Brian Switek
Paperback | Pages: 320 pages Rating: 4.03 | 737 Users | 65 Reviews
Particularize Books Supposing Written in Stone: Evolution, the Fossil Record, and Our Place in Nature (Icon Science)
| ISBN: | 1934137294 (ISBN13: 9781934137291) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Series: | Icon Science |
Narrative Toward Books Written in Stone: Evolution, the Fossil Record, and Our Place in Nature (Icon Science)
“Switek seamlessly intertwines two types of evolution: one of life on earth and the other of paleontology itself.”—Discover Magazine““In delightful prose, [Switek] . . . superbly shows that ‘[i]f we can let go of our conceit,’ we will see the preciousness of life in all its forms.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Highly instructive . . . a warm, intelligent yeoman’s guide to the progress of life.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Magisterial . . . part historical account, part scientific detective story. Switek’s elegant prose and thoughtful scholarship will change the way you see life on our planet. This book marks the debut of an important new voice.”—Neil Shubin
“Elegantly and engagingly crafted, Brian Switek’s narrative interweaves stories and characters not often encountered in books on paleontology—at once a unique, informative and entertaining read.”—Niles Eldredge
“If you want to read one book to get up to speed on evolution, read Written in Stone. Brian Switek’s clear and compelling book is full of fascinating stories about how scientists have read the fossil record to trace the evolution of life on Earth.”—Ann Gibbons
“[Switek's] accounts of dinosaurs, birds, whales, and our own primate ancestors are not just fascinating for their rich historical detail, but also for their up-to-date reporting on paleontology’s latest discoveries.”—Carl Zimmer
"After reading this book, you will have a totally new context in which to interpret the evolutionary history of amphibians, mammals, whales, elephants, horses, and especially humans.”—Donald R. Prothero
Spectacular fossil finds make today's headlines; new technology unlocks secrets of skeletons unearthed a hundred years ago. Still, evolution is often poorly represented by the media and misunderstood by the public. A potent antidote to pseudoscience, Written in Stone is an engrossing history of evolutionary discovery for anyone who has marveled at the variety and richness of life.
Present Appertaining To Books Written in Stone: Evolution, the Fossil Record, and Our Place in Nature (Icon Science)
| Title | : | Written in Stone: Evolution, the Fossil Record, and Our Place in Nature (Icon Science) |
| Author | : | Brian Switek |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Anniversary Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 320 pages |
| Published | : | November 30th 2010 by Bellevue Literary Press (first published 2010) |
| Categories | : | Biology. Evolution. History. Nonfiction. Geology. Palaeontology. Science. Natural History |
Rating Appertaining To Books Written in Stone: Evolution, the Fossil Record, and Our Place in Nature (Icon Science)
Ratings: 4.03 From 737 Users | 65 ReviewsCommentary Appertaining To Books Written in Stone: Evolution, the Fossil Record, and Our Place in Nature (Icon Science)
A little too dry for my taste.Once upon a time, if you were rich enough then you could be a polymath. The word polymath comes from the Greek mathe for learning and poly for parrot, and as the etymology suggests it refers to people who know everything there is to know and can repeat it back to you when offered a cracker. True polymaths, those who know the sum total of extant human knowledge, probably haven't existed since the first group of homo sapiens in Ethiopia split into two. But there's a second etymology: polus from
This is a decent layman's summary of paleontology. I'd give this to a bright student interested in dinosaurs as a good introduction to the field. One star removed because there is no index.
It's really great to read an up to date paleontology book. My only criticism is that the book itself reads like a textbook and can get a bit dry at times. Still it's a good book, packed with a ton of great information about the history of paleontology, including research into the evolution of dinosaurs, horses, whales and of course us! I just wish it was written differently.
A fun look into the fossil record. Switek offers an engaging look into evolution with his first book. The final two chapters on human fossils - and what they say about humans today - are particularly well crafted.
Brian Switek writes with unrivaled lucidity about the ramifying branches of evolution over the ages, chronicling the history and origin of types as diverse as whales, horses, birds, dinosaurs, and humankind itself. Along the way, we learn the history not just of these biological categories, but the history of humanity's understanding of these categories. Switek catalogs the human drama of science and discovery alongside the far richer drama of evolutionary development, weaving the strands
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