A BRIEF HISTORY OF EARTH Four Billion Years in Eight Chapters

Andrew Knoll, a Harvard professor and researcher in geology and paleontology, covers a lot of ground in just five hours of listening. But Tom Parks's pacing of the narrative never feels rushed during this primer on the origins of life, geological catastrophes, and mass extinctions, continuing right up to our current climate crisis. Knoll has an approachable writing style; only occasionally does he lapse into textbook jargon that will be a challenge for those without a science background. Parks navigates the technical language well, and while this isn't a breezy listen, it's an accessible and enlightening look at the geological, chemical, and human forces that have shaped our planet's evolution. D.B. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2021]