Picture 1 of 2
Gallery
Picture 1 of 2
Worlds Before Adam : The Reconstruction of Geohistory in the Age of Reform AZ
US $50.00
ApproximatelyC $69.15
or Best Offer
Condition:
Very Good
A book that does not look new and has been read but is in excellent condition. No obvious damage to the cover, with the dust jacket (if applicable) included for hard covers. No missing or damaged pages, no creases or tears, and no underlining/highlighting of text or writing in the margins. May be very minimal identifying marks on the inside cover. Very minimal wear and tear. See the seller’s listing for full details and description of any imperfections.
Oops! Looks like we're having trouble connecting to our server.
Refresh your browser window to try again.
Shipping:
US $9.88 (approx C $13.66) USPS Media MailTM.
Located in: Xenia, Ohio, United States
Delivery:
Estimated between Thu, May 1 and Mon, May 5 to 43230
Returns:
60 days return. Seller pays for return shipping.
Payments:
Shop with confidence
Seller assumes all responsibility for this listing.
eBay item number:256890214552
Item specifics
- Condition
- ISBN
- 9780226731285
About this product
Product Identifiers
Publisher
University of Chicago Press
ISBN-10
0226731286
ISBN-13
9780226731285
eBay Product ID (ePID)
63175485
Product Key Features
Number of Pages
648 Pages
Publication Name
Worlds before Adam : the Reconstruction of Geohistory in the Age of Reform
Language
English
Subject
Earth Sciences / Geology, General, Life Sciences / Biology, Europe / General
Publication Year
2008
Type
Textbook
Subject Area
Science, History
Format
Hardcover
Dimensions
Item Height
1.7 in
Item Weight
52.5 Oz
Item Length
10.4 in
Item Width
7.9 in
Additional Product Features
Intended Audience
Scholarly & Professional
LCCN
2007-041676
Reviews
"Like its predecessor, Worlds Before Adam is the product of painstaking research. It appears dauntingly long but is a delight to read. Rudwick's style is lucid and engaging throughout, and he is unfailingly courteous to his nonspecialist readers, ensuring that all terms and concepts are fully explained and avoiding unnecessary jargon. The book's strictly chronological arrangement gives it a strong narrative thrust, and its many beautifully printed illustrations and generous quotations from original sources enhance the sense of primary contact with the evidence. . . . In these two graceful and judicious volumes, the culmination of a distinguished career, Rudwick has restored geology to its rightful historical place at the heart of modern scientific culture."Ralph O''Connor, Science, Rudwick's books are myth-busters. . . . Rudwick highlights an underappreciated, glorious advance in human thought, the documentation of which is a rather glorious achievement itself., Rudwick''s masterful volume provides a detailed account of the contrasting fortunes of fluvialists and diluvialists, uniformitarians and catastrophists, while also affording valuable insights into the nature of scientific thought; the roles of communication, travel, and fieldwork in the making of knowledge; and the importance of culture and religion in conditioning the reception ansd repudiation of scientific ideas. . . . An erudite and insightful sequel., "We take for granted that Earth has a deep history divided into eras such as the Mesozoic, with its monstrous dinosaurs and catastrophic meteoroid impacts. But when and how was this geohistorical narrative established? This book, the sequel to Bursting the Limits of Time , is a masterly exploration of the nineteenth-century roots of this particular scientific revolution. Here Rudwick shows how scientists such as Georges Cuvier, William Buckland and Charles Lyell first revealed and then reconstructed a narrative for the Earth based on direct observation of rocks and fossils."Douglas Palmer, New Scientist, " Both [Rudwick''s] books, indeed, read like Dickens novels; take time to read them at leisure and they will enrich your life. . . . For those who have read Bursting the Limits of Time, Worlds Before Adam probably needs no recommendation, since it maintains the same high standards. For those who haven't, Worlds Before Adam might whet their appetite to read Bursting the Limits of Time. I hope this latest book will also attract the attention of many people from outside the Earth sciences, who thus can become aware of the fascination of geological discoveries." -Cor F. Winkler Prins, Geological Journal, "Like its predecessor, Worlds Before Adam is the product of painstaking research. It appears dauntingly long but is a delight to read. Rudwick's style is lucid and engaging throughout, and he is unfailingly courteous to his nonspecialist readers, ensuring that all terms and concepts are fully explained and avoiding unnecessary jargon. The book's strictly chronological arrangement gives it a strong narrative thrust, and its many beautifully printed illustrations and generous quotations from original sources enhance the sense of primary contact with the evidence. . . . In these two graceful and judicious volumes, the culmination of a distinguished career, Rudwick has restored geology to its rightful historical place at the heart of modern scientific culture."