Product Description
Is Earth merely an insignificant speck in a vast and meaningless universe? On the contrary: The Privileged Planet shows that this cherished assumption of materialism is dead wrong. In this provocative book, Guillermo Gonzalez and Jay W. Richards present a staggering array of evidence that exposes the hollowness of this modern dogma. They demonstrate that our planet is exquisitely fit not only to support life, but also to give us the best view of the universe, as if Earth were designed both for life and for scientific discovery. Readers are taken on a scientific odyssey from a history of tectonic plates, to the wonders of water and solar eclipses, to our location in the Milky Way, to the laws that govern the universe, and to the beginning of cosmic time. The Privileged Planet contains astounding findings that should lead any individual to reevaluate and even to reconsider our very purpose on what so many have dismissed as nothing more than an accident of cosmic evolution.
Customer Reviews:
A Better Reference Than A Reader.......2007-08-14
I really appreciated the work & thought that went into this book. I was already a proponent of intelligent design & actually got boored by the extensive examples of cosmological features that suggest design. Someone new to the subject & open-minded might find it far more interesting. The issue itself has eternal consequences & is therefore inherently interesting.
I was impressed that these fellows are capable philosophers of science & did well in their presentation of their argument as well as responding to criticisms. My main challenge for the intelligent design camp is to focus it's excellent critical examination skills upon the assumptions that undergird mainstream dating methods for the earth & cosmos. This is a weak link for them, which has been pricked by authos such as Kenneth R. Miller in Finding Darwin's God.
Have they read the book?.......2007-08-12
I do find it interesting to note, from the one star reviews, just how many of these "reviewers" take on the concepts of the book rather than engaging in personal insults and name calling. Seems like this book, and others, strikes a nerve that the secular humanist has a hard time dealing with?
Overall, this is a fabulous book. Written at an appropriate level of technical detail for general readers but chock full of the references to the hard science underlying the ideas. Like the distance from the earth to the moon, the diameter of the earth and the diameter of the moon. This interesting "coincidence" that these few facts present allow us to enjoy a total solar eclipse. The eclipse, in large part, allows us to understand what the sun is all about. We can then generalize to other stars in the universe. My what an interesting group of coincidences. These facts sounds like "Christian Science" to me?
Just as Michael Behe and Michael Denton and scores of others are rightfully bringing up questions about "just so" stories in biology relative to how we got here Guillermo Gonzalez and Mr Richards are bringing up many questions relative to just exactly where our earth happens to find itself in the universe.
God in a cheap suit.......2007-08-01
This is not a book about science, this is a book about a myth, written by people who do not understand science.
Worthwhile to look through to see what an "intelligent design" believer will claim.
Sure this book sucks, buuut..........2007-07-30
Sure this book sucks, but it's great for scientists and philosophers to use as a teaching guide for what is not science. There are so many fallacies, straw men and just plain false "facts" that it makes someone who is a scientist sick to his stomach. This kind of propagandistic filth is what holds back science and our youths from advancing. Thanks Gonzalez!
First-rate scholarship.......2007-05-15
On many occasions, I have loaned the DVD summary version of the book, "The Privileged Planet" to my college students to challenge their thinking in the field of Intelligent Design. The results have almost always been favorable. What is especially engaging about both the book and the DVD, is the "non-preaching" format: the research is purely scientific and presented in a manner that a wide range of readership should both understand and appreciate. My only "critical" comment would be this: the authors systematically build a scientific foundation of contingency. Since Jay Richards has a strong background in philosophy, I would have enjoyed an approach to the subject based upon Aristotle and his development of the argument of contingency. But this is a moot point. If you have high school students, read the book together with them and discuss.
Average customer rating:
- Calculations are only as good as your numbers
- Pants on fire?
- Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed.
- Very Interesting
- History as Science Fiction
|
History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Anatoly Fomenko
Manufacturer: Mithec
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Similar Items:
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History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology)
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History: Fiction or Science? Astronomical methods as applied to chronology. Ptolemy's Almagest. Chronology III
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They Cast No Shadows: A Collection of Essays on the Illuminati, Revisionist History, and Suppressed Technologies
ASIN: 2913621058 |
Book Description
Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.
Customer Reviews:
Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03
Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.
Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19
Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.
Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09
There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.
For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.
Very Interesting.......2007-03-07
It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.
