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4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
informative
reflective
medium-paced
adventurous
informative
reflective
medium-paced
reflective
medium-paced
Really great tour of different eons and not only the strange and fascinating animals that lived in them but also the environments and habitats around them. It hits all the historical highlights, from the mysterious ocean crossings to South America, to the drying of the Mediterranean, and it also uses specific times and places (nicely spaced out in 16 chapters for a daily pace) to connect to general observations about life past and present. You’ll marvel at the remarkable abilities of various creatures and wonder how such things possibly managed to evolve.
However, I was pretty disappointed by a glaring mathematical error near the beginning of the book (the comparison, 60x too fast, was referenced three times three different ways, so it was more than a typo). It made me wonder what else might be wrong in the book that I didn’t know enough to notice, and I was also disillusioned to look up to learn about some of the remarkable animal characteristics and learn that the truth seems less clear and more disputed. To be fair, the author openly warned that he was going to make some arbitrary choices among uncertainties for the sake of painting pictures, but that still takes away from the ability to trust the presenter and the presentation.
All the same, I’m pretty sure the broad strokes match the general consensus and evidence, and the material is quite fascinating. I only wish there was more than one image per chapter - you’ll definitely want to consume this in chunks, maybe with a search engine in hand to supplement the words and the limits of your own imagination.
However, I was pretty disappointed by a glaring mathematical error near the beginning of the book (the comparison, 60x too fast, was referenced three times three different ways, so it was more than a typo). It made me wonder what else might be wrong in the book that I didn’t know enough to notice, and I was also disillusioned to look up to learn about some of the remarkable animal characteristics and learn that the truth seems less clear and more disputed. To be fair, the author openly warned that he was going to make some arbitrary choices among uncertainties for the sake of painting pictures, but that still takes away from the ability to trust the presenter and the presentation.
All the same, I’m pretty sure the broad strokes match the general consensus and evidence, and the material is quite fascinating. I only wish there was more than one image per chapter - you’ll definitely want to consume this in chunks, maybe with a search engine in hand to supplement the words and the limits of your own imagination.
hopeful
informative
fast-paced
oh what a joy to take a stroll through Earth's ages past and remember that there was a planet before humans and there will be after.
adventurous
informative
inspiring
relaxing
medium-paced
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
This actually felt like watching a nature documentary, except I was unable to envision the landscapes and organisms.
The 3 stars are merely a reflection of my lack of imagination. The writing probably deserves 5 stars.
The 3 stars are merely a reflection of my lack of imagination. The writing probably deserves 5 stars.
informative
medium-paced
I really enjoyed this! It's written very lyrically for a non fiction, which might not be for everyone, but I was very taken with it quite quickly. It also helped to just roll with it, when I didn't always understand every technical term (which is on me for not reading it in my first language). The pacing is good, the individual chapters are fairly short, which makes for a surprisingly fast read, considering the subject matter. My only critique would be the choice of going backwards in time. I understand his reasoning, but I would have much preferred to go through it chronologically, to see the way things slowly change and evolve. But it was still so fascinating, that I can overlook it.