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"Nullius in Verba" The Royal Society of London 

"Shun No Science, scorn no book, nor cling fanatically  to a single creed" Brothers of Purity

 

 

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More than a book end

This list is for people who like Geology or Geography. These books are meant to be a good read and are supposed to be non-fiction or they refer to significant historical geological events - in which case they may have fictional characters.  However while some of us may enjoy reading textbooks - these books are meant to be  - simply a good read. Please note that the comments are "opinions" and are those of the editor unless otherwise noted.

The reviews are my own. However if you have a suggestion please send it to This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

 

Book Title Author Comment / Review
A Crack in the Edge of the World: America and the Great California Earthquake of 1906   Simon Winchester  
Much more than a story of the San Francisco earthquake – Simon Winchester combines solid geological information on plate tectonics, seismology and the history into a very well written story. The author does like to insert his strong opinions relative to current affairs – but overall he has put together a brilliant an intriguing and educational account.  His use of the pre-Olympian goddess Gaia and earth goddess as a premise for an interconnected ecological and mystical earth has potential in helping us understand Geology as an interrelated integrated science. It also provides the potential for research for many graduate students in the years to come. JP 2005 Harper Collins Books Publishers New York New York  ISBN -10:  0-06-057199-3
 
Annals of the former world John McPhee Read sequentially, the book is an organic succession of set pieces, flashbacks, biographical sketches, and histories of the human and lithic kind; approached systematically, it can be a North American geology primer, an exploration of plate tectonics, or a study of geologic time and the development of the time scale. From John Mcphee
Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed  Jared Diamond The title says it well. However this book is written from a geographer’s perspective. Take your time to read it. JP
The Dating Game  Cherry Lewis This book provides for an excellent story about what it meant to be a geologist during the early 1900's. The story about Arthur Holmes life adds meat to the history of how geologist figured out the age of the earth. Some very well written literary paragraphs hidden deep in the book make it worth reading.
Down the great unknown John Wesley Powell's 1869 Journey of Discovery and Tragedy through the Grand Canyon  Edward Dolnick An interesting read of the first (documented) journey by John Wesley Powell down the Grand Canyon. While Powell was the second director of the USGS, there are only a very few geological gems in this book. A good book about a historic adventure. JP
Extinction: How Life on Earth Nearly Ended 250 Million Years Ago Douglas H. Erwin Some 250 million years ago, the earth suffered the greatest biological crisis in its history. Around 95% of all living species died out--a global catastrophe far greater than the dinosaurs'   Editors note - demise 65 million years ago. How this happened remains a mystery. Princeton Press Editors Note: This book may be a little dryer but it is laid out with some of the best science books. I believe this as it presents the data and assumptions and allows you to follow the author's arguments. Read this as well as Peter Ward's book "Gorgon" JP
Gorgon The Monsters that ruled the planet before dinosaurs and How they died in the greatest Catastrophe in Earth's History Peter D. Ward Gorgon's are more properly known as gorgonopsian, are representative of the just one of the many land based creatures that disappeared during the Permian extinction. Should the fact that almost 90% of life (or at least records) of it disappeared 250 million years ago be of concern?. This book is as much a story about this as it is a commentary of the challenges facing field geologists. Granted they are not saving lives - but they face the same challenges Doctors and other humanitarians face when they have to work in harsh conditions (both and environment as well as a political). Well written. This should be read along with Douglas Erwin's book "Extinction" if you want to begin to understand how life could be wiped out. JP
Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded: August 27, 1883 Simon Winchester A detailed account of the largest geological explosion witnessed by man. JP
Longitude David Sobel A fascinating and well written book on the race to create the first chronograph. JP
Rising from the Plains John McPhee This is about high-country geology and a Rocky Mountain regional geologist. I raise that semaphore here at the start so no one will feel misled by an opening passage in which a slim young woman who is not in any sense a geologist steps down from a train in Rawlins, Wyoming, in order to go north by stagecoach into country that was still very much the Old West. From John McPhee
Reef Madness Charles Darwin, Alexander Agassiz, and the meaning of coral    published 2005           David Dobbs An excellent and well-written historical novel. While the title includes a reference to Charles Darwin and Alexander Agassiz, good information can be found about Alexander's father Louis,as well as James Dwight Dana, Charles Lyell, Bacon, among others.   Be careful about coming to conclusions too quickly. Not all is revealed until the last chapter. A good Geology thinkers book.JP
Salt: A World History Mark Kurlansky From when Salt was only for kings – and English noblemen – to it’s modern day production. JP
The Control of Nature John McPhee Long before the floods of Hurricane Katrina – man has been fighting the Mississippi River. And Volcanoes. And Mud slides. A well told story of our own attempt to control mother nature. JP
The Man who Found Time Jack Repcheck This book is about James Hutton. More than  that, it tells the story of the Scottish enlightenment. Very well written but not to conclusive on James Hutton. However there are some excellent narratives about others who were involved in the emergence of science including, David Hume (philosophy of human nature),Adam Smith ("the wealth of Nations"),Joseph Black (discovery of the atmosphere and its make up) and James Watt (steam engine). All of whom were contemporaries. `
The Map That Changed the World: William Smith and the Birth of Modern Geology Simon Winchester Can you imagine that just over 200 years ago – the common belief was that the world was less than 6000 years old? This book not only tells a great story of how “modern’ geology came into being – it is a great period piece to understanding what society was like and the prevalent beliefs of the time. And we all now know "what is the Wollaston medal?" JP
The Mapmaker's Wife  Robert Whitaker Really much more than his wife – this book tells a story of explorers trying to map the world from the mountains to jungles in South America. JP
The Restless Northwest: A Geological Story Hill Williams A good overview of the Northwest – including some good descriptions on Lake Missoula. It provides a primer that helps understand how the geology of the area came together. JP
The Seashell on the Mountain  Alan Cutler Nicolai Stenonis is considered to many to be the founder of geology. However this book describes not only his contribution - but an excellent sense of the times. The turmoil of Europe - the difficult questions posed by the balance between science and faith - all at the end of the thirty year war. And somehow Nicolaus Steno (alt. spelling) is sainted by the Catholic Church. Excellent read! JP
The War of the Copper Kings Carl B. Glasscock “Greed, Power and Politics: the billion dollar battle for Butte, Montana, the richest hill on earth” A very interesting book – it could be a movie plot if it hadn’t actually happened. Not the best written book – but worth a read. JP
 

 
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