History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10
Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.
I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.
Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.
Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.
I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.
This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.
Book Description
Designed as a text for upper-level undergraduate and first-year graduate students, this volume attempts to establish the curriculum for the modern student entering the fledgling field of space physics. The book provides a broad, yet selective, treatment of the subject, covering virtually all aspects of space plasmas in the solar system. There are sections on the sun and solar wind, the magnetized and unmagnetized planets, and the fundamental process of space plasmas including shocks, plasma waves, ULF waves, wave-particle interactions, and auroral processes. In addition to emphasizing analysis, the authors also place importance on underlying phenomenology with extensive attention to observations.
Customer Reviews:
Space Physics? OH YEAH!.......2007-02-24
When I'm in the mood for a little exploration of stellar structure or maybe some light magnetohydrodynamics, this is the first thing I grab off the shelf. It's kept me interested and not at all wanting to gouge my eyeballs out for weeks!
Introduction to Space Physics.......2000-05-02
This is a very comprehensive book. It is excellent if you are beginer who knows basic electricity and magnetism, but have not dealt with space plasmas.
Book Description
ASTRONOMY: FROM THE EARTH TO THE UNIVERSE describes the current state of astronomy, both the fundamentals of astronomical knowledge that have been built up over decades and the exciting advances that are now taking place. The writing style is friendly and carefully detailed. It serves as a valuable reference for both beginners and astronomy enthusiasts. This book is organized as a number of stories. Individual chapters often tell what used to be known, how space and other modern observations have transformed our understanding, and then what is scheduled for the future. This is done with each planet. Consequently, an instructor can easily add photos (available as slides, overheads, CD-ROMs, and on the World Wide Web) and movies and keep a student's interest for a whole lecture on each planet, if desired. Students learn about astronomy through concrete examples, rather than merely being given overarching concepts without enough underpinning.
Customer Reviews:
Astronomy .......2006-12-31
I ordered this book for a Cosmology class. It was pretty good. Check out the NASA site for additional pictures.
Average customer rating:
- Fresh Perspectives on a Fragile Planet
- An excellent choice for anyone of any age
- Only Being in Orbit Could Give You a Better View!!!!
- A new perspective
- best book on earth
|
The Home Planet
Kevin W. Kelley
Manufacturer: Addison Wesley Publishing Company
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0201550954 |
Customer Reviews:
Fresh Perspectives on a Fragile Planet.......2006-01-28
Let's not forget we're living on a little planet, what some like to call spaceship earth. If earth is a spaceship, this is the owner's manual: THE HOME PLANET. Political boundaries are dissolved by a moon's-eye view of Earth to create bold visions of the planet through 150 color photographs culled from the American and then-Soviet archives. Commentary is provided solely by eloquent quotes from astronauts of 18 nations which are shown both in original language (be it Arabic, Chinese, Vietnamese, Hindi, Mongolian, French, German, Spanish, Hungarian, Romanian, Polish, Czech, Bulgarian, Dutch, or Russian) and English translation. The message is simple--we are all citizens of the same global nation.
An excellent choice for anyone of any age.......2002-03-07
This superb coffee table book by Kevin W. Kelley is especially apt in this day and age, when so much in life feels precarious and precious. A simple and simply eloquent collection of photographs and quotations, it is so much more than the sum of its parts.
The astronauts who have either landed on the moon or have orbited the earth have so much to tell us and it's easy to see from the photographs why they feel words fail them. Luckily for us, words DON'T fail them. This select, small group of men and woman try mightily to tell us what their experiences were, and overwhelmingly they succeed in conveying the mystery and beauty they saw from their unique perches in space. A few of the better bits include:
"[From space] you have an almost dispassionate platform--remote, Olympian--and yet [seeing the earth from up there is] so moving that you can hardly believe how emotionally attached you are to those rough patterns shifting steadily below."
- THOMAS STAFFORD, USA
"O. Henry, the American writer, wrote in one of his stories that if you want to encourage the craft of murder, all you have to do is lock up two men for two months in an eighteen-by-twenty-four-foot room. Entering 'Salyut,' which was to be both our home and our office for six months, we told each other: We are brothers. I am you and you are me."
- VALERIE RYUMIN, USSR
"Before I flew, I was already aware of how small and vulnerable our planet is; but only when I saw it from space, in all its ineffable beauty and fragility, did I realize that humankind's most urgent task is to cherish and preserve it for future generations."
