Historical Geology: Evolution of Earth and Life Through Time

If you need this for a class, then it is your best friend. I personally think that the book is interesting to read by itself, but I'm a nerd.

Very good book for teaching and student (undergraduate, graduate or posgraduate level). Pedagogic design fully illustrated, actual knowledge.

This book was designed to provide materials for a one semester course in historical geology for both majors and non-majors. Its nineteen chapters focus on three themes: Plate Tectonics, Physical and Biological History (the history of Earth's physical features, systems, and the life forms that have inhabited it), and Evolution. The authors have done a very good job in making the text readable and I believe it can be read enjoyably and to great benefit by an interested general reader outside of class. At least I found it fascinating and informative. The text uses photos, diagrams, charts, and all kinds of illustrations to enhance the reader's understanding of what is being said. There is also a useful CD to supplement the text. And Thomson has provided a website with even more things to read and do. Each chapter provides an outline of what is going to be discussed, a bulleted set of chapter objectives, an introduction, and the chapter materials. The intra-chapter material is presented to questions asked in the headings of each section. The chapters also have little boxes entitled "What Would You Do?" that try to ask practical questions about real life issues that are related to the material being discussed. Each chapter ends with a bulleted Summary section, a list of important terms (that usefully has the page number where that term was used) and review questions that are multiple choice and short essay types. There is also an Apply Your Knowledge section with a few problems for the student (reader) to think about and practically apply what has been learned in that chapter. Some also have Field Questions that ask questions about a photograph, figure or table provided or referred to in the text. Chapters 1-4 lay out the systems in the Earth and how the changes its systems affect each other. They talk about the basic materials that make up the Earth, Plate Tectonics, and Geologic Time. Chapters 5 and 6 talk about Rocks, Fossils and how they fit into the time scale of the Earth - and a look at what sedimentary rocks are and how they record the history of life on Earth. Chapters 7-9 talk about Evolution, its evidences, and early life during the Precambrian period (separate chapters for the Archean Eon and the Proterozoic Eon). Chapters 10-13 cover the Paleozoic. The Mesozoic is covered in Chapters 14 and 15, the Cenozoic in 16-18, and Chapter 19 covers Primate and Human Evolution. Appendix A is a metric conversion chart, Appendix B lays out the classification of organisms, and Appendix C discusses mineral identification. There is a useful glossary and a helpful index. Between the glossary and index there is a page with the answers to each chapter's multiple choice questions. This is an interesting, well written, and useful text that is useful for all readers interested in this subject and I am happy to recommend it. Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI

The book is very user friendly and explains Historical geology in a learning way

The authors give a strong explanation of biological evolution, from its earliest unicellular origins to the present. Much fossil and DNA evidence is summarised. Including recent findings in fossil digs from the 90s. They point out that many so-called missing links are not. For relations between genera, families, orders and classes, the intermediate forms ("links") are often present in the fossil record. Amongst the cases cited are the origins of whales and sea cows. More generally, the book has numerous instances where transitions found in fossils are explained in terms of limbs or bones developing, or suchlike, so that you can clearly see how one fossil is the evolutionary ancestor of another later fossil. As in the early fishes. Where those who developed jaws with bones were then more able to hunt other fishes; a strong evolutionary advantage. While the move onto land is shown in fossils that had fins with muscles. This allowed for propulsion above water, where the original advantage was to let the fish move around under water, in mud or vegetation. Geology is also emphasised. Often giving rise to various ore and petroleum bodies found today. Plus plate tectonics is shown to account for the continental drifts and the breakup of Gondwanaland.