The Story of the Earth in 25 Rocks

Tales of Important Geological Puzzles and the People Who Solved Them

By: Donald R. Prothero

Narrated by: Tom Parks

The Story of the Earth in 25 Rocks tells the fascinating stories behind the discoveries that shook the foundations of geology. In 25 chapters, Donald R. Prothero recounts the scientific detective work that shaped our understanding of geology, from the unearthing of exemplary specimens to tectonic shifts in how we view the inner workings of our planet.

Prothero follows in the footsteps of the scientists who asked - and answered - geology's biggest questions: How do we know how old the earth is? What happened to the supercontinent Pangea? How did ocean rocks end up at the top of Mount Everest? What can we learn about our planet from meteorites and moon rocks? He answers these questions through expertly chosen case studies, such as Pliny the Younger's firsthand account of the eruption of Vesuvius; the granite outcrops that led a Scottish scientist to theorize that the landscapes he witnessed were far older than Noah's Flood; the salt and gypsum deposits under the Mediterranean Sea that indicate that it was once a desert; and how trying to date the age of meteorites revealed the dangers of lead poisoning.

Each of these breakthroughs filled in a piece of the greater puzzle that is the earth, with scientific discoveries dovetailing with each other to offer an increasingly coherent image of the geologic past.

©2018 Donald R. Prothero (P)2020 Tantor

Amazing book

I Billy geology taking this is a great boat to jumpstart that it is engaging and easy read enjoyed it thoroughly cannot recommend it enough

Fascinating Tour Through The Ages

Every chapter of this book tells a gripping story. There were so many geologic and human nature stories that I bought the hard copy to keep as a reference. If you like science, especially earth science, this book is for you.

good but

it is pronounced AppaLATCHeyuh. AppaLATCHeuh. /App/ as in app.
/a/ as in Ah. /Latch/ as in latch. /e/ as in e. /a/ as in duh.
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ah
latch
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emphasize LATCH.

One of the best Evolution Scientist

His books fill anyone's mind with scientific fact. If you have any doubts about Evolutionary Theory (wich is a fact) read Protheros "Evolution" book. Donald teaches us Decades of his expertise.

Main Title is Inadequate for Scope of Book

The subtitle says it all: this not a book just about rocks. It is a comprehensive, fascinating, well done history of modern geology. Highly recommended, even for those like myself who lived through and participated in this revolution.