Reading the Rocks, Marcia Bjornerud
Reading the Rocks, Marcia Bjornerud
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Reading the Rocks
The Autobiography of the Earth

Author: Marcia Bjornerud

Narrator: Alma Cuervo

Unabridged: 8 hr 9 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Basic Books

Published: 06/20/2023

Includes: Bonus Material Bonus Material Included

Synopsis

To many of us, the Earth's crust is a relic of ancient, unknowable history. But to a geologist, stones are richly illustrated narratives, telling gothic tales of cataclysm and reincarnation. For more than four billion years, in beach sand, granite, and garnet schists, the planet has kept a rich and idiosyncratic journal of its past. Fulbright Scholar Marcia Bjornerud takes the reader along on an eye-opening tour of Deep Time, explaining in elegant prose what we see and feel beneath our feet. Both scientist and storyteller, Bjornerud uses anecdotes and metaphors to remind us that our home is a living thing with lessons to teach. She shows how our planet has long maintained a delicate balance, and how the global give-and-take has sustained life on Earth through numerous upheavals. But with the rapidly escalating effects of human beings on their home planet, that cosmic balance is being threatened -- and the consequences may be catastrophic. Containing a glossary and detailed timescale, as well as vivid descriptions and historic accounts, Reading the Rocks is literally a history of the world, for all friends of the Earth.

About Marcia Bjornerud

Marcia Bjornerud is a professor of Environmental Studies and Geosciences at Lawrence University. She is a contributing writer to The New Yorker, Wired, The Wall Street Journal, and the Los Angeles Times and the author of Reading the Rocks, Timefulness, and Geopedia.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Jamie on May 19, 2020

There is geology – “Look, a rock. I wonder what kind it is,” and then there is Geology with a capital ‘G’, encompassing all time, from the Big Bang to the fusion of simple atoms through nucleosynthesis; the primordial formation of the Earth; the mechanics of plate tectonics; the origin and evolution......more

Goodreads review by J.D. on April 13, 2019

The title and subtitle of this book should be reversed. The book is about the earth in a cosmic context. What we take for granted – the Earth, our home as we know it now – has a history of fragility (e.g., in just the last ice age, there have been at least 20 ice cycles). As serious as these disrupt......more

Goodreads review by Bill on April 26, 2015

This gal can really write. Among books in the genre "Science Not For Dummies." it's a standout. I had no background in geological earth science to speak of so I found the material rather dense (sorry, we're talking rocks here) but Prof. Bjornerud explains her terms and uses parallels from common exp......more

Goodreads review by Bill on August 10, 2019

Terrific book for non-scientists and scientists I'm a retired geologist, got my BS & MS a long time ago before we knew a number of things that we know now. I really enjoyed the comfortable approach to presenting our science to non scientists as well as getting some refreshers on newer developments. I......more

Goodreads review by Ruthie on March 22, 2024

Surprisingly enjoyable to be honest It started slow and had a tendency to go off on tangents, but was very uniquely written. Pretty different to what I normal read, which was nice. I think it’s nice to get a bit of book diversity. That being said, giving it a 4 star rating does make me feel like my fav......more

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