Evolution of The Earth

By Donald R. Prothero, Robert H. Dott Jr., Robert Dott, Jr.

Book Overview

Evolution of the Earth reveals the logical framework of geology, shows relations of the science to the totality of human knowledge, and gives some idea of what it is to be a participant in the discipline. In keeping with the preference for a "How do we know?" rather than "What do we know?" approach, the authors stress what assumptions are made by earth historians, what kinds of evidence (and tools for gathering that evidence), and what processes of reasoning and limitations of hypotheses are involved in reconstructing and interpreting the past. Each chapter begins with a list of highlights entitled "Major Concepts." Many chapters have a summary timeline that puts the entire sequence of events into a quick visual reference frame. The use of dioramas and reconstructions of extinct animals and plants has been greatly expanded, so that students can get a more vivid concept of typical life in any part of the geologic past. In many places, the authors have supplied a full page of color photos of classic fossils from each period to improve the visual recognition of the organisms that give life its distinctive history. The areas of hottest controversy, such as mass extinctions, dinosaur endothermy, the origin of life, and controversies over late Proterozoic tectonics and glaciation, have been given separate sections so that students can appreciate the different sides of the debates. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0072528087
• ISBN13: 9780072528084
• Release Date: July 2003
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Science/Engineering/Math
• Length: 524 Pages
• Weight: 2.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 8.8" x 10.7"

Customer Reviews

Evolution of Earth

This book is an easy read more for the visual learner. Has lots of images and great language, this is not for anyone under the age of thirteen and is a written well.

Excellent purchase

The book is in perfect condition just as described. New book at used price. What a deal! Highly recommend.

Good book for paleontology and geology teaching.

This is the most recent edition of a very useful book for students and teachers of paleontology and geology.

Superb if it's as good as the first edition

I used the first edition of this book by Dott and Batten as an earth science major back in the early 70's, and thought it excellent. I don't know how the new edition stacks up, but the original book was as fine a piece of writing for a textbook as I had ever come across, and geology boasts better than average writers for such things. For example, there is the redoubtable Arthur Beiser, whose many books maintain both a high...

Good Book

Overall a good introduction to historical geology. Most subjects are presented in an appropriate manner, with colorful illustrations to supplement the concepts discussed. Only concerning the formation of dolomite rocks does this book fall short of maintaining a thourough examination of historical geology concepts. The only disadvantage that this book has is its price, which is probably due to the amount of illustrations...