Description
"Perilous Planet Earth" is a book that discusses the threat of asteroids and comets to Earth, examining evidence from the past and how our understanding of global change has evolved. It also explores how catastrophic events have shaped evolution and civilizations. The author argues that understanding our past can help us protect our civilization in the future. The book is written in an engaging style and is suitable for general readers and academics interested in various fields such as evolution, geology, astronomy, social anthropology, and history. It has received positive reviews for its comprehensive coverage and informative writing.
Perilous Planet Earth places our concern about the threat to Earth from asteroids and comets within an historical context, looking at the evidence for past events within the geological and historical records. The book looks at the way in which prevailing views about modes of global change have changed dramatically over the years. It also considers the way in which catastrophic events are now seen to have influenced the course of evolution in the distant past, as well as the rise and fall of civilisations in more recent times. Professor Palmer argues that the better we understand our past, the greater the likelihood that we will be able to take appropriate action to preserve our civilisation for the future. Written in an engaging style that avoids jargon, the book will appeal to general readers and academics with an interest in evolution, geology, astronomy, social anthropology and history. Review: Review of the hardback: '... written in a style that is at once dispassionate and engaging ... Ranging, as it does, over several related disciplines, this book will undoubtedly appeal to both amateurs and academics alike.' Astronomy Space Review of the hardback: 'This is a very thorough, detailed and up to date book ... It covers many aspects of science from geology, evolution and astronomy through to history and social anthropology ... For anyone studying the subject this is a 'must have' reference book, it brings many ideas and theories together and then shows you where to go for more information. I don't think there's much it doesn't cover.' Open University Geological Society Journal Review of the hardback: '... Palmer manages to steer even-handedly through the opposing territories of catastrophist and gradualist paradigms and, in doing so, illuminates one of the most enduring currents of human thought.' The Times Higher Education Supplement Review of the hardback: 'A veritable encyclopaedia of disasters that have beset our planet from prehistoric times up to the present, this book is presented in an informative style that demands to be read ... a cracking read.' Astronomy Now Review of the hardback: 'This original and ambitious book will attract several different audiences. ... The student will find this a detailed, yet friendly volume and will be encouraged by the scope it provides ... lecturers will be able to use the well-researched histories of the theoretical foundation for these scientific case studies, which are presented in an interesting and up-to-date research context, to coax undergraduates to do some serious thinking about the science they are engaged in. For the general reader, too, the book has plenty to offer ... Palmer is an erudite and informed guide through the highways and byways into the perils of this planet and our attempts to understand them.' The Holocene
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