Impact

How Rocks from Space Led to Life, Culture, and Donkey Kong

By: Greg Brennecka

Narrated by: Sean Pratt

A Short History of Nearly Everything meets Astrophysics for People in a Hurry in this humorous, accessible exploration of how meteorites have helped not only build our planet but steered the evolution of life and human culture.

The Solar System. Dinosaurs. Donkey Kong. What is the missing link? Surprisingly enough, it's meteorites. They explain our past, constructed our present, and could define our future.

Impact argues that Earth would be a lifeless, inhospitable piece of rock without being fortuitously assaulted with meteorites throughout the history of the planet. These bombardments transformed Earth’s early atmosphere and delivered the complex organic molecules that allowed life to develop on our planet. While meteorites have provided the raw materials for life to thrive, they have radically devastated life as well, most famously killing off the dinosaurs and paving the way for humans to evolve to where we are today.

As noted meteoriticist Greg Brennecka explains, meteorites did not just set us on the path to becoming human, they helped direct the development of human culture. Meteorites have influenced humanity since the start of civilization. Over the centuries, meteorite falls and other cosmic cinema have started (and stopped) wars, terrified millions, and inspired religions throughout the world.

With humor and an infectious enthusiasm, Brennecka reveals previously untold but important stories sure to delight and inform readers about the most important rocks on Earth.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

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

©2022 Greg Brennecka (P)2022 HarperCollins Publishers

Fun with Science

Awesome book! Just enough humor to keep you laughing while you learn. The narration is perfect, so I highly recommend this author and the Impact book. I have relistened multiple times, because it's just that good! The science is extraordinary, and you will learn the real value of rocks from space and how we can use that knowledge to determine the age of the solar system, and the age of humans.

all the good stuff on earth came from asteroids

single topic, asteroids, and how they shaped our planet. bringing life and death. this book explains how astroids played a big part in our earth, water, and life. loved it.

Fun af

This dude makes science fun as H E double hockey sticks. Loved the info, loved the pop culture references and jokes, loved the explanations to us lay folk.

great book interesting really worth it cool

Great book it was really interesting like the way it was narrated I thoroughly enjoyed it the humor was good science books can be a little hold on routine but this book had a lot of humor to it that helped a lot

a great summer read

I enjoyed the book quite a bit. The only thing I don't care for, is that to the best of my knowledge, there was no explanation about the donkey Kong note on the front cover. otherwise, very enjoyable.

I had fun while I learned.

I adored everything about Impact. The author made complicated material accessible, interesting, and a pleasure to read.

I highly recommend that one listens to the appendix and reads the pdf.