How the Earth Works

By: Michael E. Wysession, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Michael E. Wysession

Length: 24 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's summary

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

loved it-- thank you very much-- very lively, informative and enjoyable-- will purchase more great courses

Well presented and well developed

Better than most of the Great Courses, the lecturer took the time to develop insightful descriptions of visual demonstrations that kept listeners engaged.

As you would expect from most passionate geologists, the lecturer is obviously concerned about climate and the responsible use of resources, but that personal passion colored the focus in some of the last lectures. Since many/most that listen to this course probably already care about the Earth, it felt like sermonizing to the choir.

Good good obviously adapted

This is a really good listen, and I can recommend this book. But large parts are devoted to pictures or video which makes adaptation from video really obvious and at points annoying.

A must listen

This is by far the best of the Great Courses that I have ever listened to. I am a professional geologist and a professor of Earth Science and I learned stuff from this course. I am also going to borrow some of his material for ththe coming semester's classes.

Complex ideas simply explained

Wow - this was an amazing course! Taking an overall view of how the planet works Professor Wysession breaks down the complex interactions of plate tectonics, weather and planetary cycles, and a host of other subjects in half hour lectures that are simple to grasp and really will change the way you look at the world. I cannot recommend this course highly enough!!

The best great courses course yet

If you want to not only understand the Earth in geological terms, but biological, ecological, and astrophysics terms, this is THE COURSE TO TAKE. DON’T MISS IT!!!

Five stars are not enough

I’ve listened to many many of the Great Courses. This one excels on every level. It’s a real college course, not dumbed down, as I’ve noticed many recent courses have been. The professor is knowledgeable and engaging, never condescending or patronizing. A few aspects may be a bit dated but who cares? Those portions tend to be aspirational about human nature, and with the current anti-science administration they are not panning out. But they can. God willing they will. Kudos to Prof. Wysession.

informative

Enjoyed the structure of the lectures. Very well put together to logically follow the subject matter.

Great content but hard to visualize

This course has great content, but it's often hard to visualize what's being described. Probably would have enjoyed it better as a video direct from The Great Courses, but if you like geology, it's worth your time.

Interested in rocks?

This is a fantastic educational experience that explains the planet we live on. If you’re interested in geology, rocks, or the planet, I highly recommend this.