The Story of the Earth [Paperback]

Peter Cattermole (Author), Patrick Moore (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521324130 | ISBN-13: 978-0521324137 | Publication Date: March 31, 1986

The Story of the Earth presents the complex history of the Earth from its formation through to the emergence of man and his influence on the planet. Peter Cattermole and Patrick Moore trace the evolution of Earth from its beginnings in the primeval Solar Nebula, through its bombardment by cosmic particles, continental drifting and the formation of mountains and oceans, and end with a study of the last Ice Age and the rise of man. While the approach is roughly chronological, time is spent in explaining some of the methods that geologists, physicists, chemists and biologists use to discover what processes have contributed to the internal make-up and external appearance of our unique planet. Accounts are included of the dramatic events that are still changing the face of the Earth: volcanoes and photographs - several taken from orbiting satelites - help to elucidate the story.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Building Planet Earth superbly illustrates and describes the geology of Earth; how it formed, became structured, and evolved into the planet as we know it, with its present distribution of continents, oceans, and dazzling diversity of life. This 4.6 billion-year history of the third rock from the sun is an extraordinary story, and understanding Earth's main geological processes has become increasingly important for ensuring our future on this crowded planet.

Designed for the general reader, Building Planet Earth explains these fundamental Earth processes: how the atmosphere interacts with the oceans to produce our changing climates; how the heat from the Earth's central core drives surface processes, such as plate tectonics with its related earthquakes, fault movements, and volcanism; how mountains are formed and sediments deposited to form layers of strata, including the economically important hydrocarbons that fueled the industrial revolution; and how life prospered and declined through evolution and extinction, sometimes being abruptly terminated by catastrophic events from outer space. The combination of good graphics, artwork, and photographic illustration makes this a visually attractive, accessible read, complete with short bibliography, glossary, and index. --Douglas Palmer, Amazon.co.uk --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

"Moore's book represents a valuable addition to any bookshelf" /s Yale Scientific Magazine

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Product Details

• Paperback: 36 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (March 31, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521324130
• ISBN-13: 978-0521324137
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 8 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,456,262 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Everything you wanted to know . . ., June 1, 2000

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This review is from: Building Planet Earth: Five Billion Years of Earth History (Hardcover)

. . . about the geologic history of planet earth. The first third of the book reviews the geologic structure and workings of the planet, and the rest is a very, very thorough history of the continents. It's not too technical, but the history gets a little dry, unless you're dedicated to finding out everything there is to know, in which case this book's for you. It's not too technical, but for casual reading, it takes some concentration. I liked it, but be sure that you want to do a lot of reading about what was happening here 3,500 million years ago before you start it.