A Most Improbable Journey: a Big History of Our Planet and Ourselves Pdf, Epub, Ebook

A MOST IMPROBABLE JOURNEY: A BIG HISTORY OF OUR PLANET AND OURSELVES PDF, EPUB, EBOOK

Big History book review geology planetary science. A geologist by trade, he withstood the slings and arrows of outrageous and outraged scientists to see his idea accepted as part of the scientific canon. Describes how human ancestry is revealed. For instance, probing the origins of single-celled life requires linking biological and geological exploration, but Alvarez devotes little time to this before rushing through the evolution of dinosaurs, mammals, and humans. Sell it yourself. Daniel Freeman. Seller information greatbookpriceau Need Help? Please enter five or nine numbers for the postcode. Journal of World History. What if the movable jaw had not evolved? Alvarez ends his narrative with the Bronze Age and In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content: Reviewed by:. Sign in using your Kirkus account Sign in Keep me logged in. Job Opportunities. Skip to main content Press Enter. Or Timothy Ferris who writes on cosmology and history and combines the two? Friend Reviews. This book might have served well as a very basic intro to geology. He lives in Berkeley, California. Go to Job Board. Seller assumes all responsibility for this listing. Notes and further sources provided. Here he wields his unique expertise to give us a new appreciation for the incredible occurrences—from the Big Bang to the formation of supercontinents, the dawn of the Bronze Age, and beyond—that have led to our improbable place in the universe. Historians tend to write about the history of peoples, cultures, and civilizations but geologists, in addition, write about the history of the planet, the earth, its composition, the messages hidden in its rocks and how it choreographed the evolutionary history of all species over geologic time. Arangalage, L. I wasn't able to finish the book. The Big Bang is usually described as an explosion, although not like ones familiar to us. May 18, By Walter Alvarez. International Standard : tracked-no signature 7 to 15 business days. Stephen Jay Gould? Return to Book Page. Not so much a negative but a disclaimer to readers looking for depth, this book is intended for laypersons. Definitely recommended. Founded by David Christian, an American historian then teaching in Australia, its mission is to transcend the boundaries of written history and help us see ourselves in the context of an inconceivably vast and complex universe. Powered by Higher Logic. Domestic handling time. Steven Pinker? If you are considering reading this book for any reason at all, do it! A Most Improbable Journey: A Big History of Our Planet and Ourselves Writer

Like us on Facebook Changing Hands Bookstore. Overdoping Graphene Beyond the van Hove Singularity. The pieces that are needed in order to bake an apple pie from scratch from Gods perspective or end up creating you or me can not be easily created. Toggle navigation. Understanding this journey then: it's geological periods, the geography of continents and how these shaped the kingdoms and empires of men; the geography of the oceans and how these determined routes and Historians tend to write about the history of peoples, cultures, and civilizations but geologists, in addition, write about the history of the planet, the earth, its composition, the messages hidden in its rocks and how it choreographed the evolutionary history of all species over geologic time. A geologist by trade, he withstood the slings and arrows of outrageous and outraged scientists to see his idea accepted as part of the scientific canon. Cathy There is a Kindle version now, if you are still looking Journal of World History. There's a story to be told about the universe as a whole and how there is this incredibly contingent and chaotic component that gets created from a recursive a function that calls itself algorithm logos as John the Apostle would say. Rex and the Crater of Doom. Great science writing. For all authors, assume your readers are interested in learning about the topic so much that they have already read books that cover the same kind of topics. Please sign up to continue. This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. No additional import charges at delivery! What if the movable jaw had not evolved? In the first case, a biological process helped to create rock: silicon dioxide, extracted by oceanic sponges from seawater, was eventually precipitated to create chert, a form of hard rock that was essential in creating early stone tools. September 6, The chapters on biological and human history feel shallow and underdeveloped. Alvarez then pieces the course of improbable events together: the elements were deposited as Earth formed, the movement of land masses determined their locations, and humans learned to exploit the resources. Does anyone know if this is true? I think the author clearly leans towards a contingent universe. Alvarez and I can agree on that. A planet in a constant state of flux Beginning with the Big Bang and rushing through the intervening What if other biological inventions we can barely imagine had shaped the path of evolution? Learn more - opens in a new window or tab. I thought Alvarez did a good job of including his own ground-breaking scientific work without it becoming a major focus of the book. However, because of its happy accident focus, that is identical to Dawkins "happy accident" focus in the Selfish Gene, this book cannot even serve as an appropriate intro to geology book. It might better serve a group that wasn't already pretty well-informed about most of what was here. Reader Writer Industry Professional. I don't recommend this for anyone who has any real interest in this topic or they would already know everything in it. If you're educated in the subjects listed above, you may find this a bit elementary, but still entertaining. Carroll, author of Endless Forms Most Beautiful For the past three decades, Walter Alvarez has been at the center of a revolution in how scientists think about the history of life and the Earth. Payment methods. Update Contact Information. Learn more - opens in a new window or tab International postage and import charges paid to Pitney Bowes Inc. A fantastic read and, yes, it is science! Contact the seller - opens in a new window or tab and request a postage method to your location. LOG IN. The geography of the oceans has determined routes of exploration, trade, and migration and has set the stage for naval warfare. Delivery times may vary, especially during peak periods. The author is infinitely smarter and wiser than me, but wow me with a narrative. Date range on this day between these dates. Please select an existing bookshelf OR Create a new bookshelf Continue. Other editions. How did cells develop, and why were they able to join together and form larger, more complex living organisms? Jared Diamond? A Most Improbable Journey: A Big History of Our Planet and Ourselves Reviews

