- Hardcover: 384 pages
- Publisher: Mitchell Beazley (7 Sep 2009)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 184533339X
- ISBN-13: 978-1845333393
- Product Dimensions: 29.2 x 25.2 x 3.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
169,385 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #54 in Books > Science & Nature > Nature > Rocks, Minerals & Fossils
- #77 in Books > Science & Nature > Biological Sciences > Reference
- See Complete Table of Contents
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Product Description
Product Description
An astonishing new book is being created. Using all the available fossil record as evidence, it presents the entire four-billion-year story of life on Earth in one single super-panoramic tableau. Never before has our collective story been told so effectively, so compellingly, so coherently, and so beautifully. At the heart of the book is an astonishing 50m-long artwork displayed across 200 pages, supported by hundreds of photographs and illustrations, that tells the story of life on Earth. The groundbreaking visual content is complemented by an authoritative text commentary, making "Evolution" a unique work of family reference, complete with an A-Z of hundreds of species that are shown in the artwork, background information on the theory of evolution, illustrated family trees for the major anaimal groups, stunning photography of life's modern diversity, and details of where all the crucial fossil evidence can be seen today.
About the Author
Peter Barrett is a renowned natural history illustrator of more than thirty years standing. This book represents the pinnacle of his career. He lives in Devon. Douglas Palmer is a science writer and academic currently teaching at Cambridge University. His articles appear regularly in New Scientist, BBC Wildlife magazine and Science magazine. He is the author of several books, including Earth, Atlas of the Prehistoric World, Neanderthal and The Illustrated Encycopledia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Life.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
20 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
... and never knew where to ask. This book is a triumph of structure, lucidity and design; it begins at the beginning, and lures you through the ensuing four billion years with seductive artwork, precise annotations, and crystal-clear prose. At its heart are 100 illustrations, each occupying a double-page spread, and recreating sites - from Western Australia to Arizona, from volcano to tropical forest, with ocean and desert inbetween - at crucial stages of the evolutionary story. The flora and fauna that existed at each period are imagined in delicate detail based on a seemingly forensic study of the evidence gleaned from bones and fossils. The composition is a joy - the true brilliance of which is revealed in a fold-out at the back of the book, where all the artworks flow together to create a panoramic view of the history of life. In addition there are discrete sections - site gazetteer, time-line, species listing, etc - which enable more detailed exploration away from the big-picture heart of the book.
It's unique - an extraordinary achievement.
It's unique - an extraordinary achievement.
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
'Evolution' has given me more pleasure than any other non-fictional book I have read in years. It is a book to pore over, to dip into and to explore. It is full of interest and sheer visual enjoyment. And there are some extraordinary surprises.
If mine had been the first review, I would have just sung its praises. As it's not, and others have done that very adequately, I thought it would be useful, instead, to identify what the book's particular features are, what it attempts to do and what it does not.
Unlike so many other illustrated books on the subject, 'Evolution' doesn't show examples of ancient species in isolation. Open it up anywhere in its main middle section and what you get is a piece of artwork extending across a big double-page spread. Each spread reconstructs an ancient landscape populated by animals and plants discovered at a specific fossil site. A double fold-out near the back cover reproduces all these spreads on a smaller scale showing that side by side they form a single huge diorama. 'Evolution' is a beautiful as well as an informative book.
The spreads follow one another chronologically. Above each there is a timeline showing exactly where you are as you journey through earth's history. Each specific site is named and some of its features are briefly mentioned (climate, geology and ecosystem). At the bottom of each page is a keyed list which names and identifies all the plants and animals shown. There are short but informative descriptions of the site, the geological period it represents and some of the lifeforms depicted. There are small photographs of some of the actual fossils, and blow-ups of parts of the main spread which draw your attention to particular details. Also at the bottom of the page is a small map showing the location of the site, and another which, page by page, traces the changing shape and arrangment of the continents. (I was fascinated to see Scotland finally bump into and attach itself to England down near the south pole in the Devonian period while the first fish were still crawling out of the seas. Amazing!)
At the front of the book there are short illustrated sections explaining the theory of natural selection, the different ways animals and plants get fossilised, and the history of evolutionary thought. At the back there is a large, colourful section which graphically traces the long and ever-branching lines of descent from single-celled lifeforms to the present ("cladistics"). There is a gazetteer of the sites, a more detailed description of each of the species listed, and a glossary of terms. In fact, there is enough here to keep you going for years.
