için çok önemli verileri ve çözüm önerilerini okumalısınız. Çevreyi kirleten, doğanın dengesini, habitatların ve ekosistemlerin değişmesine yol açan insan denilen biz kötücül yaratıkların marifetlerini dünyanın kısa tarihinin son bölümünde ele almış yazar.
Kitabı okuduktan sonra Darwin’in “Evrim Kuramı”nın kuram olmaktan çıkıp gerçek bir olgu olduğunu kabul ettiğimi ayrıca belirtmek istedim. Okuyun lütfen.
Özellikle dünyanın yakın gelecekte yaşayacağı tehlikeler için çok önemli verileri ve çözüm önerilerini okumalısınız. Çevreyi kirleten, doğanın dengesini, habitatların ve ekosistemlerin değişmesine yol açan insan denilen biz kötücül yaratıkların marifetlerini dünyanın kısa tarihinin son bölümünde ele almış yazar.
Kitabı okuduktan sonra Darwin’in “Evrim Kuramı”nın kuram olmaktan çıkıp gerçek bir olgu olduğunu kabul ettiğimi ayrıca belirtmek istedim. Okuyun lütfen.
March 21, 2023
Very comfy science read but can someone please let this man and his editor and his publisher know that HG Wells did not write Journey to the Center of the Earth
edit: hooray for the updated paperback!
edit: hooray for the updated paperback!
May 1, 2021
This was a nice, breezy tour of everything from the formation of the earth, its early geologic history, to the emergence of life, the transformation of the atmosphere, mass extinctions, animals, and humans. It begins and ends with a plea on climate change and the environment. All of it felt up-to-date and reliable, nice pictures and tables, but more of a review than any sort of original argument or synthesis. Not a criticism, just makes it more workmanlike useful to read than especially memorable.
June 14, 2023
Definitely a meritorious book that explains the geological and biological evolution of the earth in a comprehensible way, and according to the latest state of science. Andrew H. Knoll is not just anyone, he’s professor at Harvard, specializing in evolutionary biology. You will notice that in this book: the first chapters, which mainly contain geological information, remain quite difficult to follow. The subsequent ones, ont the biological evolution, are clearly his thing. Knoll's main message is in the final part, with a comprehensive warning of the disasters that lie ahead if climate and biodiversity continue to evolve so negatively. Especially the observation that the current CO2 level in the atmosphere is the highest in millions of years (and it continues to rise), speaks volumes. So this is a book with a thesis, but a very plausible one (unfortunately). Also, I learned quite a few new things. See my History account on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show....
November 18, 2023
- Szevasz, Mars!
- Szasz, Szaturnusz! Rég nem ütköztünk, mizu?
- Semmi extra. Sétáltatom a holdjaimat, dögunalom. Veled mi van? Jó színben vagy.
- Köszi. Megvagyok. De figyu, a Földdel találkoztál mostanában?
- Á, vagy négymilliárd éve nem láttam. Mi van vele?
- Ne tudd meg. Elkapott valamit.
- Basszus. Influenza?
- Rosszabb. Megfertőződött az élettel.
- Az meg mi?
- Hát, olyan ekcéma-szerűség.
- Rohadt ügy. Pedig olyan csinos, eleven tektonikus lemezei voltak, bírtam. Meg menő vulkánjai. Hogy történt?
- Először valami cianobaktériumok telepedtek meg rajta, és teleköpték oxigénnel. Aztán kis izék kezdtek mászkálni rajta. Dinoszauruszok, vagy mik. Totál bezöldült szerencsétlen. Ökoszisztémája is lett, tök ciki.
- Ja, durva. Dokinál volt?
- Próbálkozott mindennel: jégkorszakkal, vulkánkitöréssel, sőt még meteorkúrát is csinált. De hiába nézett ki úgy, hogy megszabadul végre a kis parazitáktól, azok mindig visszatörzsfejlődtek. De ez még semmi...
- Uram atyám, mondjad, ne csigázz!
- Most meg embere lett.
- Neeeeee! És fáj?