- SIGMUND JAHN, GERMANY
In no book that I can think of does the phrase "A picture is worth a thousand words" better fit. The photographs herein are astonishing in showing the exquisite planet we occupy. A view of England's North Sea coast looks like a slab of lapiz lazuli, its surface flecked with sparkle and hue. Canada's Lake Winnipeg from space has the appearance of something primal, almost fetal. The Indian Ocean off Madagascar looks like a sheet of slate over which some divine presence has tossed a handful of diamonds. So few of us can ever hope to share the experience of these men and women that this book is all the more precious, and beautiful.
Only Being in Orbit Could Give You a Better View!!!!.......2001-03-28
This coffee table book presents some of the best photographs taken of the Earth and the Moon by both astronauts and cosmonauts. Due to the large size of the book, these photographs are even more stunning. In addition to the photographs, several quotes by those who have flown in space accompany each photograph.
One of things that I really liked about the book is that other than the small quotes, there is very little accompany text. The only real text is at the end of the book, where NASA's chief photographic planner describes "Why Space Photography?" I found thispart kind of chilling where he states, "it is a far more air-polluted Earth today than it was in the past ... twenty years ago"
A new perspective.......1999-03-09
A wonderfully moving and beautifully compiled collection of images. Mountain ranges and river deltas dissolve into abstract designs of astounding beauty. The accompanying commentaries show a world united in space in a way that is sadly absent on Earth. The book would make anybody want to become an astronaut.
This is the perfect present for any occasion. It has touched the hearts of everyone I know who has ever seen it. Highly recommended.
best book on earth.......1999-02-21
Political boundaries are dissolved by a moon's-eye view of Earth to create bold visions of the planet through 150 color photographs culled from the American and then-Soviet archives. The pictures are allowed to speak for themselves, with only tiny captions describing locales and weather conditions. Commentary is provided solely by eloquent quotes from astronauts of 18 nations which are shown both in original language (be it Arabic, Chinese, Vietnamese, Hindi, Mongolian, French, German, Spanish, Hungarian, Romanian, Polish, Czech, Bulgarian, Dutch, or Russian) and English translation. The message is simple--we are all citizens of the same global nation.
Conceived and edited for the Association of Space Explorers, no earthling will be unmoved by the views, both photographic and verbal, regarding our home. From desert to arctic, ocean to breadbasket, this book will delight anyone who's ever looked outside an airplane window to marvel at the forms below.
Book Description
Communicating his ideas in the form of a classical dialogue between a youth and a wise elder, cosmologist Brian Swimme crafts a fascinating exploration into the creativity suffusing the universe. His explication of the fundamental powers of the cosmos is mystical and ecstatic and points directly to the need to activate one’s own creative powers.
Customer Reviews:
The Universe is a Green Dragon.......2007-09-30
I am not a scientist, but a college science student. I am also passionate about my sprirtuality. This is a wonderful book. Remembering that all spritual and religious language is peotic metaphor, this book only affirms my understanding of the divine loving nature of the Trinity and Jesus, the Christ. If you are a fundamentalist "Christian" (I think those terms are mutually exclusive) or an atheist, you will not like this book. If you love God passionately and believe that He is much bigger than you are, then you should enjoy the insights that Dr. Swimme presents.
A Unique Perspective........2007-08-23
Although I am a Christian, I found many points brought up in this book to be well worth consideration. I assume that a person devoted to this particular sect would find more in common, but on any front, it is a read worth a small amount of consideration.
Cosmic Creation From A New Perspective.......2006-11-10
A very well written and thought provoking look at something a lot of people have probably felt in their gutyet weren't quite sure how to quantify and elucidate.
The Universe is a Green Dragon.......2004-01-13
Thanks for getting the book out so quick!
Undiscriminating mix of fact and fancy, patronizing tone.......2003-07-25
I am a scientist, and I do appreciate and feel the vastness and beauty of the universe, and the elegance of biological evolution. But I don't think Swimme's romanticizing of science, cosmology, and particle physics is going to lead us to build a better society or better individual lives. Educated people have already tried making a god of science in this culture, I presume because of the seeming miracles it has performed, and the result has been people with empty spiritual lives and a desperate need to fill the void with stuff - food, things, travel - anything to avoid facing the sense of meaninglessness they get when they feel like tiny insignificant cogs in a vast machine. It doesn't really matter whether the machine is the military/industrial complex or the universe, in terms of its effect on the human spirit. Granted, the current state of much organized religion is not ideal, but I don't think Swimme's approach is going to have any better results. There are many alternative approaches between religious fundmentalism on one pole and an exclusive devotion to matter on the other.
