The Story of Earth: The First 4.5 Billion Years, from Stardust to Living Planet

It takes a mineral expert to understand the development of earth. I'm not a mineral expert and I don't play one on TV, but after listening to this book I feel like I'm a geologist in training.

I didn't think it was possible. The author makes minerals and its science interesting. He has an over arching theory that's best summarized as "the origin of (mineral) species".

For those of you who have a pet theory and have a deep understanding of the subject you'll probably find many things to criticize about this book and you'd probably be right. Either your theory is not covered at all or he doesn't cover it in the way you believe. Give the author a break, he's covering over 4 1/2 billion years of history.

I'll be awaiting further shows on Discovery covering this same topic, and maybe this time I'll be able to follow them.

I bought this book on the Kindle when it first came out, because I didn't think there was going to be an audio version. I had read 2/3 of the book on the Kindle and listened to the last 1/3 of the book on audible. The reader really made the book better. He has a way of making what he's reading as exciting as the subject matter deserves. I probably would not have finished the kindle, I much prefer to listen. Good book and even better listen.

This is a thorough, up-to-date look at the history of the Earth and the science that has been used to discover it. As I was finishing it, I found that Nat Geo TV have computer generated special telling pretty much the same story in overview. Now I know more than I used to about the world we live on.

Yes, it was well read, interesting and I learned a lot from this book.

His voice is very pleasing.

I will probably listen to this book over and over again!

captivating, well-written, insigtful

I expected a story about rocks and geology, but instead the author elegantly inter meshes a variety of scientific disciplines, such as physics, biology, astronomy, climatology, oceanography, and many more with a good dose geology and mineralogy to give a grand view of our planet and its future. It is well written for a broad audience, and I applaud his work in popularizing geology. The narration is well done, it sounds as if the author had read it himself, convening a sense that the narrator truly enjoys the material. The narrators tone conveys a feeling enthusiasm and amazement for the subject.

As an elementary school teacher with a love for science, this book has become one of my favorites. The science presented has intrigued me to learn more about the often overlooked and neglected field of geology.

Walter Dixon's narration is probably my favorite narration I've listened to so far. His voice is very warm and friendly, and he speaks as if he's telling a story, rather than lecturing you. The book is actually surprisingly accessible even to people who might not be geology or chemistry fans, and it goes just deep enough into the subjects to satisfy those who might be interested, without being too awfully dry. I was fascinated by a lot of the content and I feel like I've learned a lot! Due to the dense nature of the material, I sometimes need to go over some chapters multiple times, but it's never a bad experience because the narration is so smooth. Definitely recommend this one!

contained a lot of good information; covered a wide range of topics relating to earth history and the history of the universe. actually gave a pretty good treatment of dark matter, as i recall. did not have a lot of unnecessary fluff. good listen.

Walter Dixon, like the pro that he is, gives his A-game here. Hazen's writing is most interesting and compelling, they both really work out well together. Should definitely do another audiobook in the near future IMHO.

Epic, biblicalish, wide-in-scope, easy, clear and on-target.

No. I'm a geologist and Walter Dixon spoils the book for me with his many mispronunciations of geological terms. One would think he would have researched these words in advance. Examples of botched words include: rhythmites (as in tidal rhythmites), peridotite, and plagioclase. There are many more.