-Ralph O''Connor, Science, "Despite its length and the complexity of its subject, the book is wonderfully easy to read. Rudwick has a rare gift for talking neither down to nor over the head of the non-specialist reader: no prior knowledge of geology or its history is required and readers in a hurry will appreciate the clear summaries of 'the story so far' with which each of the thirty-six short and snappy chapters concludes. The story retains its fascination right up to the last page."-Ralph O''Connor, History Today, "Rudwick''s masterful volume provides a detailed account of the contrasting fortunes of fluvialists and diluvialists, uniformitarians and catastrophists, while also affording valuable insights into the nature of scientific thought; the roles of communication, travel, and fieldwork in the making of knowledge; and the importance of culture and religion in conditioning the reception and repudiation of scientific ideas. . . . An erudite and insightful sequel."Innes M. Keighren, H-Net Reviews, Any student of paleontology or geology will need this book, if he or she is at all interested in the history of the science. . . . Rudwick has captuired the essence of the Age of Enlightenment, and the reader is left with a sense of the age in which these scientists were working, their difficulties, and the immensity of their discoveries., " Worlds before Adam is at once an important synthesis, a brilliant essay which bestows an immense scholarship upon an original and well-carried argument, and an elegantly written and composed book as pleasant to read as a novel. It will also stand as a reference book, easy to consult by anyone professionally or personally interested in geology and palaeontology and their historical and epistemological implications."Claudine Cohen, British Journal for the History of Science, "We take for granted that Earth has a deep history divided into eras such as the Mesozoic, with its monstrous dinosaurs and catastrophic meteoroid impacts. But when and how was this geohistorical narrative established? This book, the sequel to Bursting the Limits of Time, is a masterly exploration of the nineteenth-century roots of this particular scientific revolution. Here Rudwick shows how scientists such as Georges Cuvier, William Buckland and Charles Lyell first revealed and then reconstructed a narrative for the Earth based on direct observation of rocks and fossils."-Douglas Palmer, New Scientist, An ultimate source of knowledge on the history of geoscience in the early XIX century. . . . This book looks as classical as those old works by Buckland or Lyell discussed in its text. The reviewer recommends Rudwick's book for everyone in geology and palaeontology., "Despite its length and the complexity of its subject, the book is wonderfully easy to read. Rudwick has a rare gift for talking neither down to nor over the head of the non-specialist reader: no prior knowledge of geology or its history is required and readers in a hurry will appreciate the clear summaries of 'the story so far' with which each of the thirty-six short and snappy chapters concludes. The story retains its fascination right up to the last page."Ralph O''Connor, History Today, Rudwick's account follows on from his magisterial Bursting the Limits of Time , which painted an unrivalled portrait of geology's first days as a tardy arrival to the high table of respectable sciences. . . . Rudwick's book is a culmination of forty years of research into the history of geology, and seals his reputation as the doyen of the subject. His writing is always clear, often entertaining, unrelentingly scholarly, and, appropriately enough for geology, he leaves no stone unturned. . . . Any reader interested in the development of the concept of geological time should read Martin Rudwick's book--one could argue that the awareness of deep time has changed human perception of our place in the cosmos more than any other discovery. , "Rudwick's account follows on from his magisterial Bursting the Limits of Time, which painted an unrivalled portrait of geology's first days as a tardy arrival to the high table of respectable sciences....Rudwick's book is a culmination of forty years of research into the history of geology, and seals his reputation as the doyen of the subject. His writing is always clear, often entertaining, unrelentingly scholarly, and, appropriately enough for geology, he leaves no stone unturned....Any reader interested in the development of the concept of geological time should read Martin Rudwick's book - one could argue that the awareness of deep time has changed human perception of our place in the cosmos more than any other discovery. "-Richard A. Fortey, Times Literary Supplement, "Rudwick's account follows on from his magisterial Bursting the Limits of Time , which painted an unrivalled portrait of geology's first days as a tardy arrival to the high table of respectable sciences. . . . Rudwick's book is a culmination of forty years of research into the history of geology, and seals his reputation as the doyen of the subject. His writing is always clear, often entertaining, unrelentingly scholarly, and, appropriately enough for geology, he leaves no stone unturned. . . . Any reader interested in the development of the concept of geological time should read Martin Rudwick's bookone