This particular book is also painful to read, due to its patronizing tone and the way science is mixed with the subjective speculations and opinions of the author. There is a lack of respect for logic or fact in this book, which is surprising considering its topic and the author's credentials. Swimme is misusing the hard-won authority of science, which has performed its seeming miracles by a rigorous attention to observable facts. He owes it to his trusting readers (note the many 5-star reviews at this site) to distinguish clearly between the facts and his interpretations. There is a lack of intellectual humility here, which ironically mirrors his complaint of inappropriate human grandiosity in relation to nature.
Book Description
Our knowledge of Mars has grown enormously over the last decade as a result of the Mars Global Surveyor, Mars Odyssey, Mars Express, and the two Mars Rover missions. This book is a systematic summary of what we have learnt about the geological evolution of Mars as a result of these missions. It describes the diverse Martian surface features and summarizes current ideas as to how, when, and under what conditions they formed, and explores how Earth and Mars differ and why the two planets evolved so differently. The author also discusses possible implications of the geologic history for the origin and survival of indigenous Martian life. Up-to-date and highly illustrated, this book will be a principal reference for researchers and graduate students in planetary science. The comprehensive list of references will also assist readers in pursuing further information on the subject. Colour images can be found at www.cambridge.org/9780521872010.
Customer Reviews:
20 Yrs Later, Still the Best Mars Reference.......2000-04-13
20 years after publication, "The Surface of Mars" is still the absolute best starting point for anyone interested in learning the basics about what Mars is like. Chapters describe the channels, craters, volcanoes, history, moons, etc. as best as these topics were understood at the end of the 1970s Viking missions. Even after Pathfinder and with Mars Global Surveyor, this is still the book I suggest people start with to learn about the Red Planet.
Average customer rating:
|
Solar Journey: The Significance of Our Galactic Environment for the Heliosphere and Earth (Astrophysics and Space Science Library)
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
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Book Description
Solar Journey: The Significance of Our Galactic Environment for the Heliosphere and Earth lays the foundation for an interdisciplinary study of the influence of interstellar material on the solar system and Earth as we travel through the Milky Way Galaxy. The solar wind bubble responds dynamically to interstellar material flowing past the Sun, regulating interstellar gas, dust, and cosmic particle fluxes in the interplanetary medium and the Earth. Cones of interstellar gas and dust focused by solar gravity, the magnetospheres of the outer planets, and cosmic rays at Earth all might yield the first hints of changes in our galactic environment.
Twelve articles from leading experts in diverse fields discuss the physical changes expected as the heliosphere adjusts to its galactic environment. Topics include the interaction between the solar wind and interstellar dust and gas, cosmic ray modulation, magnetospheres, temporal variations in the solar environment, and the cosmic ray isotope record preserved in paleoclimate data.
Amazon.com
"Do you feel lucky? Well do ya?" asked Dirty Harry. Paleontologist Peter Ward and astronomer Donald Brownlee think all of us should feel lucky. Their rare Earth hypothesis predicts that while simple, microbial life will be very widespread in the universe, complex animal or plant life will be extremely rare. Ward and Brownlee admit that "It is very difficult to do statistics with an N of 1. But in our defense, we have staked out a position rarely articulated but increasingly accepted by many astrobiologists."
Their new science
is the field of biology ratcheted up to encompass not just life on Earth but also life beyond Earth. It forces us to reconsider the life of our planet as but a single example of how life might work, rather than as the only example.
