Reading the Rocks

The Autobiography of the Earth

By: Marcia Bjornerud

Narrated by: Alma Cuervo

To many of us, the Earth's crust is a relic of ancient, unknowable history. But to a geologist, stones are richly illustrated narratives, telling gothic tales of cataclysm and reincarnation. For more than four billion years, in beach sand, granite, and garnet schists, the planet has kept a rich and idiosyncratic journal of its past. Fulbright Scholar Marcia Bjornerud takes the listener along on an eye-opening tour of Deep Time, explaining in elegant prose what we see and feel beneath our feet. Both scientist and storyteller, Bjornerud uses anecdotes and metaphors to remind us that our home is a living thing with lessons to teach. She shows how our planet has long maintained a delicate balance, and how the global give-and-take has sustained life on Earth through numerous upheavals. But with the rapidly escalating effects of human beings on their home planet, that cosmic balance is being threatened—and the consequences may be catastrophic. Containing a glossary and detailed timescale, as well as vivid descriptions and historic accounts, Reading the Rocks is literally a history of the world, for all friends of the Earth.

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

©2005 Marcia Bjornerud (P)2022 Basic Books

Well crafted and approachable

This book crafted an approachable narrative context to the science of the earth, with good mixture of history, etymology, and descriptive language. Absolutely loved it.

More like a whiny sermon.

What starts out as a good geology book, slowly turns into a rant espousing all of the standard cultish points of environmentalist progressivism. Unless you want to be berated for how terrible humanity is, or perhaps you enjoy being complained at, you should pass.

All over the place

While I agree with most topics discussed in this book and was generally interested in much of the subject matter, it strays wildly from the premise. By about halfway through, it hardly seems like the same book. With the exception of a few callbacks to the title premise, by the end of this book it ends up being hardly about rocks at all. It also ends up being way too technical for audio. It would potentially be a better read than listen.