could argue that the awareness of deep time has changed human perception of our place in the cosmos more than any other discovery. "Richard A. Fortey, Times Literary Supplement, Like its predecessor, Worlds Before Adam is the product of painstaking research. It appears dauntingly long but is a delight to read. Rudwick's style is lucid and engaging throughout, and he is unfailingly courteous to his nonspecialist readers, ensuring that all terms and concepts are fully explained and avoiding unnecessary jargon. The book's strictly chronological arrangement gives it a strong narrative thrust, and its many beautifully printed illustrations and generous quotations from original sources enhance the sense of primary contact with the evidence. . . . In these two graceful and judicious volumes, the culmination of a distinguished career, Rudwick has restored geology to its rightful historical place at the heart of modern scientific culture., An ultimate source of knowledge on the history of geoscience in the early XIX century. . . . This book looks as classical as those old works by Buckland or Lyell discussed in its text. The reviewer recommends Rudwick's book for everyone in geology and palaeontology., Worlds before Adam is at once an important synthesis, a brilliant essay which bestows an immense scholarship upon an original and well-carried argument, and an elegantly written and composed book as pleasant to read as a novel. It will also stand as a reference book, easy to consult by anyone professionally or personally interested in geology and palaeontology and their historical and epistemological implications., " Both [Rudwick's] books, indeed, read like Dickens novels; take time to read them at leisure and they will enrich your life. . . . For those who have read Bursting the Limits of Time , Worlds Before Adam probably needs no recommendation, since it maintains the same high standards. For those who haven't, Worlds Before Adam might whet their appetite to read Bursting the Limits of Time . I hope this latest book will also attract the attention of many people from outside the Earth sciences, who thus can become aware of the fascination of geological discoveries." --Cor F. Winkler Prins, Geological Journal, We take for granted that Earth has a deep history divided into eras such as the Mesozoic, with its monstrous dinosaurs and catastrophic meteoroid impacts. But when and how was this geohistorical narrative established? This book, the sequel to Bursting the Limits of Time , is a masterly exploration of the nineteenth-century roots of this particular scientific revolution. Here Rudwick shows how scientists such as Georges Cuvier, William Buckland and Charles Lyell first revealed and then reconstructed a narrative for the Earth based on direct observation of rocks and fossils., "Magisterial...A thoroughly engaging and utterly sympathetic treatment of the notable figures who laid the foundation for modern geology in the period between 1820 and 1845, their inspirations and intellectual triumphs, and their stubbornly held misconceptions....With their highly individualistic flair and immense erudition, this volume and its predecessor are not just essential reading for any scientist; they are also landmark volumes in the history of ideas and a brilliant scholarly achievement."-Keith Thomson, Times Higher Education, Magisterial...A thoroughly engaging and utterly sympathetic treatment of the notable figures who laid the foundation for modern geology in the period between 1820 and 1845, their inspirations and intellectual triumphs, and their stubbornly held misconceptions....With their highly individualistic flair and immense erudition, this volume and its predecessor are not just essential reading for any scientist; they are also landmark volumes in the history of ideas and a brilliant scholarly achievement., " Both [Rudwick's] books, indeed, read like Dickens novels; take time to read them at leisure and they will enrich your life. . . . For those who have read Bursting the Limits of Time , Worlds Before Adam probably needs no recommendation, since it maintains the same high standards. For those who haven't, Worlds Before Adam might whet their appetite to read Bursting the Limits of Time . I hope this latest book will also attract the attention of many people from outside the Earth sciences, who thus can become aware of the fascination of geological discoveries." -Cor F. Winkler Prins, Geological Journal, Rudwick's masterful volume provides a detailed account of the contrasting fortunes of fluvialists and diluvialists, uniformitarians and catastrophists, while also affording valuable insights into the nature of scientific thought; the roles of communication, travel, and fieldwork in the making of knowledge; and the importance of culture and religion in conditioning the reception and repudiation of scientific ideas. . . . An erudite and insightful sequel., Despite its length and the complexity of its subject, the book is wonderfully easy to read. Rudwick has a rare gift for talking neither down to nor over the head of the non-specialist reader: no prior knowledge of geology or its history is required and readers in a hurry will appreciate the clear summaries of 'the story so far' with which each