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A Natural History of Time

A Natural History of Time

by PRichet (Author)

  • New

    Illustrated 2007

    $30.74
Synopsis

For most of history, people trusted mythology or religion to provide an answer to the pressing question of the earth's age, even though nature abounds with clues. In A Natural History of Time , geophysicist Pascal Richet tells the fascinating story of how scientists and philosophers examined those clues and from them built a chronological scale that has made it possible to reconstruct the history of nature itself. The quest for time is a story of ingenuity and determination, and like a geologist, Pascal Richet carefully peels back the strata of that history, giving us a chance to marvel at each layer and truly appreciate how far our knowledge - and our planet - have come.

$30.74

Quantity

3 in stock

More Information

Format: Illustrated
 Pages: 400
 Edition: Illustrated
 Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Published: 10 Jul 2007
ISBN 10: 0226712877
ISBN 13: 9780226712871

Media Reviews
Richet is fascinated by every speculation in the entire history of Western thought that bears upon the question of the earth's antiquity. The wonderful thing is that he succeeds in changing what might have been dry recitation into an almost Dickensian world of characters in conflict and in love. - William Bryant Logan, Globe and Mail The story of how the age of the earth was determined is a marvelous concatenation of red herrings and presuppositions from which the truth eventually emerges.... I cannot imagine a better attempt at such a broad sweep through science and history.... Richet's natural history is - dare I say it? - timely. - Richard A. Fortey, Times Literary Supplement Geology and natural science buffs will discover a rich, baroquely embellished birthday cake to dig into and enjoy. - Publishers Weekly
Author Bio
Pascal Richet is professor of geophysics at the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris. He is the author of, among other books, The Physical Basis of Thermodynamics. John Venerella is the translator of A Naturalist's Guide to the Tropics, also published by the University of Chicago Press.