Customer Reviews

Naked Earth ~ The New Geophysics

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I knew virtually nothing about Geophysics before I read this book. Having just finished the last page just a few minutes ago, I can now say I know the basis for perhaps even an introductory course in Geophysics. From this book I learned that the Earth is a living "heat engine", carefully dispensing heat through "plumes", supercontinental rifting and shifting, volcanic eruptions, hydrothermal venting, and lots more really cool stuff happening below our feet. The Earth may also be considered a "dynamo", creating a magnetic field that reverses quite mysteriously every some million years. Vogel's comprehensive overview also makes the point that it is often not possible to attribute events or features to a single cause, that not only is the Earth itself a system of amazing interior, exterior and atmospheric exchanges, but it is also part of the larger system of space...! It's a fun and easy to read, well-informed, well-researched and objective survey of the field of Geophysics today. Journalism at its best. I thank Shawna Vogel for my new understanding of this planet and its mysterious and awesome workings.

Reading Shawna Vogel's Naked Earth reawakened my interest in geophysics - it's a great read, and the best overview I've seen on both the huge changes in the field recently and the arguments that have occurred. My only criticism is that some diagrams would have helped a lot, but Vogel's writing is clear enough to carry the story.

As an explanation of geophysics Naked Earth succeeds. Ms. Vogel brings the history, theories, personalities, conflicts and politics of geophysical science in to focus. It allows those unfamiliar with the world of science to observe the give and take, the wars, the collaborations and the pure luck required in the advancement toward the truth. She shows how the merging of traditional geologic principals along with more recent theories and discoveries reveals a violent past and predicts a future of certain geologic and atmospheric upheaval. However, I must add that the last few pages of the final chapter Ms. Vogal reveals herself as a typical contemporary journalist. Ms. Vogel couldn't resist commenting on that theory that human activity could lead to climatic catastrophe due to global warming. I was enjoying the book immensely until she threw that one in. I know we've all become desensitized to blatant editorializing from the media, but in a book on geophysics? If you want an enjoyable read on geophysics in general and about some of the latest discoveries, theories and personalities in that field definitely read this book.