The revolution in astrobiology during the 1990s was twofold. First, scientists grew to appreciate how incredibly robust microbial life can be, found in the superheated water of deep-sea vents, pools of acid, or even within the crust of the Earth itself. The chance of finding such simple life on other bodies in our solar system has never seemed more realistic. But second, scientists have begun to appreciate how many unusual factors have cooperated to make Earth a congenial home for animal life: Jupiter's stable orbit, the presence of the Moon, plate tectonics, just the right amount of water, the right position in the right sort of galaxy. Ward and Brownlee make a convincing if depressing case for their hypothesis, undermining the principle of mediocrity (or, "Earth isn't all that special") that has ruled astronomy since Copernicus. --Mary Ellen Curtin
Book Description
The sweeping diversity of complex life on Earth, Ward and Brownlee argue, evolved out of an extraordinary set of physical conditions and chance events that would be extremely hard to duplicate––though not impossible. Many planets throughout the vastness of the Universe may be teeming with microbial life, but advancement beyond this stage is very rare. Everyone with an interest in the possible extent of life in the Universe and the nature of life's evolution on our own planet will be fascinated by
Rare Earth. "...likely to cause a revolution in thinking..." The New York Times "...[the book] has hit the world of astrobiologists like a killer asteroid..." Newsday (New York) "...a sobering and valuable perspective..." Science "...a startling new hypothesis..." Library Journal "...Peter Ward and Donald Brownlee offer a powerful argument..." The Economist "...provocative, significant, and sweeping..." Northwest Science & Technology "...a stellar example of clear writing..." American Scientist
Customer Reviews:
Tectonic plates balance Greenhouse gases.......2007-08-31
Earth is the only planet with tectonic plates. Earth possesses water, the universal solvent and indispensable for life. Earth's mountains occur in chains. The giant mountains are Mars were created by volcanos. There is no equivalent to the Rockies, the Andes, the Himalyas, or the score of linear mountain chains. The process, the movement of planetary crust across the surface of the planet, is found in our solar system only on Earth.
Tectonic plates provide a wide range of biodiversity. The defense against mass extinction is diversity. Second, the tectonic plates provide our global thermostat by recycling chemical crucial to keeping the volume of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere relatively uniform. Third, plate tectonics is the dominate force that cause changes in sea levels, which in turn, are vital to the formation of minerals that keep the level of global carbon dioxide in check. Fourth, plate tectonics create continents on the earth. And finally, plate tectonics make possible the earth's magnetic field, the protection against cosmic radiation.
All the continents are masses of relatively low-density rock embedded in ground mass of more dense material. The low density rock have the average composition of granites, whereas, the higher density rocks that make up the ocean crust are basaltic in composition. Because granite is less dense than basalt, the granite rich continents float on a thin bed of basalt. The earth inner core is radioactive and generates heat deep inside the earth. As this heat rise toward the surface, it creates gigantic cells of hot, liquid rock in the mantle. The mantle rises, moves parallel with the surface for great distance, and then, cooled, settles back down into the depths. The upper mantle has a convection behavior. The mantle convects in the manner of liquid because the movement is so slow, and the temperatures so high, that the individual crystals have time to deform in response to stress.
Volcanos occur along subduction zones. The total are of the oceanic plates have decreased over time and the area of the continental plates has grown. The ocean crust can sink and be remelted back to magma. Whereas, the lighter continental crust remains afloat like a cork on the sea.
Plate tectonics promote environmental complexity and thus increase biodiversity. "Changes in continental position would affect ocean currents, temperature, seasonal rainfall patterns and fluctuations, the distribution of nutrients, and patterns of biological productivity." 2/3 of all animal species live on land. There are between 3 and 30 million plant and animal species alive today.
Volcanos recycle CO2 into the atmosphere. CO2 is stored in Limestone at the bottom of the ocean. The Limestone moves into subduction channels and is recycle through volcanic activity into the atmosphere. A temperature of 4-40 C is suitable for life and must be maintained. Greenhouse gases include: H20, O3, CO2, CH4 and are capable of capturing infrared energy from the earth's surface, in so doing, warm the planet. Oxygen and Nitrogen do not capture energy. However, suppose the oceans froze, this would cause an insufficient amount of CO2 generated for life to exist. CO2 constitutes on 0.035% of the atmosphere. Plate tectonics play an important role in maintaining levels of greenhouse gases. The water on the earth is .05% by weight. The maintenance of liquid water is controlled by global temperatures. The temperature of the earth is controlled by the amount of energy coming from the sun and how much energy is absorbed by the planet and how fast the greenhouse gases are replenished. If the green house gases are not replenished the earth will grow colder. "On a planet with volcanism there is usually an abundance of greenhouse gases, too much in some cases" - from both active and dormant volcanos.