- Inkább csak viszket, de piszokul.
- Őrület. És mit lehet tenni?
- Nem tudom. De be vagyok parázva, hogy fertőz. Azok a dögök már elkezdtek szondákat kilőni rám.
- Öreg, hát nem is tudom, mit mondjak. Szorítok.
- Rám is fér, köszi. Meg is halnék, ha nekem is életem lenne.
- Szasz, Szaturnusz! Rég nem ütköztünk, mizu?
- Semmi extra. Sétáltatom a holdjaimat, dögunalom. Veled mi van? Jó színben vagy.
- Köszi. Megvagyok. De figyu, a Földdel találkoztál mostanában?
- Á, vagy négymilliárd éve nem láttam. Mi van vele?
- Ne tudd meg. Elkapott valamit.
- Basszus. Influenza?
- Rosszabb. Megfertőződött az élettel.
- Az meg mi?
- Hát, olyan ekcéma-szerűség.
- Rohadt ügy. Pedig olyan csinos, eleven tektonikus lemezei voltak, bírtam. Meg menő vulkánjai. Hogy történt?
- Először valami cianobaktériumok telepedtek meg rajta, és teleköpték oxigénnel. Aztán kis izék kezdtek mászkálni rajta. Dinoszauruszok, vagy mik. Totál bezöldült szerencsétlen. Ökoszisztémája is lett, tök ciki.
- Ja, durva. Dokinál volt?
- Próbálkozott mindennel: jégkorszakkal, vulkánkitöréssel, sőt még meteorkúrát is csinált. De hiába nézett ki úgy, hogy megszabadul végre a kis parazitáktól, azok mindig visszatörzsfejlődtek. De ez még semmi...
- Uram atyám, mondjad, ne csigázz!
- Most meg embere lett.
- Neeeeee! És fáj?
- Inkább csak viszket, de piszokul.
- Őrület. És mit lehet tenni?
- Nem tudom. De be vagyok parázva, hogy fertőz. Azok a dögök már elkezdtek szondákat kilőni rám.
- Öreg, hát nem is tudom, mit mondjak. Szorítok.
- Rám is fér, köszi. Meg is halnék, ha nekem is életem lenne.
Read
October 22, 2024Andrew H. Knoll summarizes Earth's evolution in 8 chapters. Logically, some parts are very condensed, and demand quite an effort of the reader. But the overview is impressive. What struck me is how often Knoll indicates how uncertain we still are about certain insights, and how much knowledge is still missing. This creates room for the further growth of our knowledge, but also encourages caution about the knowledge we now have. Knoll finds the right balance in this, I think.
One of the things that surprised me is how recent our understanding is that there have been many mass extinctions in the distant past, due to volcanic eruptions (which released a lot of CO2 and dust into the air), meteorite impacts, or simply due to the strong growth of the oxygen content in our atmosphere. In fact, the (more or less) consensus that the biological evolution of the earth has been accompanied by such disasters is only 30 years old.
And another striking fact: there is still discussion about the phenomenon of plate tectonics, the movement of large plates in the outer shell of the earth. I did know that Wegener's theory, a little over a century old, has only gradually been accepted, but there remains debate about exactly when plate tectonics started. That shows once again how slow science sometimes evolves, and how even the natural sciences are far from reaching their end point. Perhaps frustrating, but also promising.
One of the things that surprised me is how recent our understanding is that there have been many mass extinctions in the distant past, due to volcanic eruptions (which released a lot of CO2 and dust into the air), meteorite impacts, or simply due to the strong growth of the oxygen content in our atmosphere. In fact, the (more or less) consensus that the biological evolution of the earth has been accompanied by such disasters is only 30 years old.
And another striking fact: there is still discussion about the phenomenon of plate tectonics, the movement of large plates in the outer shell of the earth. I did know that Wegener's theory, a little over a century old, has only gradually been accepted, but there remains debate about exactly when plate tectonics started. That shows once again how slow science sometimes evolves, and how even the natural sciences are far from reaching their end point. Perhaps frustrating, but also promising.
