Why did I love this book?
This remarkable book unfolds the story of Earth’s passage through time, from inception to its present state. The author, a geologist, illuminates the long shaping of the Earth’s natural systems with expertise and clarity. She outlines initial conceptions of Earth’s origin by early historical forefront thinkers, controversies aroused, and then charts the amazing progress gained later in momentous scientific breakthroughs aided by advancing technologies. The understanding of geologic time is stressed as an important concept.
This background, together with the book’s apt black and white illustrations, enables readers to realize Earth’s long-term behavior is a crucial learning curve for humanity. Adoption of such a timely understanding by homo sapiens, in use of Earth’s geo-environments, will better inform future actions.
5 authors picked Timefulness as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.
Why an awareness of Earth's temporal rhythms is critical to our planetary survival
Few of us have any conception of the enormous timescales of our planet's long history, and this narrow perspective underlies many of the environmental problems we are creating. The lifespan of Earth can seem unfathomable compared to the brevity of human existence, but this view of time denies our deep roots in Earth's history-and the magnitude of our effects on the planet. Timefulness reveals how knowing the rhythms of Earth's deep past and conceiving of time as a geologist does can give us the perspective we need…