The Age of the Earth [Hardcover]

G. Brent Dalrymple (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 1991

Accessible to scientist and general reader alike, this definitive history and synthesis serves as a complete source of information for all of the methods, ancient and modern, used to derive the age of the earth.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“...Dalrymple authoritatively unfolds the evidence for an Earth that is billions of years old.”—Science & Theology News

From the Back Cover

“...Dalrymple authoritatively unfolds the evidence for an Earth that is billions of years old.”—Science & Theology News

Product Details

• Hardcover: 492 pages
• Publisher: Stanford University Press; 1 edition (July 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0804715696
• ISBN-13: 978-0804715690
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,807,499 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How do we know? We STUDIED it to death., March 14, 2005

By 

Bobby R. Treat "DrMajorBob" (Round Rock, TX United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Age of the Earth (Paperback)

Chapters 1 to 3 were great. I'm a mathematician myself, but I do think Dalrymple presented the math simply enough that most readers can understand or just skip it without serious damage. The "isochron" methods depict the solution of complex problems in comparatively simple graphical terms, and the underlying radiochemistry is clear enough, although the details are beyond a non-specialist (as they should be).

Chapter 4, on the other hand, was far too laden down with terminology. There must be 50 words for different igneous rocks alone, and a neophyte will see no method (or reason) to distinguish between them. I kept wanting to hear verbs to go with the nouns and adjectives. The word "metamorphic" (and various synonyms) appeared a thousand times, with very few clues on what HAPPENED to cause metamorphism. Nevertheless, I was able to learn a great deal, despite these frustrations.

I was fascinated to hear in Chapter 5 that, by 1975, over 30 thousand pages of scientific research had already been published on moon rocks. That's a lot of serious study for 382 kg of rocks -- which is quite a bit more than I thought, at that.

The chief "problem" with the book is also its great virtue. Dozens of radiometric methods and the analysis (in some detail) of hundreds of rocks are discussed, when a few examples would suffice for most readers. This gets very soporific after a while.

But the many, many examples and the exhaustive chronology reveal how imaginative but sometimes wrong researchers have been, and how tirelessly other researchers have triple-checked their work until finding the errors and developing more trustworthy methods. It is also clear that reliable methods have been checked copiously against the results of other methods, until there can be little doubt about the general results. One cannot read this book honestly, I think, and go away believing a few scientists conspired to come up with false answers just to please themselves.

In the Preface, Dalrymple makes the point that geochemists and geophysicists (for example) can barely read each other's specialty literature, despite the close connections. It takes experts in those areas and many others, working together, to seriously evaluate details of the models and results presented in this book.

That being so, it's incredible that so many non-scientists (or sometimes scientists in very unconnected fields) have the unmitigated gall to attack the findings of professionals for any reason, but especially when motivated by their interpretation of the writings of unwashed, uneducated, long-dead "prophets".

It truly boggles the mind.

26 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Perhaps too technical for intended audience, August 13, 2001

By 

Paul Doland (Houston, TX USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Age of the Earth (Paperback)

On one hand, yes I know radiometric dating is a fairly complex topic and perhaps can only be "dumbed-down" so far. I guess I am in the minority opionion compared to the other reviewers, but I didn't feel that that author met his stated goal in his preface - where he stated his intention was to be understandable by anyone with even a rusty knowledge of algerbra. I didn't feel he met this level of clarity, though I understand he tried valiently.

Some of the other reviewers felt that the author was too anti-religion. And I'd agree that the author does ridicule "young-earthers". But if the author was intending to convince young-earthers the error of their ways, I'm not sure he is successful. Frankly, I don't think many young-earthers would be able to follow his discussion of radiometric dating.

I'm not current with what claims young-earthers are currently making to attempt to discredit radiometric dating, but I thought that there were some criticisms that at least superfically seem plausible that perhaps the author could have specifically addressed. Perhaps I'm mistaken on this point - I guess I'd have to ask a young-earther what they think is wrong with radiometric dating.

I'm not saying it is a bad book, it has its good points. And certainly most people with a science background should be able to understand and appreciate it. I'm just not sure you can give it to a young-earther and they'll go, "of course, how silly of me to have thought otherwise!"

35 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Masterfully Written and Definitive, March 28, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Age of the Earth (Paperback)

Dalrymple presents the overwhelming evidence for the age of the Earth, Moon, and Solar system in such well documented and critical manner, that it leaves NO room for doubt about the validity of radiometric dating. Contrary to young earth creationist's childish ravings, he builds a case that leaves no avenues for any other conclusion. When creationists say you must have read the "relevant" literature, they mean the writings of such people as Morris and Hovind. Unfortunately for them the relevant literature is all referenced in Dalrympl's book and he has done a OUTSTANDING job at simplifying it for both scientist and layperson. He gives sufficient references that anyone who wishes can pursue any topic on their own.

He chronicles the early attempts and a variety of approaches used to date. He goes on to clearly explain how modern radiometric methods work and some of the problems that have been overcome. He then shows the direct evidence for the ages of the Earth from a plethora of independent studies over the past and the consistent, and reliable dates they provide. He then goes on to the dating of the Moon rocks and their concordance with those of the Earth. Next he discusses meteorites, the use of the lead isotope method, the evidence from the distribution of elements in the universe, and finally wraps it up with a chapter on what we know and don't know.

The conclusion after reading this book is undeniable. There is no doubt that the Earth is at least about 4.5 billion years old. This book is a must read for anyone who wants to argue credibly about the age of the Earth.