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A review by jklbookdragon
Loren Eiseley: Collected Essays on Evolution, Nature, and the Cosmos Vol. 1 (Loa #285): The Immense Journey, the Firmament of Time, the Unexpected Uni by Loren Eiseley
2.0
There are definitely some interesting ideas in this book. If you like those ideas presented with a lot of philosophy and poetry, it's likely the book for you, but it's not the book for me. I also found it grated how often Eiseley used "man" to mean "person" or "mankind," although his use of the terms "savage" or "primitive" was much more unpleasant.
The Immense Journey: 2.5 stars. The most fascinating essay was a reaction to the Piltdown hoax, written shortly after it was revealed to be a fraud. My paleontology background is mostly from the '80s and '90s, and while the other information in this collection was interesting, it did really seem dated... and I expect is much more so to someone who is current on research in the field.
The Firmament of Time: 1.5 stars.
The Unexpected Universe: 1 star.
Uncollected Prose: 2.5 stars. The unexpected and curious entries here were from the time he spent as a hobo.
Chronology: 3 stars. Yup, I found the timeline of Eiseley's life to be more interesting than what he wrote. Apologies to those who love this book.
The Immense Journey: 2.5 stars. The most fascinating essay was a reaction to the Piltdown hoax, written shortly after it was revealed to be a fraud. My paleontology background is mostly from the '80s and '90s, and while the other information in this collection was interesting, it did really seem dated... and I expect is much more so to someone who is current on research in the field.
The Firmament of Time: 1.5 stars.
The Unexpected Universe: 1 star.
Uncollected Prose: 2.5 stars. The unexpected and curious entries here were from the time he spent as a hobo.
Chronology: 3 stars. Yup, I found the timeline of Eiseley's life to be more interesting than what he wrote. Apologies to those who love this book.