Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
This book scratched an itch I didn’t know I had
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Reads like a transcript of a documentary series. A journey through prehistoric earth, showing how life has evolved and how it has shaped the planet through its evolution. Can get slow at times - a lack of visuals regarding the described landscapes gave me some difficulty in appreciating it. But it's enlightening and vivid, and if you enjoy reading about our modern world I recommend it for a look at earth before humanity.
informative
Fascinating and informative glimpses into ecosystems of the past. I learned something in every section, nearly every page, including that the idea that life arose from a "primordial soup" in a shallow sea is wrong. One of the best science books for a general reader I've read.
challenging
informative
slow-paced
adventurous
informative
reflective
slow-paced
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Fascinating descent into the last eon. This book gives a sense of perspective and awe and wonder for the ancient history or Earth, cycles, and shows how we can learn from past extinctions to think about the consequences of human-induced climate change, including why we need to reduce consumption and change our mindset to avoid the worst.
Each chapter is a prehistoric slice of life snippet from ancient life forms, going deeper back in time each time. Some explanations and comparisons along the way really make the writing shine. Sometimes, naming something removes it from our direct experience. Here, the author is quite intentional in trying to make us "feel" these beings and their interactions, their environment and their fate, while still giving a lot of scientific insights and food for thought.
The amount of knowledge and work in this book is staggeringly impressive - maybe even dense at times, but always fascinating.
That said, as an animal lover, I rose my eyebrows at the mention that cattle breeding can be "mutually beneficial" and at the lack of direct mention about the impact of the meat industry / factory farming, apart from the fact that most mammals and birds on Earth are now human beings, and species bred to exploit.
I wish there were more illustrations, in fact, I even wish it was some sort of a graphic novel as even though the descriptions were mostly good, I still found myself googling every living being I didn't know to look at pics of fossils and their artistic renditions.
Overall, it was a great book and I recommend it.
I want to thank netgalley and Penguin Press UK for providing me with an ARC book for free in exchange for a fair review.
Each chapter is a prehistoric slice of life snippet from ancient life forms, going deeper back in time each time. Some explanations and comparisons along the way really make the writing shine. Sometimes, naming something removes it from our direct experience. Here, the author is quite intentional in trying to make us "feel" these beings and their interactions, their environment and their fate, while still giving a lot of scientific insights and food for thought.
The amount of knowledge and work in this book is staggeringly impressive - maybe even dense at times, but always fascinating.
That said, as an animal lover, I rose my eyebrows at the mention that cattle breeding can be "mutually beneficial" and at the lack of direct mention about the impact of the meat industry / factory farming, apart from the fact that most mammals and birds on Earth are now human beings, and species bred to exploit.
I wish there were more illustrations, in fact, I even wish it was some sort of a graphic novel as even though the descriptions were mostly good, I still found myself googling every living being I didn't know to look at pics of fossils and their artistic renditions.
Overall, it was a great book and I recommend it.
I want to thank netgalley and Penguin Press UK for providing me with an ARC book for free in exchange for a fair review.
a cracking piece of science writing, it offers a wonderful insight into the worlds that have come before, both famous and not, and of the sheer vast mass of life that has come before us. let it not be us who causes the end to such a journey
challenging
relaxing
slow-paced
informative
reflective
medium-paced