The Earth Transformed

Okay, so I'm a nonfiction hog and this book is a massive tome. But it's fascinating, because it's so deep and wide in scope--the earth's history in its entirety, no less. Who would dare to write such an all encompassing book? It's about all of the transformations that our planet has undergone in the entire period of its existence from the Big Bang to the present day. I really liked the rabbit holes this led me down and the connections that Frankopan leads readers to make--speleothem data, the histories of nomadic peoples, the creation of fertile land by the demise… show more.

Brilliant, detailed, wonderfully researched book. An excellent overview of human history within the context of climate change, both natural and human influenced. Ends with a look to the future that tries to be hopeful but isn't.

This is an encyclopedic “big history” of the human occupation of our remarkable planet. Frankopan covers an extraordinary amount of conceptual ground.

The most important aspect of this book is how the author uses the most current global environmental change research to assess historical trends. If you want to deepen your understanding of how humans have historically impacted climate, biodiversity, and habitats, this is the book to read.

It’s very helpful to understand how “transforming the earth” is not just endemic to commodity capitalism (its overwhelming impact notwithstanding) but intrinsic to any culture in geographical space and historical time.

Frankopan… show more.