plankton

Book review – The Story of Earth’s Climate in 25 Discoveries: How Scientists Found the Connections Between Climate and Life

7-minute read
keywords: earth sciences, history of science, paleoclimatology

This is the fifth instalment in what can unofficially be dubbed the 25 Discoveries series by palaeontologist and geologist Donald R. Prothero. After four previous books on fossils, rocks, dinosaurs, and evolution—I reviewed the last three (mostly) positively—Prothero now turns to palaeoclimatology. A chronology with character, this book takes the reader through 4.5 billion years (Ga) of Earth’s changing climate and its impact on life, while explaining how we know what we know.

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Book review – Blue Machine: How the Ocean Shapes Our World

9-minute read
keywords: oceanography

“This isn’t merely a diverting tale about some salty water. This is the story that defines planet Earth” (p. 13). With that quote from the introduction, oceanographer Helen Czerski sets the tone for this book. In a break from many other books about the deep sea that talk about animals, Blue Machine focuses on the ocean itself, revealing a fascinating planetary engine. Equal parts physical oceanography, marine biology, and science history, topped off with human-interest stories, Czerski has written a captivating book that oozes lyricism in places.

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