How the Earth Works

By: Michael E. Wysession, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Michael E. Wysession

How the Earth Works takes you on an astonishing journey through time and space. In 48 lectures, you will look at what went into making our planet - from the big bang, to the formation of the solar system, to the subsequent evolution of Earth.

You will travel to the center of our planet and out again, charting the geologic forces that churn beneath our feet to push the continents and seafloor around like froth on the surface of soup. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis are byproducts of our planet’s ceaseless activity, and you will focus on specific examples of each to learn why and when they occur. Volcanic activity has produced the atmosphere as a side effect, and you will learn how this sea of air functions at the global scale. Earth’s surface is mostly water, and you will explore the cycling of this vital substance throughout the planet, along with its role in climate, erosion, plate tectonics, and biology.

Not only are humans at the mercy of our planet’s natural forces, but we ourselves have also become agents of change. We are altering the Earth’s land, water, and air faster than any other geologic process. This will be another theme of your journey: how humans have transformed watersheds, leveled mountains, changed the balance of gases in the atmosphere, and caused the extinction of enough species to hasten the end of the 65-million-year-old Cenozoic era. It is vitally important that we understand the nature of our geologic powers if we are to have any hope of controlling them.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2008 The Great Courses (P)2008 The Teaching Company, LLC

Good Review of Complex Planetary Science

This is probably more like 4.5 out of 5 stars. Dr. Michael Wysession is a Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, MO, and "How the Earth Works" is his 24+ hour long The Great Courses audio recording. Through nearly 50 lectures at about 30 minutes a lecture, Wysession explains different aspects of our planet's inner-workings to demonstrate how fascinating and complex the system is.

Released in 2008, "How the Earth Works" might be a little outdated in its climate change projections, but most of the discussions focus on fundamental geological phenomena such as volcanism and plate tectonics, so there is so much that is still relevant here. I saw a review of this that said something like, "this course covers more than you can ever remember, but it's all fascinating", which articulates the experience of listening to this really well. Sometimes geology can be perceived as dry because often it is difficult or boring to identify individual rock samples, but Wysession does a great job of placing basic scientific knowledge into a context of how larger systems influence one another. For example, he explains how local volcanic activity can influence seasons, such as that which caused the harsh winter leading up to the "let them eat cake" episode and subsequent French Revolution.

This course journeys back in time to describe how our planet was formed and climate created. Then it explains how current ocean, land, and atmospheric movements function. And lastly, one of the final lectures discusses what scientists know about exoplanets and signs of life on other planets, both in our solar system and beyond.

As much as I enjoyed this review of important and interesting earth science information, I give this only 4.5 stars for a few minor reasons. The first is that I do not think those who have not taken a formal academic geology or other earth sciences course will understand everything being discussed. This is not a substitute for an introductory undergraduate course on the same topic. I just do not think that topics like plate tectonics and earthquakes can be adequately taught without the aid of quality infographics, videos, and other visual tools. Secondly, while Wysession was good about describing what he is doing while giving demonstrations, those sections still distract from the main discussion when the audience cannot see what is going on.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed listening to this over the course of a week or so, and I'm glad I did. I appreciated Wysession's ability to recognize and address the complexity of Earth's many systems constantly working together. I recommend this to any student of geology, earth science, planetary science, climate science, seismology, volcanism, plate tectonics, atmospheric chemistry, and/or science communication.

Fascinating and informative on a number of topics.

One of the best Courses I've read. Easily one I will read again and recommend.

Physically can't do better

the lectures are super entertaining and well written. amazing course and very informative. you can tell that he has an absolute passion for the subject matter

Way More Than Just Geology

The book is a geology book, but the information is presented from a history perspective, which makes it more like a story.
A bonus (why the book is more than just geology) is the author's broad and detailed knowledge of related branches of science (I'd call him a 'polymath'), from biology to astrophysics, where he eventually describes how geology plays (and has played) its role in each of them.
On a curious note, here is yet another professor who sounds like he's 20, but is actually three times that age (which may indicate that to do good science, you should not lose touch with your inner child) (or your inner young man)...

Easily the best audiobook I’ve ever listened to

Over the last 15 years I’ve listened to hundreds of audio books including several from The Great Courses, but this is far and away my favorite book ever! I’ve been totally geeking out about the information contained within to all of my friends. Some of the best money I’ve spent in my life. Get this book!

Great read !

Loved this guy’s voice and the way he explained everything.. and the last chapters were the best!

Informative, engaging story of earth

Narration is clear, pleasant, and completely understandable. Professor’s professionalism, sincerity, respect for nature and students comes across compellingly.

Content is comprehensive and foundational to understanding earth’s composition and dynamics.

Highly recommended.

Earth in its entirety

loved it. it was the best geography book I've ever read. this book covered every aspect of our Earth.

Wonderful and enriching

I learned so much! Will definitely listen again. Should have included the described illustrations though

Mandatory course for everybody

My gosh what a great lecture. I learned so much and it gave me so much more perspective on our planet. Really great! thanks a lot!