May 17, 2021
A ridiculously brief and rather disjointed history of the Earth, starting from it's creation, plate tectonics, the first bacteria to larger creatures and the last chapter covers the evolution of evil humans and their impact on the Earth. There is nothing new here. Knoll's other book [Life on a Young Planet: The First Three Billion Years of Evolution on Earth] was better written and more exciting than this one, and that book dealt with fossilized microbes for the most part! This might make a nice introductory text to the history of Earth for a 10 year old or someone who has spent their life living under a rock, but Richard Fortey's books [The Earth and Life] provide much better and more coherent information on the Earth.
May 16, 2021
Deep earth history!
Really liked reading this for more information on topics including plate tectonics and the oxygenation of Earth’s atmosphere. Very cool dive into flora and fauna of early seas, and then onto land. And neat explanations of volcanism and glaciers, how this can change world-wide climate, and levels of various gases. I’d say this was a very approachable book, it is written for anyone with an interest in Earth’s geological history and how life interacts with the planet.
Really liked reading this for more information on topics including plate tectonics and the oxygenation of Earth’s atmosphere. Very cool dive into flora and fauna of early seas, and then onto land. And neat explanations of volcanism and glaciers, how this can change world-wide climate, and levels of various gases. I’d say this was a very approachable book, it is written for anyone with an interest in Earth’s geological history and how life interacts with the planet.
December 14, 2022
I had previously read Andrew Knoll’s Life on a Young Planet: The First Three Billion Years of Evolution on Earth, and enjoyed it, and I liked this one as well. The book is popular science, and there is no math or physics to be found, which limits the depths to which the book can describe events, but the author has a talent for making complex phenomena easily accessible.
For instance, he provides a brief account of one hypothesis for the Snowball earth phenomenon approximately 650 million years ago: volcanic rocks absorb vast amounts of CO2 as they weather, removing it from the atmosphere. If there had been a great deal of volcanic activity among low-latitude continents, the warm weather there would have caused the lava beds to erode rapidly, pulling CO2 out of the atmosphere, cooling the earth, and initiating glaciation. As the ice spread from the poles, it would have reflected more and more of the sun’s radiation back into space, further cooling the planet, until the whole world was trapped under a blanket of ice. However, volcanoes giveth and they taketh away, and after a time renewed volcanic activity could have melted some of the ice, pouring new CO2 into the atmosphere where it trapped heat, raised global temperatures, and pushed the glaciers back toward the poles.
Early in the book there is an informative graphic showing the percent, by weight, of elements in the earth, and in the cells of the human body. In the earth, Iron (33%), Oxygen (31%), Silicon (19%), and Magnesium (13%) make up 96% of the total. Nickel (1.9%), Calcium (0.9%), and Aluminum (0.9%) add another 3.7%, and everything else, all those other naturally occurring elements in the periodic table, account for the remaining 0.3%.
Similarly, in the human body Oxygen makes up 65%, Carbon 18%, Hydrogen 10%, Nitrogen 3%, Calcium 1.5%, and Phosphorous 1.0%. Together they account for 98.5% of our bodies by weight.
Another explanation which I liked was the transition to oxygen-based photosynthesis. For three billion years, since the origin of life on earth, living things were microscopic single cell bacteria and archaea, extracting what energy they could from inefficient anoxygenic photosynthesis processes using hydrogen sulfide. Then, however:
The book’s eight chapters start from the very beginning, the consolidation of a cloud of interstellar gas and debris from previous generations of stars, and then proceed step by step to our modern world. The chapters are: Chemical Earth, Physical Earth, Biological Earth, Oxygen Earth, Animal Earth, Green Earth, Catastrophic Earth, and Human Earth. They are chronological in sequence, but also move forward through increasing levels of complexity as life finds ways to capitalize on new sources of energy.
