Written in Stone

Evolution, the Fossil Record, and Our Place in Nature

De: Brian Switek

Narrado por: L. J. Ganser

Spectacular fossil finds make today's headlines; new technology unlocks secrets of skeletons unearthed 100 years ago. Still, evolution is often poorly represented by the media and misunderstood by the public. A potent antidote to pseudoscience, Written in Stone is an engrossing history of evolutionary discovery for anyone who has marveled at the variety and richness of life.

Download the accompanying reference guide.©2010 Brian Switek (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

Evolution detailed

I really appreciate the depth of research and understanding that is shared by the author. I knew aspects (whale origins) but Switek went into far greater detail across earth's history and with great interest. Well worth reading if interested in life and the earth.

Narrator mispronounces a lot of words

He also reads fairly flatly. If it doesn’t bother you that he obviously didn’t Google any of the words beforehand, then you’ll probably love it.

great text

the information is great. the pop culture references aren't cringe. this book is a slice of humble pie for any one that sees humanity as the peak of progress.

Very good but has some weaknesses

I enjoyed 95% of this book. A captivating recounting of the story of the key fossils in our current understanding evolution. However the author strays into metaphysical speculation that lacks nuance and sophistication. He wines about religion like a 15 year old atheist, not realizing his opposition itself is freighted with terms that imply some pre-rational valuation. Yes biological evolution is a fact, but it’s ultimate meaning like it or not takes the shape of a faith. Glass houses and all that

personal

Two stars - meh
three stars - good
four stars - worth a second read
five stars - life-changing - my top 50 of all time

Very informative

It reads like a text book. But listening to it on audible was a much better platform. The reading is able to draw you into the history and the record and the evolution of many many species including our own

Did I just binge a book on Paleontology?!

Yes. Yes, i did. Listen, i like dinosaurs and fossils and stuff, but i did not expect to get completely sucked into this surprisingly accessible account of how we came to know what we think we know about our world millions of years ago. I spent the whole time looking up these crazy creatures and the adventurers who dug them up on my phone, fascinated by the story of slow change over immense amounts of time.

Excellent

Title says it all. Informative, interesting and well presented. Information that so many in this country needs to understand.

Very nice

I really like! The narrator voice is very nice never dull. The information is put in a straightforward way and has alot of the history of paleontology as well as the paleontology!

Who Knew !

Who knew dirt could be so cool! Lovely story, deftly performed, well worth the time