of the thirty-six short and snappy chapters concludes. The story retains its fascination right up to the last page., Worlds before Adamis at once an important synthesis, a brilliant essay which bestows an immense scholarship upon an original and well-carried argument, and an elegantly written and composed book as pleasant to read as a novel. It will also stand as a reference book, easy to consult by anyone professionally or personally interested in geology and palaeontology and their historical and epistemological implications., Rudwick's books are myth-busters. . . . Rudwick highlights an underappreciated, glorious advance in human thought, the documentation of which is a rather glorious achievement itself., "Rudwick''s books are myth-busters. . . . Rudwick highlights an underappreciated, glorious advance in human thought, the documentation of which is a rather glorious achievement itself."Victor R. Baker, Nature, "Rudwick''s books are myth-busters. . . . Rudwick highlights an underappreciated, glorious advance in human thought, the documentation of which is a rather glorious achievement itself."-Victor R. Baker, Nature, "Magisterial...A thoroughly engaging and utterly sympathetic treatment of the notable figures who laid the foundation for modern geology in the period between 1820 and 1845, their inspirations and intellectual triumphs, and their stubbornly held misconceptions....With their highly individualistic flair and immense erudition, this volume and its predecessor are not just essential reading for any scientist; they are also landmark volumes in the history of ideas and a brilliant scholarly achievement."Keith Thomson, Times Higher Education, "Rudwick''s masterful volume provides a detailed account of the contrasting fortunes of fluvialists and diluvialists, uniformitarians and catastrophists, while also affording valuable insights into the nature of scientific thought; the roles of communication, travel, and fieldwork in the making of knowledge; and the importance of culture and religion in conditioning the reception and repudiation of scientific ideas. . . . An erudite and insightful sequel."-Innes M. Keighren, H-Net Reviews, Rudwick's account follows on from his magisterial Bursting the Limits of Time , which painted an unrivalled portrait of geology's first days as a tardy arrival to the high table of respectable sciences. . . . Rudwick's book is a culmination of forty years of research into the history of geology, and seals his reputation as the doyen of the subject. His writing is always clear, often entertaining, unrelentingly scholarly, and, appropriately enough for geology, he leaves no stone unturned. . . . Any reader interested in the development of the concept of geological time should read Martin Rudwick's book-one could argue that the awareness of deep time has changed human perception of our place in the cosmos more than any other discovery. , We take for granted that Earth has a deep history divided into eras such as the Mesozoic, with its monstrous dinosaurs and catastrophic meteoroid impacts. But when and how was this geohistorical narrative established? This book, the sequel to Bursting the Limits of Time , is a masterly exploration of the nineteenth-century roots of this particular scientific revolution. Here Rudwick shows how scientists such as Georges Cuvier, William Buckland and Charles Lyell first revealed and then reconstructed a narrative for the Earth based on direct observation of rocks and fossils., " Both [Rudwick''s] books, indeed, read like Dickens novels; take time to read them at leisure and they will enrich your life. . . . For those who have read Bursting the Limits of Time , Worlds Before Adam probably needs no recommendation, since it maintains the same high standards. For those who haven't, Worlds Before Adam might whet their appetite to read Bursting the Limits of Time . I hope this latest book will also attract the attention of many people from outside the Earth sciences, who thus can become aware of the fascination of geological discoveries." Cor F. Winkler Prins, Geological Journal
Dewey Edition
22
Illustrated
Yes
Dewey Decimal
551.7094/09034
Synopsis
In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, scientists reconstructed the immensely long history of the earth-and the relatively recent arrival of human life. The geologists of the period, many of whom were devout believers, agreed about this vast timescale. But despite this apparent harmony between geology and Genesis, these scientists still debated a great many questions: Had the earth cooled from its origin as a fiery ball in space, or had it always been the same kind of place as it is now? Was prehuman life marked by mass extinctions, or had fauna and flora changed slowly over time? The first detailed account of the reconstruction of prehuman geohistory, Martin J. S. Rudwick's Worlds Before Adam picks up where his celebrated Bursting the Limits of Time leaves off. Here, Rudwick takes readers from the post-Napoleonic Restoration in Europe to the early years of Britain's Victorian age, chronicling the staggering discoveries geologists made during the period: the unearthing of the first dinosaur fossils, the glacial theory of the last ice age, and the meaning of igneous