Yes, but...........2007-08-13
Good book. Good recap of history of the planet and of our knowledge of the development of life on it.
Nice to read a work in which the pragmatism of the geologist tempers for theory of the astronomer. Good to read that there remain many things the authors don't or cannot know. That's life. Much better, so much better, than reading the nonsense posing as science that astrophysicists churn out when THEY don't know something.
From that maelstrom of 200 + IQs we get such nonsense as string theory and the big bang......but I don't recall once reading in this book how everything we observe out billions of light years all started as an infintesimal point .
I stopped reading astronomy books twenty years ago when I learned that those more intelligent than I had concluded that galaxies were held in place by strings of matter unimaginably strong etc. None of that bull in this book. Very pragmatic.
good show guys. I think we are alone in this little slice of time.
history of earth is fine, but left out the present and future.......2007-04-29
I gave this book 3 stars because it did not continue to go anywhere. Apparently the authors haven't spent as much time studying and keeping up with the subject of Extraterrstrials/UFOs. There is a wealth of information on the subject as a whold and they seemed to ignore it. I have a hard time beleiving that we are the only ones in the universe. We don't know how much is out there, and probably never will. But the UFO question is real and cannot dismiss it with it's available history.
Dodges the real issues.......2007-01-14
The authors theorize that because primitive life apparently (based on scientific evidence) began early in the earth's history that it is likely universal (and may have bounced around from Mars to earth). Once they accept this as a given the rest of the book is about how many factors are uniquely involved to accomodate complex life.
This approach glosses over two critical issues.
(1) All life on earth is based on the genetic code right down to 'simple' (structurally) viruses (from this point of view it is 'universal'; i.e. all life as we know it). The DNA and RNA processes of the genome are far too complex to arise spontaneously, whether here or from Mars. Modern science suggests that there must be a prebiotic evolution with a DNA precursor. The authors mention a number of theories including the popular "RNA World" theory where the RNA performed all of the necessary functions. However no one has successfully modeled this so it is only a hypothesis bordering on pure speculation. RNA specialist Gerald Joyce has gone so far as to say "The most reasonable assumption is that life did not start with RNA...The transition to an RNA world, like the origins of life in general, is fraught with uncertainty and is plagued by a lack of experimental data." The authors' distinction between 'simple' and 'complex' life from a scientific viewpoint is misguided. The critical first step or 'prebiotic phase' is so far unexplainable and applies to all life. As the authors of a recent unpublished paper (available on the web like many articles) state "The information crisis in prebiotic or chemical evolution stems essentially from two observations: (i) the length of a replicating polymer (i.e. RNA-like template) is limited by the replication accuracy per nucleotide, and (ii) templates that differ significantly from each other cannot coexist in a purely competitive setup. Realistic estimates of the error rate of primitive replication mechanisms predict too scanty information content per template - less than 100 nucleotides - to permit the complete codification of the mechanism in just one template."
(2) The earth clearly evolved over time from an original molten mass so one might well expect that as it cooled and water formed that more structurally complex life evolved with it (even if the prebiotic phase is universal). For those interested in the evolution they would be better educated by a book on Evolutionary Dynamics that does not, by a bunch of 'hand waving', spend time speculating about the qualitative effects of the moon on tides and Jupitor on asteroids. There is lots of science on the evolution of complexity and how it can work as opposed to not work. This is not to deny that life in the universe maybe very rare, but this is apparent from our telescopes and the very complexity of the much misunderstood first prebiotic steps. However the inference that these first steps can be taken for granted is not science.
Well thought out.......2006-11-04
A good book about the different "types" of life on earth and the necessary supporting ecosystems. Even though the book would be considered about astrobiology, much of it is about Earth and it's diversity of life.
Whether you agree with the authors or not, there is a lot of information of interest in the book.
Customer Reviews:
One of the most treasured books in my library!.......2007-03-13
"The Librarian Who Measured the Earth" by Kathryn Lasky
This book is one of my most treasured possessions. It is a children's book, but it does contain the mathematics and geometry by which Eratosthenes measured the circumference of the earth to within 2% of the accurate measurement accepted by modern scientists. Eratosthenes did this in the 3rd Century B.C.E. when he was the head librarian in Alexandria, Egypt, ruled by the Ptolemaic kings. [The Ptolemaic Kings were the Hellenic successors to Alexander the Great's empire, after his death].
