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The Story Of Earth: The First 4.5 Billion Years, From Stardust To Living Planet (2012)

by Robert Hazen(Favorite Author)

4.12 of 5 Votes: 4

ISBN

0670023558 (ISBN13: 9780670023554)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

Viking Press

review 1: Wow! This book, written for a popular audience without talk down to them, was informative as well as interesting. Hazen draws on diverse fields such as astronomy, paleontology, and geophysics to paint a history of the planet we call home. His story telling method includes personal anecdotes smoothly transitioning into scientific evidence to bring those who might be venturing into historical geology for the first time into the fold and, eventually, along for the ride. The only complaint I have is that the lack of illustrations of some of the topics, such as the motion of the protocontinents, would have made this book nearly a required read for any geology course. As it is, any student who had trouble finding a spark of interest in geology would be well advised to rea... mored this book to whet their appetite for a deeper understanding. One section which was especially compelling was the section on the future of Earth. In discussing global climate change and its impact, Hazen correctly draws a distinction between saving the Earth and preserving humanity's future. The evidence he puts forth in a stark and no-nonsense manner would seem to bury any argument that humans have "nothing to worry about." This is the first book I have read from Hazen, but it will not be the last.
review 2: Woefully esoteric. Hazen recounts the history of Earth from a perspective one would never expect: the perspective of a dedicated and highly knowledgeable mineralogist. Hazen argues that the history of Earth, and of life, are inexorably linked to the history of mineral evolution. The evidence he provides is at times fascinating, and the beginning of the book in which Hazen describes the formation of the first elements and minerals as though it were some sort of cosmic ballet was quite immersive. Unfortunately I found the grand majority of the book--much like the evolution of our precious planet-- incredibly dull. Much of the middle of the book is bloated from long stretches of boring factoids and the occasional wholly unwelcome and rather self-serving scholarly anecdote. I would not recommend this book to the average reader or for someone with merely a passing interest in the history of Earth, which is what I had when I picked this book up. No, this book is a slog, and undoubtedly would be most appreciated by people in the field or with a dedicated interest in the finer points of carbon-dating, oxidation, mineralogy, or geology. less

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