rocks, among others. Ultimately, Rudwick reveals geology to be the first of the sciences to investigate the historical dimension of nature, a model that Charles Darwin used in developing his evolutionary theory. Featuring an international cast of colorful characters, with Georges Cuvier and Charles Lyell playing major roles and Darwin appearing as a young geologist, Worlds Before Adam is a worthy successor to Rudwick's magisterial first volume. Completing the highly readable narrative of one of the most momentous changes in human understanding of our place in the natural world, Worlds Before Adam is a capstone to the career of one of the world's leading historians of science., In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, scientists reconstructed the immensely long history of the earth--and the relatively recent arrival of human life. The geologists of the period, many of whom were devout believers, agreed about this vast timescale. But despite this apparent harmony between geology and Genesis, these scientists still debated a great many questions: Had the earth cooled from its origin as a fiery ball in space, or had it always been the same kind of place as it is now? Was prehuman life marked by mass extinctions, or had fauna and flora changed slowly over time? The first detailed account of the reconstruction of prehuman geohistory, Martin J. S. Rudwick's Worlds Before Adam picks up where his celebrated Bursting the Limits of Time leaves off. Here, Rudwick takes readers from the post-Napoleonic Restoration in Europe to the early years of Britain's Victorian age, chronicling the staggering discoveries geologists made during the period: the unearthing of the first dinosaur fossils, the glacial theory of the last ice age, and the meaning of igneous rocks, among others. Ultimately, Rudwick reveals geology to be the first of the sciences to investigate the historical dimension of nature, a model that Charles Darwin used in developing his evolutionary theory. Featuring an international cast of colorful characters, with Georges Cuvier and Charles Lyell playing major roles and Darwin appearing as a young geologist, Worlds Before Adam is a worthy successor to Rudwick's magisterial first volume. Completing the highly readable narrative of one of the most momentous changes in human understanding of our place in the natural world, Worlds Before Adam is a capstone to the career of one of the world's leading historians of science.
LC Classification Number
QE13.E85R83 2008
Item description from the seller
Seller feedback (10,157)
This item (1)
All items (10,157)
- s***e (196)- Feedback left by buyer.Past monthVerified purchaseBooks were in perfect condition (as shown), well packaged in a box. Fair price and quick delivery. Great communication in response to my queries. Thank you!
- s***e (196)- Feedback left by buyer.Past monthVerified purchaseBooks were in perfect condition (as shown), well packaged in a box. Fair price and quick delivery. Great communication in response to my queries. Thank you!
- 2***2 (352)- Feedback left by buyer.Past monthVerified purchaseGreat seller. 1st transaction was so good, I bought more china from her Good communication, very accommodating, fast shipping, good packaging, items received as described. Thank you!
- q***a (78)- Feedback left by buyer.Past 6 monthsVerified purchaseProduct was great, and it was "as described" by the seller. The price was right, the packing and shipping were good. The seller's service was timely and efficient. As the song writer wrote, "Who could ask for anything more?"
More to explore:
- The Night Before Christmas Fiction Picture Book Fiction Ages 4-8 Intended Audience & Books,
- The Night Before Christmas Fiction Board Books Books,
- The Night Before Christmas Fiction Picture Book Ages 4-8 Intended Audience Hardcover Books,
- The Night Before Christmas Fiction Picture Books Books,
- The Night Before Christmas Fiction Picture Book Fiction Ages 4-8 Intended Audience & Books in English,
- The Night Before Christmas Fiction Christmas Fiction & Nonfiction Books,
- The Night Before Christmas Holiday Picture Books for Children,
- World Antiquarian & Collectible Books,
- Guitar World Magazines,
- Cycle World Magazines
Seller feedback (10,157)
This item (1)
All items (10,157)
- s***e (196)- Feedback left by buyer.Past monthVerified purchaseBooks were in perfect condition (as shown), well packaged in a box. Fair price and quick delivery. Great communication in response to my queries. Thank you!
- s***e (196)- Feedback left by buyer.Past monthVerified purchaseBooks were in perfect condition (as shown), well packaged in a box. Fair price and quick delivery. Great communication in response to my queries. Thank you!
- 2***2 (352)- Feedback left by buyer.Past monthVerified purchaseGreat seller. 1st transaction was so good, I bought more china from her Good communication, very accommodating, fast shipping, good packaging, items received as described. Thank you!
- q***a (78)- Feedback left by buyer.Past 6 monthsVerified purchaseProduct was great, and it was "as described" by the seller. The price was right, the packing and shipping were good. The seller's service was timely and efficient. As the song writer wrote, "Who could ask for anything more?"