The book is in a large format, and the color illustrations are lovely, and they enhance the text. The author, Kathryn Lasky has done an excellent job of assimilating vast amounts of technical and historical data and reducing it to form that is appreciated by those without deep grasp of geometry and mathematics. I've looked into some of the geometry which Eratosthenes drew upon to make his determinations and it can be very technical.
It may be that some learned people were well acquainted with the proof of Eratosthenes and that this knowledge was possessed by Christopher Columubs, even as he was pleading with monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, during the very period when their courtiers were developing "Mad Queen Chess" which is the game we play today.
One of the fun things to do, particularly to enhance the learning experience, is to copy the data from this book and enlarge upon it. That Eratosthenes was able to do this fascinates me to no end.
great illustrations but munged math.......2006-08-21
My nine year old can see that in order for the sun to shine straight down every hole on earth, the earth would have to curve around the outside of the sun. Ms. Lasky "simplifies" the math to the point that it is unintelligible. It might take a page or two more, but if you're going to attempt to explain the mathematics behind the measurement, do it right or not at all.
We Need More Books Like This!.......2005-07-10
I'd just like to repeat what the other middle school reviewers are saying about this book--namely that it works with kids. Beautifully illustrated, concise, great for a multi-disciplinary lesson. It covers history in an engaging way and makes students think. I wish publishers would get more books to us history teachers like this one. Teachers who liked this might want to check out Joy Hakim's new science "textbook" which covers early science and math. Every time I look at it I like it more.
Great job combining math, history, science & geography!.......2004-03-12
This is a picture book format biography of Eratosthenes, who lived in Ancient Greece, focusing on how he calculated the size of the Earth using a mathematical formula and measurements taken by measuring shadows and length of footsteps from one location to another. Eratostehenes had many roles and talents, one being that he was a mathematician and author of books on several topics. He wrote the first geography book, which included the first map of the world and the first documentation of the size of the Earth.
The publisher says this is for ages 4-8 however the math concept of the formula he used to determine the size of the Earth was too complex for my 6 year old to grasp. The text is long-ish compared to a typical picture book as well, so I think this can extend a little beyond 8 yrs. if it is acting as a brief biography. I am not sure how many chapter book format biographies are out there for kids 9 and up on Eratosthenes, so this may be better than nothing for older kids!
The colorful pictures are nice and really compliment the text, especially when showing how he thought about measuring the Earth and comparing it to a grapefruit. It also addresses the idea of asking questions, curiosity, and making guesses at answers about things in the world that they did not yet know about.
This is a combination of history, math, and geography with a little scientific thought thrown in. It laid out his first questions and theories and how he came up with different ideas to come up with a way to measure a part of the land. We learn about what worked and what failed, leading up to how he finally came to a method that he thought was accurate, and why he thought this formula would work. His computation was about 200 miles off of the distance we measured in this century!
Within the story we learn about what schools were like for boys in Ancient Greece, that books were in scroll format, what libraries were like (and that they were rare) and other tidbits.
There is a bibliography included that can be used for further reading resources as well. This book is also a great example of how one book can cross over several subject areas: math, history, science and geography.
Fun book to read on Eratosthenes.......2003-11-04
I read this book in order to write up a reading/math lesson related to circumference. I thought that the book was very informative, had terrific pictures, and was a fairly easy read. I think that the children (6th graders) would enjoy reading it in class, if given the chance. I would have liked if the book went over, in more detail, how he determined the equation. (The children tend to ask how he got it!) It would have been useful to know the equation he used, but it does not matter because one's lesson can be modified to use the information provided in the book. I tied in the reading to a circumference lesson and had the children find the circumference of the earth.
Overall, this is a terrific book. I thought that it was a fun read, and is a great teaser when going into a circumference lesson.
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- The Wretched of the Earth
- Understanding Weather and Climate, Third Edition
- Unstoppable Global Warming: Every 1,500 Years
- Unstoppable Global Warming: Every 1,500 Years
- Unstoppable Global Warming: Every 1,500 Years
- Venice Against the Sea: A City Besieged
- Weak Convergence and Empirical Processes: With Applications to Statistics (Springer Series in Statistics)
- Weather Forecasting Handbook (5th Edition)
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