The paperback of the Sunday Times bestseller that reveals how the earth became t
he shape it is today. This book will change the way you see the world -- permane
ntly. The face of the earth, criss-crossed by chains of mountains like the scars
of old wounds, has changed constantly over billions of years. Its shape records
a remote past of earthquakes, volcanos and continental drift, and the ongoing s
ubtle shifts that bring our planet alive. Richard Fortey introduces us to the ea
rth's distinct character, revealing the life that it leads when humans aren't wa
tching. He follows the continual movement of seabeds, valleys, mountain ranges a
nd ice caps and shows how everything -- our culture, natural history, even the f
ormation of our cities -- has its roots in geology. In Richard Fortey's hands, g
eology becomes vital and exhilarating and unmistakably informs our lives in the
most intimate way.