The book is a good general introduction to its subject, accessible to anyone, so I was dismayed to see that Amazon also sells two different summaries, which were clearly written for students who don’t want to do the reading for their class, who are determined to put in the absolute minimum level of effort. Why bother to actually learn things, when you can manage a passing grade by reading a twelve page summary? But for people who do want to learn something, read the book; it is worth your time.
For instance, he provides a brief account of one hypothesis for the Snowball earth phenomenon approximately 650 million years ago: volcanic rocks absorb vast amounts of CO2 as they weather, removing it from the atmosphere. If there had been a great deal of volcanic activity among low-latitude continents, the warm weather there would have caused the lava beds to erode rapidly, pulling CO2 out of the atmosphere, cooling the earth, and initiating glaciation. As the ice spread from the poles, it would have reflected more and more of the sun’s radiation back into space, further cooling the planet, until the whole world was trapped under a blanket of ice. However, volcanoes giveth and they taketh away, and after a time renewed volcanic activity could have melted some of the ice, pouring new CO2 into the atmosphere where it trapped heat, raised global temperatures, and pushed the glaciers back toward the poles.
Early in the book there is an informative graphic showing the percent, by weight, of elements in the earth, and in the cells of the human body. In the earth, Iron (33%), Oxygen (31%), Silicon (19%), and Magnesium (13%) make up 96% of the total. Nickel (1.9%), Calcium (0.9%), and Aluminum (0.9%) add another 3.7%, and everything else, all those other naturally occurring elements in the periodic table, account for the remaining 0.3%.
Similarly, in the human body Oxygen makes up 65%, Carbon 18%, Hydrogen 10%, Nitrogen 3%, Calcium 1.5%, and Phosphorous 1.0%. Together they account for 98.5% of our bodies by weight.
Another explanation which I liked was the transition to oxygen-based photosynthesis. For three billion years, since the origin of life on earth, living things were microscopic single cell bacteria and archaea, extracting what energy they could from inefficient anoxygenic photosynthesis processes using hydrogen sulfide. Then, however:
There is reason to believe that, driven by large-scale Ediacaran mountain building, more nutrients became available in the oceans. In the modern sea, cyanobacteria continue to be important members of the plankton where nutrients are scarce, but eukaryotic algae tend to dominate where nutrient levels are higher. The pattern we see today in space suggests what happened during Ediacaran times. More nutrients, more photosynthesis by diversifying algae. More photosynthesis, more food and oxygen, and – more than three billion years after life began – a world capable of supporting large, energetic animals. (p. 127)
The book’s eight chapters start from the very beginning, the consolidation of a cloud of interstellar gas and debris from previous generations of stars, and then proceed step by step to our modern world. The chapters are: Chemical Earth, Physical Earth, Biological Earth, Oxygen Earth, Animal Earth, Green Earth, Catastrophic Earth, and Human Earth. They are chronological in sequence, but also move forward through increasing levels of complexity as life finds ways to capitalize on new sources of energy.
The book is a good general introduction to its subject, accessible to anyone, so I was dismayed to see that Amazon also sells two different summaries, which were clearly written for students who don’t want to do the reading for their class, who are determined to put in the absolute minimum level of effort. Why bother to actually learn things, when you can manage a passing grade by reading a twelve page summary? But for people who do want to learn something, read the book; it is worth your time.
February 22, 2024
Cumpre sem ser surpreendente. Começa bem contando a história de acreção do planeta. Fica depois um pouco enfadonho ao contar a história geológica. É demasiado superficial na descrição e evolução da biosfera. Melhora muito no último capítulo quando nos avisa dos perigos para o futuro. Bem próximo, acrescentaria eu.
March 21, 2022
This was a really good and comprehensive overview of Earth's history, I enjoyed it and learned a lot. Knoll takes an interdisciplinary approach to explaining the emergence and development of the planet through its various eras and periods.
I did have a few issues. Because its meant to be concise, some things get glossed over and I found some aspects here and there to be disjointed. I also wish that it centered a little bit more on the human/anthropological focus. Like instead of one chapter in the end that focused on humans, maybe have two or three - we kinda went from talking about early hominids to climate change pretty quickly with not enough focus on the in between.
