Why read Theory of the Earth Volume I?

Book cover of Theory of the Earth Volume I

Book description

This collection of literature attempts to compile many of the classic works that have stood the test of time and offer them at a reduced, affordable price, in an attractive volume so that everyone can enjoy them.

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Geological time

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Why read it?

1 author picked Theory of the Earth Volume I as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Alexandra Witze

Author

This is the classic book on the deep history of the Earth. Hutton is known as the father of modern geology, because he understood that today’s rocks represent the accumulation of changes over incredibly long geologic epochs. In publishing his ideas he went against the then-popular notion of catastrophism, which held that sudden, violent events such as floods had shaped most of the Earth’s surface. Hutton instead argued for slow changes over time — a concept known as uniformitarianism — and, crucially, recognized that two rock types at Siccar Point, Scotland, had formed at different times separated by many millions…

From Alexandra's list on The best books on deep time.