Here on Earth: A Natural History of the Planet
Apr 2011 · Open Road + Grove/Atlantic
Ebook
288
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About this ebook
From the internationally acclaimed scientist, explorer, and conservationist comes an awe-inspiring account of earth’s evolution.
Beginning at the moment of creation with the Big Bang, Here on Earth explores the evolution of Earth from a galactic cloud of dust and gas to a planet with a metallic core and early signs of life within a billion years of being created. In a compelling narrative, Flannery describes the formation of the Earth’s crust and atmosphere, as well as the transformation of the planet’s oceans from toxic brews of metals (such as iron, copper, and lead) to life-sustaining bodies covering seventy percent of the planet’s surface.
Life, Flannery shows, first appeared in these oceans in the form of microscopic plants and bacteria, and these metals served as catalysts for the earliest biological processes known to exist. From this starting point, Flannery tells the fascinating story of the evolution of our own species, exploring several early human species—from the diminutive creatures (the famed hobbits) who lived in Africa around two million years ago to Homo erectus—before turning his attention to Homo sapiens. Drawing on Charles Darwin’s and Alfred Russel Wallace’s theories of evolution and Lovelock’s Gaia hypothesis, Here on Earth is a dazzling account of life on our planet.
“You’ll discover why Tim Flannery’s books have made him the rock star of modern science.” —Jared Diamond, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Guns, Germs, and Steel
Beginning at the moment of creation with the Big Bang, Here on Earth explores the evolution of Earth from a galactic cloud of dust and gas to a planet with a metallic core and early signs of life within a billion years of being created. In a compelling narrative, Flannery describes the formation of the Earth’s crust and atmosphere, as well as the transformation of the planet’s oceans from toxic brews of metals (such as iron, copper, and lead) to life-sustaining bodies covering seventy percent of the planet’s surface.
Life, Flannery shows, first appeared in these oceans in the form of microscopic plants and bacteria, and these metals served as catalysts for the earliest biological processes known to exist. From this starting point, Flannery tells the fascinating story of the evolution of our own species, exploring several early human species—from the diminutive creatures (the famed hobbits) who lived in Africa around two million years ago to Homo erectus—before turning his attention to Homo sapiens. Drawing on Charles Darwin’s and Alfred Russel Wallace’s theories of evolution and Lovelock’s Gaia hypothesis, Here on Earth is a dazzling account of life on our planet.
“You’ll discover why Tim Flannery’s books have made him the rock star of modern science.” —Jared Diamond, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Guns, Germs, and Steel
About the author
Tim Flannery is one of the most celebrated scientists of our time. His landmark bestseller The Weather Makers, which sold one hundred-fifty thousand copies in America and was translated into twenty-four languages internationally, was embraced by readers and endorsed by policy makers, scientists, and energy industry executives around the world. He is Chairman of the Copenhagen Climate Council and acts as a judge (along with Al Gore, James Hansen, James Lovelock, and Crispin Tickell) for Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Earth Challenge. He was named Australian of the Year in 2007 and is a professor at Macquarie University in Sydney.
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