Customer Reviews

Timeless Earth

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There is a seemingly never-ending struggle between historical preservation and the contemporary needs of the people. "Timeless Earth: 400 of the World's Most Important Places" is a look at some of the most magnificent places on the planet, accompanied by magnificent and beautiful full color photographs of each. The four hundred are drawn from both natural wonders of the world, man-made wonders ancient, medieval, and modern to create a blend of the world's wonders. With an informative text on each showcased example discussing their significance, "Timeless Earth" is an entertaining and educational experience under one cover, making it a great choice for those looking for something to leave on their coffee table, as well as a welcome and popular addition to school and community library reference collections.

I found this weighty tome at a library and was transported to some of our planet's finest places with every new page turned. I didn't know much about Unesco's World Heritage Sites, and I must say it's a truly intelligent and vital idea. Well done to those who are making it happen, and also to those who put this book together.

In an effort to cover each area of the globe and not let any countries feel left out, I think there are some spots here that might easily be replaced, but the idea of giving every nation their place in the sun, as it were, makes a lot of sense as well. I would like to see more spots of pure unspoiled nature here and less of mankind's messing with it, but that's merely my bias. There are indeed many glorious works of architecture from antiquity on the list, in any case.

It's kind of sad that we have to go to these lengths to preserve such obviously remarkable spots...but in the pursuit of the almighty dollar (and shekel and peso, etc) we become total idiots and seem fine with pretty much laying waste to the entire planet, so thank God (and Buddah and Allah, etc) there are people like those at Unesco who have higher ends in mind.

As a book for kids, this is a hard one to top. It's written for adults but any bright kid will get it, and the pictures alone are worth the price of admission. I enjoyed many similar books as a kid, and they inspired my many travels as an adult, and subsequent awe for and respect of the Earth. Any child who spends time with this book will quickly develop serious wanderlust as well as appreciation for the myriad glories of our amazing home; those are very good things for a kid to develop.

And perhaps those children will help our myopic species wake up soon to realize that we need to stop breeding like flies and learn to live in balance with a planet we have thrown so far out of balance. Time is running out as our rainforests and fresh water etc are lost forever, however, so we need lots more books and ideas and actions like the World Heritage sites, lest these places and pictures beceome merely memories.

I already miss the small inset in each page which pointed the place being talked about on a map, when I read of any new place in other books. The worlds treasure is amazing to know of. This book showed me how poor my knowledge was about the heritage sites of my own country. The pictures are awe inspiring. The aerial view of Victoria Falls has me in a rapture. You will be introduced to many endangered species in this book.

It tries to cover 400 of the World's Most Important Places in 334 pages. The photo of the first location is on page 13. The photo of the last location is on page 347. Consequently, on the last few pages, each page contains photos of 5 different locations. The bad things are these cramped photos are as large as the first 2 phalanges of my index and middle fingers! That means they are too small to see the details. Beside their names, there's no information accompanying them.

Some of the photos are beautiful. The others are acceptable. In short, this book worth browsing or viewing in the library but not buying.