A 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.
The 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. Reading the Rocks brings to life this eclectic cast of
characters who brought passion, eccentricity, and towering intellect to
the discovery of how Earth was formed.
Geology 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.
Acclaimed 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. Reading the Rocks illustrates in absorbing and revelatory
details how this group of early geologists changed irrevocably our
understanding of the world.
