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this is a brilliant and unique book (Geoscientist )
Informative and even jaw-dropping. (Colin Waters, The Sunday Herald )
A sobering view of humanity's geological legacy. (PDS, The Guardian )
Informative and even jaw-dropping. (Colin Waters, The Sunday Herald )
A sobering view of humanity's geological legacy. (PDS, The Guardian )
Product Description
What would alien visitors in the far future, piecing together the history of earth, find of our brief reign? What clues will we leave? What fossils? Just as we have gained knowledge of the past, of ancient climates and the activities of creatures long dead, so too might they decode the rocks. The Earth After Us takes a novel approach to show how geologists unravel the information in the rocks. As the alien scientists start investigating the strata, what story will they tell of us? What kind of fossils will humans leave behind? What will happen to cities, cars, and plastic cups? How thick a layer will the 'human stratum' be? And will it be obvious which species dominated the planet?
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
25 of 26 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
A wide range of readers with some scientific knowledge and anyone concerned about the effects of climate change should find interest and stimulation from this well written book.
The presently short span of life on earth of our species and the record of the changes we are responsible for are put into the geological context.
I bought this book as a geology student but found it very much more thought provoking than any text book.
Never before have I felt moved to give 5 stars to a book on Amazon but this is the one I would recommend.
The presently short span of life on earth of our species and the record of the changes we are responsible for are put into the geological context.
I bought this book as a geology student but found it very much more thought provoking than any text book.
Never before have I felt moved to give 5 stars to a book on Amazon but this is the one I would recommend.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
'The Earth After Us' is an interesting scenario about an intelligent alien species finally encountering Planet Earth in one hundred million years time and examines how they would use scientific methods and reasoning to explore the history of the planet and, in particular, any trails of evidence of human activity.
The book is well written and researched by a knowledgeable author and educator, however it's not oriented to the layman (although it is rather quirky in places). Suffice to say that some higher education background study of geography or geology would be a definite asset when going through this.
One overarching feature of the book is how humans have impacted upon earth within a very short period of time and how old the planet really is (compared to the short human experience here). You're also reminded about how comparatively insignificant our existencies are in the grand scheme of things (even the shape of the continents will look radically different in one hundred million years).
Overall, this is an interesting and worthwhile read, but if you're looking for a book about how the earth will gradually evolve when humans have gone (and the evidence they'll leave behind) in a much shorter timeframe then you would probably enjoy 'The World Without Us' by Alan Weisman.
The book is well written and researched by a knowledgeable author and educator, however it's not oriented to the layman (although it is rather quirky in places). Suffice to say that some higher education background study of geography or geology would be a definite asset when going through this.
One overarching feature of the book is how humans have impacted upon earth within a very short period of time and how old the planet really is (compared to the short human experience here). You're also reminded about how comparatively insignificant our existencies are in the grand scheme of things (even the shape of the continents will look radically different in one hundred million years).
Overall, this is an interesting and worthwhile read, but if you're looking for a book about how the earth will gradually evolve when humans have gone (and the evidence they'll leave behind) in a much shorter timeframe then you would probably enjoy 'The World Without Us' by Alan Weisman.
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is a thought-provoking book. On the one hand it reduces the human span of life to its rightful place in the universe, ie. a passing phase.
The subject is tackled in a logical manner and also attempts to instruct the non-geologist in a way that leads to an understanding of what has happened to the earth in the past and linking that to likely events in the, for most people, distant future. It reinforced my decision to have my cremated ashes tossed into the sea; in that way my bits and pieces will make it up the geological elevator that much quicker. I would not say it is an easy read, but certainly interesting and worthy of the 5-star rating.
The subject is tackled in a logical manner and also attempts to instruct the non-geologist in a way that leads to an understanding of what has happened to the earth in the past and linking that to likely events in the, for most people, distant future. It reinforced my decision to have my cremated ashes tossed into the sea; in that way my bits and pieces will make it up the geological elevator that much quicker. I would not say it is an easy read, but certainly interesting and worthy of the 5-star rating.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Interesting, Informative, and Scary
This book is about the history of the geology and the life on Earth from the beginning to 100 million years into the future. Read more
Published on 12 Jan 2010 by GunillaB
The Urban Stratum
The Urban Stratum
The Urban Stratum is the provocative stratigraphic name that Jan Zalasiewicz gives to our remains in The Earth After Us - What legacy will humans leave... Read more
The Urban Stratum is the provocative stratigraphic name that Jan Zalasiewicz gives to our remains in The Earth After Us - What legacy will humans leave... Read more
Published on 22 Nov 2009 by Michael Welland
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