{"product_id":"reading-the-rocks-brenda-maddox-9781632869128","title":"Reading the Rocks: How Victorian Geologists Discovered the Secret of Life","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA rich and exuberant group biography of the early geologists, the people who were first to excavate from the layers of the world its buried history.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe birth of geology was fostered initially by gentlemen whose wealth supported their interests, but in the nineteenth century, it was advanced by clergymen, academics, and women whose findings expanded the field. \u003ci\u003eReading the Rocks\u003c\/i\u003e brings to life this eclectic cast of characters who brought passion, eccentricity, and towering intellect to the discovery of how Earth was formed. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eGeology opened a window on the planet's ancient past. Contrary to the Book of Genesis, the rocks and fossils dug up showed that Earth was immeasurably old. Moreover, fossil evidence revealed progressive changes in life forms. It is no coincidence that Charles Darwin was a keen geologist. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAcclaimed biographer and science writer Brenda Maddox's story goes beyond William Smith, the father of English geology; Charles Lyell, the father of modern geology; and James Hutton, whose analysis of rock layers unveiled what is now called \"deep time.\" She also explores the livesof fossil hunter Mary Anning, the Reverend William Buckland, Darwin, and many others--their triumphs and disappointments, and the theological, philosophical, and scientific debates their findings provoked. \u003ci\u003eReading the Rocks\u003c\/i\u003e illustrates in absorbing and revelatory details how this group of early geologists changed irrevocably our understanding of the world.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Brenda Maddox\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1632869128\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781632869128\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Bloomsbury USA\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 11\/21\/2017\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 272\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.20lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.50h x 6.50w x 1.00d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal Prepub Alert\u003c\/i\u003e 06\/15\/2017 pg. 60\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e 06\/15\/2017\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e 09\/01\/2017\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e 09\/18\/2017\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e 10\/01\/2017 pg. 9\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eShelf Awareness\u003c\/i\u003e 01\/09\/2018","brand":"Brenda Maddox","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":44078550712575,"sku":"9781632869128","price":28.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_8e417744-af83-406f-ac17-dd33f8b02158.jpg?v=1685476166","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/reading-the-rocks-brenda-maddox-9781632869128","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}