' a chatty account of Earth evolution ... It deserves to become a classic.' New Scientist
'This book is certainly enjoyable to read and it covers the subject at the right pace and overall to exactly the depth needed for the reader for whom it is written ... It should be a necessity for any introductory earth science course. I thoroughly recommend it.' Geoscientist
Review from 1st edition 'Professor van Andel writes in a very clear concise style, conveying ideas by use of clever and original analogies, frequently injected with a little humour whenever things start to become a bit too abstruse.' Modern Geology
From reviews of the First Edition...
"This excellent book is highly recommended to those teaching broad-based survey courses on geology, earth history, and earth and the environment..." Charles B. Officer, Journal of Geological Education
"...quite simply, one of the best general books on the evolution of the Earth to appear this decade. It is not a disguised undergraduate textbook, but represents a genuine attempt to reach out to the layperson. Nor, at the other extreme, is it one of those coffee-table books crammed with spectacular full-colour views and diagrams aimed at the impulse buyers among the general public. The colour is all in the writing." Peter J. Smith, Geology Today
"Professor van Andel writes in a very clear concise style, conveying ideas by use of clever and original analogies, frequently injected with a little humour whenever things start to become a bit too abstruse." Modern Geology
From reviews of the current edition...
"...The new edition is a complete reworking of the highly regarded first edition...It deserves to become a classic." Rob Butler, Nature
"...the most lucid and accessible summary of earth history in print....The additions have yielded a more complete and satisfying read, all served up with the same economy of words and wit that made the first edition such a remarkable piece of writing....If I could pick only one book to distribute to the public at large about how we think the earth has evolved, this is the book I would choose--it stands unique in its clarity, scientific honesty, and accomplishment of purpose--a rare volume indeed." James C. Ingle, Jr., Earth Sciences History