I should say though that this was an audiobook listen for me, and while the narration was super well done, listening to a very sciency book with my attention deficit issues and general science illiteracy was not the best idea, so I'd say that that's something to consider before going into it.
Overall great read, or listen I guess.
I did have a few issues. Because its meant to be concise, some things get glossed over and I found some aspects here and there to be disjointed. I also wish that it centered a little bit more on the human/anthropological focus. Like instead of one chapter in the end that focused on humans, maybe have two or three - we kinda went from talking about early hominids to climate change pretty quickly with not enough focus on the in between.
I should say though that this was an audiobook listen for me, and while the narration was super well done, listening to a very sciency book with my attention deficit issues and general science illiteracy was not the best idea, so I'd say that that's something to consider before going into it.
Overall great read, or listen I guess.
July 29, 2021
The last paragraph of this book — wow. The book maps out the history of earth, and the sections are proportionate to different phases of Earth’s existence.
I found myself wanting to read more about the human’s negative impact on Earth. ...A big statement in a small amount of time, just the last few pages of the book outline Human Earth.
Little nuggets like: “... a recent estimate suggests that by 2050, Toronto will have a climate much like that of present-day Washington, D. C.”
I found myself wanting to read more about the human’s negative impact on Earth. ...A big statement in a small amount of time, just the last few pages of the book outline Human Earth.
Little nuggets like: “... a recent estimate suggests that by 2050, Toronto will have a climate much like that of present-day Washington, D. C.”
August 12, 2021
A Brief History of Earth summarized all of Earth’s history into 8 chapters, and it was incredibly well done! With a degree in geology, a lot of it was familiar to me, but there was SO much I learned about when it came to biology and paleontology. It put a lot of what I learned in college into a concise summary and I was able to wrap my head around things I hadn’t fully understood before. Absolutely loved this educational book!
September 30, 2022
Podręcznik idealny.
Historia Ziemi została skondensowana, zgrabnie pocięta na kawałki i ułożona w logiczną i spójną całość. Opowieść zaczyna się od wielkiego wybuchu by przejść kolejno przez wielką katastrofę tlenową, eksplozję kambryjską, wielkie wymierania i skończyć się zmianami klimatu. Autor użył właściwych proporcji. Nie zamęczył wiedzą, zaciekawił, nie popadł w zbytnie uproszczenia.
Dla fanów geografii i paleontologii jak znalazł.
Historia Ziemi została skondensowana, zgrabnie pocięta na kawałki i ułożona w logiczną i spójną całość. Opowieść zaczyna się od wielkiego wybuchu by przejść kolejno przez wielką katastrofę tlenową, eksplozję kambryjską, wielkie wymierania i skończyć się zmianami klimatu. Autor użył właściwych proporcji. Nie zamęczył wiedzą, zaciekawił, nie popadł w zbytnie uproszczenia.
Dla fanów geografii i paleontologii jak znalazł.
January 26, 2023
Będąc szczera gdyby nie nawiązanie do dickensa(<33), najprawdopodobniej dałabym 3 gwiazdki.
Ale ogólnie trochę takie meh, bo temat jest bardzo ciekawy, a został przedstawiony nudno. Pokuszę się o stwierdzenie, że więcej było biologii niż geografii. Jest duża szansa, że przez to tak słabo oceniam te książkę, bo moja wiedza w zakresie tej dziedziny jest zerowa i nie potrafie tego zmienić. Może miałam inne oczekiwania. Można się czegoś dowiedzieć, ale nie wiem czy polecam. Trochę mnie zmęczyła, jednak nie poddaje się i zgłębię temat z jakąś (mam nadzieje) lepsza pozycją.
Ale ogólnie trochę takie meh, bo temat jest bardzo ciekawy, a został przedstawiony nudno. Pokuszę się o stwierdzenie, że więcej było biologii niż geografii. Jest duża szansa, że przez to tak słabo oceniam te książkę, bo moja wiedza w zakresie tej dziedziny jest zerowa i nie potrafie tego zmienić. Może miałam inne oczekiwania. Można się czegoś dowiedzieć, ale nie wiem czy polecam. Trochę mnie zmęczyła, jednak nie poddaje się i zgłębię temat z jakąś (mam nadzieje) lepsza pozycją.