Be the first to write a review. Imagine a campfire chat with your favorite teacher sharing the biggest story you ever heard. I wasn't able to finish the book. More by Walter Alvarez. Using the first person, he leads readers with a personal touch, telling tales about the researchers in explaining scientific discoveries of the cosmos and earth and even the era of humans. Daniel Freeman. Again and again, Alvarez returns to this point. Delivery times may vary, especially during peak periods. Chris Holdgraf. And what if, in Europe, the British Isles had never been separated from Europe, what then? Sponsored items from this seller Feedback on our suggestions - Sponsored items from this seller. Composing an entire history of the planet is no easy task, especially in the course of pages. Describes how external processes like rivers, glaciers and the wind create the geological changes the produce the landscapes that we live in. Discussions List Discuss important topics within your region, ask for career advice, share local opportunities, and more. Well-known in paleontological circles for his description of the Chicxulub impact crater, which he explored in the bestselling T. Alvarez, a UC Berkeley professor of Earth and planetary science, is interested in vast timelines like these. So … props to him, and his book is an entertaining and interesting look at human history from the perspective of several sciences … but mostly geology. Payment details. Zinn starts out by depicting the arrival of Columbus in North America from the standpoint of the Indians which amounts to their standpoint as constructed from the observations of the Europeans ; and, after easily establishing the cultural disharmony that ensued, he goes on to the importation of slaves into the colonies. I too am wooed by the story of Earth-- how it came to be, how we came to be, and how everything upon it came to be. What if the dinosaurs had not been killed off? Keep me logged in. Show all comments. Journal of World History. Rex and the Crater of Doom. Other Editions 9. There is no need for such a focus on improbable miracles. Powered by Higher Logic. It was not an explosion within space, like a firecracker or a quarry blast, but an explosion of space and of matter and even of time itself, none of which existed until the explosion took place. I'm always more interested in the universal rather than the particular. This is a very short book on the To ask other readers questions about A Most Improbable Journey , please sign up. From the Big Bang to Planet Earth, 3. Good use of photos and illustrations but I would have added more timelines. Refresh and try again. Brian Wang. To hear Zinn tell it, all anyone did in America at any time was to oppress or be oppressed; and so he obscures as much as his hated mainstream historical foes do—only in Zinn's case there is that absurd presumption that virtually everything that came to pass was the work of ruling-class planning: this amounts to one great indictment for conspiracy. The first section is about the evolution of the universe from the big bang until the formation of the Earth. Walter Alvarez is an engaging writer, and there were parts of this book that I enjoyed. The author's youthfulness helps to assure the inevitable comparison with the Anne Frank diary although over and above the sphere of suffering shared, and in this case extended to the death march itself, there is no spiritual or emotional legacy here to offset any reader reluctance. Institutional Login. Being Human, and The improbability of this event—unlike anything in the previous half-billion years—reinforces his thesis that the emergence of our species is due to a long sequence of highly unlikely occurrences. I thought Alvarez did a good job of including his own ground-breaking scientific work without it becoming a major focus of the book. We chose this for our science book group, and were mostly disappointed. But my overwhelming response to this book is that it was a fascinating listen, both well-written and well-read in audiobook form. Lists with This Book. You must return items in their original packaging and in the same condition as when you received them. Contact the seller - opens in a new window or tab and request a postage method to your location. Almost as if evolution with the earth had prepared a path for our species to survive.

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No additional import charges at delivery! My only criticism is with the concluding section, "How improbable Are We? An Ascent of Man—like approach to the subject of Big History would I always wanted to understand though and I never stopped reading or trying to figure it all out and in this honestly quite short book so many puzzle pieces fi This is one of the best books I think I have ever read. Almost there! To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. I thought Alvarez did a good job of including his own ground-breaking scientific work without it becoming a major focus of the book. Feb 04, Walt rated it really liked it Shelves: history , science-tech. Explores how humans tie into the deeper history of our planet. Elie Wiesel spent his early years in a small Transylvanian town as one of four children. It was not an explosion within space, like a firecracker or a quarry blast, but an explosion of space and of matter and even of time itself, none of which existed until the explosion took place. See all. The author's youthfulness helps to assure the inevitable comparison with the Anne Frank diary although over and above the Every time we thought humans were special or that our planet was special, we turned out to be wrong. See All Events. Maybe I will buy this book to have, to remind myself of all the improbable things that had to happen for me to be here writing this. Sit back with a nice cup of tea and prepare to be enchanted. While this improbability is undeniable, we do not need to consider every possible version of events. Follow Us. Be the first to write a review. Learn more - opens in a new window or tab International postage paid to Pitney Bowes Inc. Thanks for telling us about the problem. All of those items are within this book, but only loosely cohesively. The agricultural products of the west and the manufactures of the east floated easily along the placid waters of the canal, linking the coastal states and the new interior lands into a dynamic, growing nation. A worthwhile read for those interested in Big History, especially if you don't have the time to read Bryson's Brief Histor An interesting take on what is referred to as Big History, covering the origins of the cosmos, Earth, Life, and Humanity. Latest News. Want to Read Currently Reading Read. This item can be sent to Germany , but the seller has not specified postage options. Log in. Average rating 3. The title alone should have clued me into the way Alvarez views the world. Give me things I don't already know, or give me a narrative that ties the pieces together in such way that I've never had thought about it before. The Big Bang is usually described as an explosion, although not like ones familiar to us. Chris Holdgraf.

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