The book is beautifully produced; the artwork is very attractive and will appeal I imagine to adults and children alike. It is informative and, being written in association with the Natural History Museum, I presume its science is reliable and up to date as well. What more can I say?
If mine had been the first review, I would have just sung its praises. As it's not, and others have done that very adequately, I thought it would be useful, instead, to identify what the book's particular features are, what it attempts to do and what it does not.
Unlike so many other illustrated books on the subject, 'Evolution' doesn't show examples of ancient species in isolation. Open it up anywhere in its main middle section and what you get is a piece of artwork extending across a big double-page spread. Each spread reconstructs an ancient landscape populated by animals and plants discovered at a specific fossil site. A double fold-out near the back cover reproduces all these spreads on a smaller scale showing that side by side they form a single huge diorama. 'Evolution' is a beautiful as well as an informative book.
The spreads follow one another chronologically. Above each there is a timeline showing exactly where you are as you journey through earth's history. Each specific site is named and some of its features are briefly mentioned (climate, geology and ecosystem). At the bottom of each page is a keyed list which names and identifies all the plants and animals shown. There are short but informative descriptions of the site, the geological period it represents and some of the lifeforms depicted. There are small photographs of some of the actual fossils, and blow-ups of parts of the main spread which draw your attention to particular details. Also at the bottom of the page is a small map showing the location of the site, and another which, page by page, traces the changing shape and arrangment of the continents. (I was fascinated to see Scotland finally bump into and attach itself to England down near the south pole in the Devonian period while the first fish were still crawling out of the seas. Amazing!)
At the front of the book there are short illustrated sections explaining the theory of natural selection, the different ways animals and plants get fossilised, and the history of evolutionary thought. At the back there is a large, colourful section which graphically traces the long and ever-branching lines of descent from single-celled lifeforms to the present ("cladistics"). There is a gazetteer of the sites, a more detailed description of each of the species listed, and a glossary of terms. In fact, there is enough here to keep you going for years.
The book is beautifully produced; the artwork is very attractive and will appeal I imagine to adults and children alike. It is informative and, being written in association with the Natural History Museum, I presume its science is reliable and up to date as well. What more can I say?
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I agree with the previous reviewer in every detail. This book is a stupendous achievement. Working in association with the Natural History Museum in London to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Darwin's birth, Douglas Palmer, a science writer and lecturer at Cambridge University, and Peter Barrett, an internationally renowned artist, have created a vision of the story of life on earth in a format which makes it accessible to all ages. Two-thirds of every page is a developing pictorial history of life, each page following smoothly from the previous one so the story is seen as a continuum which hypnotises the mind - a unique concept which is brilliantly pertinent to the subject. This continuum is further clarified in the pull-out section inside the back cover, where the history, from the first organisms to the present day, can be seen in one sweeping panorama. The organisation of the format of the book must have been formidable. All children are fascinated by prehistoric life and before they are reading they will love the illustrations. But details are highlighted on each page, giving the scientific explanation which is yet accessible to all. The text on Darwin, on reconstructing the past, on fossils, on the explosion of life I find fascinating. My grandchildren already delight in showing off their knowledge - Oh, grandma, we all know it all started with a big explosion - and of the latin names of prehistoric animals. This will keep them occupied for winters to come. I hope the book may somehow become part of education in American schools especially those who teach 'Creationism' as an alternative subject.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
There are better alternatives
While this is an overall "ok" visual book on evolution, it isn't as informative and exiting as it could have been. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Thomas
all life in one book
a great dinosaur book that depicts in great detail not only the T rex and triceratops but from the beginings of life all the plants insects and pond life great detail on the... Read more
Published 5 months ago by mark1000
Great Artwork and informative text.
If you like prehistoric creatures then this book is for you. It brings the reader through every prehistoric era with great artwork showing the creatures and their environment. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Mr. R. J. Wilson
Evolution: The Sory of Life
The book has fascinated two lively children of eleven and eight. It is an excellent, engaging and colourful presentation of the principles and details of evolution, all based on... Read more
Published 15 months ago by A. Edwards
enjoyable and informative
The book was delivered quickly ,and in good condition .This is an informative very well illustrated clear and readable text . Read more
Published 16 months ago by peterc
Gorgeous
This book can be appreciated by both adults and children alike. It is packed full of scientific knowledge and evidence of which is beautifully illustrated throughout. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Mrs. Amanda Henderson
Is evolution interesting to anybody?
Ever since I was in my teens I have loved information about past aeons, mass extinctions and prehistory in general. Read more
Published 22 months ago by Erasmus
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