August 28, 2023
A brief physical, geological, biological and chemical history of earth. A breezy read.
April 3, 2022
Zoals de titel belooft: een korte spoedcursus geologische geschiedenis, heel helder beschreven door een expert.
Het uiteindelijke doel van het boek is om de enorme urgentie van de huidige klimaatontwrichting onder aandacht te brengen. Volgens Andrew Knoll is het huidige gevaar namelijk pas te bevatten als je de ganse geschiedenis van de planeet goed kent. Dan weet je hoe vluchtig, kwetsbaar en kostbaar het leven op aarde is, en dat het elk moment voorbij kan zijn voor een bepaalde levensvorm. Aan het begin en einde van het boek houdt Knoll dan ook een vurig pleidooi om de onverschilligheid rond het klimaatprobleem te laten varen:
"Hier staat u dus, te midden van de erfenis van vier miljard jaar levende en dode natuur. U loopt waar ooit trilobieten over een oude zeebodem schoten, waar dinosauriërs over met ginkgo's begroeide heuvels dreunden, waar mammoeten heersten over ijskoude vlaktes. Toen was het hun wereld, nu die van u. Het verschil tussen u en een dinosaurus is evident: u kunt het verleden begrijpen en zich een voorstelling maken van de toekomst. Het is uw wereld en uw erfenis, maar ook uw verantwoordelijkheid. Het is nu aan u te bepalen wat ermee gebeurt."
Het uiteindelijke doel van het boek is om de enorme urgentie van de huidige klimaatontwrichting onder aandacht te brengen. Volgens Andrew Knoll is het huidige gevaar namelijk pas te bevatten als je de ganse geschiedenis van de planeet goed kent. Dan weet je hoe vluchtig, kwetsbaar en kostbaar het leven op aarde is, en dat het elk moment voorbij kan zijn voor een bepaalde levensvorm. Aan het begin en einde van het boek houdt Knoll dan ook een vurig pleidooi om de onverschilligheid rond het klimaatprobleem te laten varen:
"Hier staat u dus, te midden van de erfenis van vier miljard jaar levende en dode natuur. U loopt waar ooit trilobieten over een oude zeebodem schoten, waar dinosauriërs over met ginkgo's begroeide heuvels dreunden, waar mammoeten heersten over ijskoude vlaktes. Toen was het hun wereld, nu die van u. Het verschil tussen u en een dinosaurus is evident: u kunt het verleden begrijpen en zich een voorstelling maken van de toekomst. Het is uw wereld en uw erfenis, maar ook uw verantwoordelijkheid. Het is nu aan u te bepalen wat ermee gebeurt."
August 19, 2022
Sunku surasti gerą mokslo populiarinimo knygą apie geologiją - kad būtų ir informatyvu, ir sklandžiai skaitytųsi - o ši maža knygelė yra kaip tik tokia.
