Earth Moved

On the Remarkable Achievements of Earthworms

By: Amy Stewart

Narrated by: Heather Henderson

They destroy plant diseases. They break down toxins. They plough the earth. They transform forests. They’ve survived two mass extinctions, including the one that wiped out the dinosaur. Not bad for a creature that’s deaf, blind, and spineless. Who knew that earthworms were one of our planet’s most important caretakers? Or that Charles Darwin devoted his last years to studying their remarkable achievements?

Inspired by Darwin, Amy Stewart takes us on a subterranean adventure. Witty, offbeat, charming, and ever curious, she unearths the complex web of life beneath our feet and investigates the role earthworms play in cutting-edge science—from toxic cleanups to the study of regeneration.

©2004 Original material © 2004 Amy Stewart. Recorded by arrangement with Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, a division of Workman Publishing Company, Inc. (P)2012 (p) 2012 HighBridge Company

Critic reviews

“Stewart’s fascination with her subject is infectious, her writing as simple and sleek as the earthworm itself.” ( San Francisco Chronicle)

“Using Darwin’s research as a starting point, [Stewart] delves into their incredible abilities and offers useful tips for the green thumbs in her audience.” ( Entertainment Weekly)

"You know a book is good when you actually welcome one of those howling days of wind and sleet that makes going out next to impossible.” ( The New York Times)

I thought I knew a lot about worms but I was wrong

Would you listen to Earth Moved again? Why?

I have listened to it already multiple times, there is a lot of information in there

What other book might you compare Earth Moved to and why?

I don't know of any other

What about Heather Henderson’s performance did you like?

she did a good job, lots of hard to pronounce latin names.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

documentary about earthworms- the whole world depends on them

Any additional comments?

Lots of information that is excellent, unfortunately there is also a LOT of praise and adoration for Darwin, but even with all that this is an excellent book. I learned a lot.

Interesting read.. some new material

Any additional comments?

This book is okay. It starts with a review of Darwin's work on worms, and circles back to Darwin for the entire book. The author provides some antidotes from her garden, and does a bit of investigation in the field. The authors affection for worms is a little much at times, but this is a book on worms. Can feel a little representative, but doesn't feel long. Overall an easy, interesting read.

Not so interesting

I suppose it's difficult to write an entire book on earthworms There is interesting stuff in the book, but lots of filler and detail that I found to be beyond my average layman's interest in the subject.
I made it through and am glad to have learned quite a bit, but I had to skip parts of some chapters because I wasn't interested in the detail.

I love books that change your mind and perspective

I have to admit. I have always liked earth worms but this book educated me about their lives and work in a way that gave me a new respect for their strength, industry and ability to better our shared environment. I enjoyed hearing about the people who love and study them. I was excited to learn about the possibilities for solving waste problems with their help. I am all for books that give me hope! It is a fascinating book and the reader was delightful.

Worms. Oh ya.

Gotta love them worms. Get yourself a worm bin goin and you see for yourself in no time. I simply used a 30 gallon high fish tank and success came easy. If you are even considering this book, it's for you.

Interesting

More of a Darwin fan non-fiction than anything. Good and interesting however. The reader was excellent until she tried doing voices. She should have just read instead of trying to sound like a man. Fail.

Loved

I bought this book not expecting to like it as much as I did. I have recommended it to multiple people. I learned so much. I have reevaluated how I compost and garden.

Beautiful Book

Learning everything I can about worms right now... this book brings them vividly to life!

What a Surprise!

I am so glad I discovered this book because I love books about quirky and unusual subjects, especially ones about our natural world.
This was so charming and so personal and I learned so much about the earthworms that I struggle to save from puddles during my walks outside after a rain.
I also learned about Darwin's interest in earthworms that I found fascinating.
And although I draw the line about having my own worm bin, I truly appreciate those who do and I will certainly continue to save the worms from those puddles.

Great read on unsung heroes underground

I cannot help but admire the author's passion for the subterranean wigglers. It was great learning about the giant worms in Australia. I visited the warm museum down under long time ago, which the book covered quite extensively. It was fascinating to know the behind-the-scenes stories about building of that museum. The meticulous ways the author keep her worms also won my admiration. There's something noble about people who dedicate themselves to things that many others consider to be totally insignificant or even repulsive. Many thanks to the author and the performer for the edifying journey.