Book cover of The Story of Earth: The First 4.5 Billion Years, from Stardust to Living Planet

Book description

Hailed by The New York Times for writing "with wonderful clarity about science . . . that effortlessly teaches as it zips along," nationally bestselling author Robert M. Hazen offers a radical new approach to Earth history in this intertwined tale of the planet's living and nonliving spheres. With an…

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Why read it?

1 author picked The Story of Earth as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Written with the clarity and zest of Bryson and McPhee, but with the added benefit that Hazen is a professional geologist. I like this book because of how Hazen takes the reader into the process of how a geologist works and thinks. Hazen’s specialty is mineralogy, and his main thesis—that living organisms and minerals evolved together with each shaping the other’s future—makes for a unique and thought-provoking take on the history of our planet. 

From Keith's list on geology that tell great stories.

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A moving story of love, betrayal, and the enduring power of hope in the face of darkness.

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