Autorius pasakoja visą Žemės istoriją nuo atsiradimo iki to liūdno paskutiniojo skyrelio apie žmonių sukeltą/keliamą gamtos katastrofą. Labiausiai patiko sąsajos tarp gyvojo pasaulio ir geologinių procesų - kaip vienas veikia kitą ir nieko čia nepadarysi. Pavyzdžiui, išsiveržę ugnikalniai išmeta į atmosferą didelį anglies dioksido kiekį, kas lemia gyvūnų rūšių išnykimą (ypač sėslių, kurie filtruoja vandenį ir negali atsirinkti), o dūlėjančio uolienos - priešingai, suvartoja anglies dioksidą ir prigamina deguonies. Ledynmetis irgi gali lemti rūšių išnykimą, bet priklauso, koks: jei vandens riba ir taip žemėlesnė, didelio skirtumo nebus, o jei vandens buvo daug, "surakintas" į ledą jis palieka išdžiūti sėslias jūras, kuriose gali išmirti ten bujojusi gyvybė. Panašu, kad autorius daug žino apie pačius ankstyviausius gyvybės "įrašus" akmenyse, tame skyrelyje plačiausiai aptariami ir geologijos metodai, datavimas ir pan., tai dabar gundausi paimti jo knygą Life on a Young Planet: The First Three Billion Years of Evolution on Earth
Autorius pasakoja visą Žemės istoriją nuo atsiradimo iki to liūdno paskutiniojo skyrelio apie žmonių sukeltą/keliamą gamtos katastrofą. Labiausiai patiko sąsajos tarp gyvojo pasaulio ir geologinių procesų - kaip vienas veikia kitą ir nieko čia nepadarysi. Pavyzdžiui, išsiveržę ugnikalniai išmeta į atmosferą didelį anglies dioksido kiekį, kas lemia gyvūnų rūšių išnykimą (ypač sėslių, kurie filtruoja vandenį ir negali atsirinkti), o dūlėjančio uolienos - priešingai, suvartoja anglies dioksidą ir prigamina deguonies. Ledynmetis irgi gali lemti rūšių išnykimą, bet priklauso, koks: jei vandens riba ir taip žemėlesnė, didelio skirtumo nebus, o jei vandens buvo daug, "surakintas" į ledą jis palieka išdžiūti sėslias jūras, kuriose gali išmirti ten bujojusi gyvybė. Panašu, kad autorius daug žino apie pačius ankstyviausius gyvybės "įrašus" akmenyse, tame skyrelyje plačiausiai aptariami ir geologijos metodai, datavimas ir pan., tai dabar gundausi paimti jo knygą Life on a Young Planet: The First Three Billion Years of Evolution on Earth
January 29, 2023
Czułam się jakbym czytała jakiś podręcznik szkolny, a zdjęcia znajdujące się w książce miały totalnie vibe kserówek rozdawanych na lekcjach - if you know, you know 💀
February 2, 2023
Did not realise how much i would learn about rocks in this book! Pretty nice overview of history but sometimes assumes my brain can retain all the types of rocks it mentions and it just can't
Read
December 30, 2021Ем не мога повече, оставих я на 30%. Много скали, много нещо :( .
February 27, 2023
It was brief, but there ARE still dinosaurs.
July 30, 2024
"We will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand; we will understand only what we are taught." (Baba Dioum, a Senegalese forest ranger, 1968)
I thoughoughly enjoyed this book. The information is presented in a manageable and chronological manner. It moves from the Earth's beginnings to today's world in a straighforward and understandable manner. It's interesting, well written and absorbing.
I enjoyed the pictures and graphs and found the information to be up to date and relevant.
(spoiler tags to save space)
Chemical Earth -
Physical Earth -
Biological Earth -
Oxygen Earth -
Animal Earth -
(the Earth has had many Ice Ages and Hot Ages. The Earth will survive the Hot Age coming up, even if we don't....but we might....some animals live through each Age and continue the Life cycle......perhaps we will, but we'd likely have to adapt and evolve somehow.)
Green Earth - "For those who favor David over Goliath, it is worth noting that at least some of these early mammals ate dinosaur eggs." ...LOL!....
Other recommended reads:
The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World - my review
Your Inner Fish: a Journey into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body - my review
Catastrophic Earth -
Human Earth -
Other recommended reads:
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind - my review
The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History - still to be enjoyed
I thoughoughly enjoyed this book. The information is presented in a manageable and chronological manner. It moves from the Earth's beginnings to today's world in a straighforward and understandable manner. It's interesting, well written and absorbing.
I enjoyed the pictures and graphs and found the information to be up to date and relevant.
(spoiler tags to save space)
Chemical Earth -
Physical Earth -
Biological Earth -
Oxygen Earth -
Animal Earth -
(the Earth has had many Ice Ages and Hot Ages. The Earth will survive the Hot Age coming up, even if we don't....but we might....some animals live through each Age and continue the Life cycle......perhaps we will, but we'd likely have to adapt and evolve somehow.)
Green Earth - "For those who favor David over Goliath, it is worth noting that at least some of these early mammals ate dinosaur eggs." ...LOL!....
Other recommended reads:
The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World - my review
Your Inner Fish: a Journey into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body - my review
Catastrophic Earth -
Human Earth -
Other recommended reads:
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind - my review
The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History - still to be enjoyed
June 14, 2023
Nifty overview of earth’s 4 billion year geological development, high educational value for the uninitiated, no real new insights, but a decent popular science read nonetheless.
May 22, 2023
Full disclosure - I have a Masters degree in Geoscience (a fancy way of saying Earth and Space Science) and have spent the past 25 years teaching science to middle schoolers, which is to say, I understand science and how to make it accessible to people.
Having said that, this book irritated the hell out of me.
Based on reviews both on this site and elsewhere, this book was touted as being an easily understood and accessible explanation of the history of the Earth.
It absolutely was not.
I mean, it was an explanation of the history of the Earth, but by no means was it easily understood and accessible.
I cannot remember the last time I needed to google words or phases as much as I needed to with this book to understand what was being discussed. Although the book does have pictures, they were all in black and white and quite honestly, I would've been hard pressed to tell you which was a picture of algae growing and which was layers of rock if they hadn't been labeled. The complex sentence structure of multiple independent clauses forced me to reread sentences and paragraphs over and over because by the time I'd gotten to the end of the sentence, there had been so many interruptions, I'd forgotten the point.
This isn't to say that this is a bad book. It's not. I could see this used as a supplemental material in a geology class. But it is definitely not a primer of Earth's history for the layman.
Having said that, this book irritated the hell out of me.
Based on reviews both on this site and elsewhere, this book was touted as being an easily understood and accessible explanation of the history of the Earth.
It absolutely was not.
I mean, it was an explanation of the history of the Earth, but by no means was it easily understood and accessible.
I cannot remember the last time I needed to google words or phases as much as I needed to with this book to understand what was being discussed. Although the book does have pictures, they were all in black and white and quite honestly, I would've been hard pressed to tell you which was a picture of algae growing and which was layers of rock if they hadn't been labeled. The complex sentence structure of multiple independent clauses forced me to reread sentences and paragraphs over and over because by the time I'd gotten to the end of the sentence, there had been so many interruptions, I'd forgotten the point.
This isn't to say that this is a bad book. It's not. I could see this used as a supplemental material in a geology class. But it is definitely not a primer of Earth's history for the layman.
June 28, 2021
Fans of Life on a Young Planet: The First Three Billion Years of Evolution on Earth, and I count myself one, will be disappointed. Andrew H. Knoll earlier work was written for scientists, whereas this is pitched to the conscious lay person.
July 1, 2022
Boring, it didn't quite meet my expectations and offered nothing new.
Nevertheless, it could be an excellent starting point for a teenager learning about Earth's history. Only the keywords in this book that gave me the idea to search articles about the Earth on the Internet made this book a bit helpful.
P.S. It's interesting to note that this book was one of 2021's best-selling scientific titles.
Nevertheless, it could be an excellent starting point for a teenager learning about Earth's history. Only the keywords in this book that gave me the idea to search articles about the Earth on the Internet made this book a bit helpful.
P.S. It's interesting to note that this book was one of 2021's best-selling scientific titles.
January 29, 2023
While there was nothing majorly wrong with this book I think it just had the unfortunate condition of being one of many books of this kind that I've read at this point and, so, has become a touch repetitive. However, I still recommend this if there are any children that are interested in the intersection of history and science or if you want a quick refresher on how our world came to be. It was definitely a nice companion on my day to day activities this past week.
November 19, 2021
Dr Knolls is an expert in the field of Geology but expands his reach to various other sciences as he takes us on a tour of the Earth’s natural history. Unsurprising spoiler alert: we’re screwed unless we clean up our act and stop trashing our planet.
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