Reading the rocks : how Victorian geologists discovered the secret of life / Brenda Maddox.

Title:

Author:

Maddox, Brenda

ISBN:

9781632869128

1632869128

9781408879603

1408879603

Edition:

First U.S. edition.

Publication Info:

New York :

Description:

xii, 254 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some color) ; 24 cm

Summary:

This is a group biography of the first geologists, the people who were first to excavate from the layers of the world its buried history. These first geologists were made up primarily of gentlemen with the necessary wealth to support their interests, yet also included clergymen, academics and women. The new science of geology was pursued by this assorted band because it opened a window on Earth's ancient past. They showed courage in facing the conflict between geology and Genesis as the rocks and fossils showed that the Earth was immeasurably old, rather than springing from a creation made in the six days that the Bible claimed. This book tells the individual stories of this group, their hope and fears, triumphs and disappointments, the theological, philosophical and scientific debates their findings provoked, and the way that as a group, they were to change our understanding of the world.

Subject(s):

Geology -- Europe -- History -- 19th century.

Geologists -- Biography.

Geologists -- Europe -- History -- 19th century.

Science -- Europe -- History -- 19th century.

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Summary

A rich and exuberant group biography of the early geologists, the people who were first to excavate from the layers of the world its buried history.

The birth of geology was fostered initially by gentlemen whose wealth supported their interests, but in the nineteenth century, it was advanced by clergymen, academics, and women whose findings expanded the field. Reading the Rocks brings to life this eclectic cast of characters who brought passion, eccentricity, and towering intellect to the discovery of how Earth was formed.

Geology opened a window on the planet's ancient past. Contrary to the Book of Genesis, the rocks and fossils dug up showed that Earth was immeasurably old. Moreover, fossil evidence revealed progressive changes in life forms. It is no coincidence that Charles Darwin was a keen geologist.

Acclaimed biographer and science writer Brenda Maddox's story goes beyond William Smith, the father of English geology; Charles Lyell, the father of modern geology; and James Hutton, whose analysis of rock layers unveiled what is now called "deep time." She also explores the livesof fossil hunter Mary Anning, the Reverend William Buckland, Darwin, and many others--their triumphs and disappointments, and the theological, philosophical, and scientific debates their findings provoked. Reading the Rocks illustrates in absorbing and revelatory details how this group of early geologists changed irrevocably our understanding of the world.

Author Notes

Brenda Maddox has a degree in English literature from Harvard University and studied at the London School of Economics. Her biographies of Elizabeth Taylor, D. H. Lawrence, Nora Joyce, W. B. Yeats, and Rosalind Franklin have been widely acclaimed. She has won the Los Angeles Times Biography Award, the Silver PEN Award, the French Prix du Meilleur Livre Ã%tranger, and the Whitbread Biography Prize. She lives in London, England.

Reviews (3)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Biographer and science writer Maddox (Rosalind Franklin) follows the trails of multiple Victorian geologists in this account of the era popular avocation and pastime. Maddox proffers general overviews of the field, which book-end a series of minibiographies that focus on noteworthy figures from 19th-century British geology and their contributions to modern understandings of Earth's structure. Leading lights such as Charles Lyell, whose 1830 publication of Principles of Geology spurred interest in the field, and Charles Darwin star in multiple chapters, while other lesser-known figures, including Mary Anning and Roderick Murchison, only feature once. By following several people, Maddox allows readers to see the rise and fall over time of particular ideas regarding geology. Unfortunately, she stumbles a bit in describing the many intersections of those lives. The individual chapters are well written and accessible, but taken as a whole there is a lot of overlap in how the material is discussed. Events repeat as individuals move in and out of each other's lives, and there are also passages in the text that are near duplicates of each other. Interspersed contemporaneous poems on geologists add some extracurricular interest, but better treatments of these people and ideas already exist. (Nov.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Booklist Review

Stones may not speak, but they have quite a the? story to tell. As Maddox outlines in this engaging group biography, the early years of the science of geology were filled with lively debates and fascinating characters. In nineteenth-century Britain, geology was a young but important field of study, with its potential for uncovering the secrets of the history of the planet and its practical use for discerning the location of valuable coal deposits. The study of rocks and fossils, with its rugged, outdoorsy application, attracted all types of enthusiasts, including clergymen, women, and a certain naturalist named Charles Darwin. The stakes were high as this community debated the tension between the accepted biblical account of an Earth 6,000 years old and the increasing evidence that life and, perhaps, even some ancestors of modern humans had been around for much longer. With her practiced biographer's eye, Maddox distills the scientific exploration of these matters into the stories of the vibrant pioneers who pushed to increase our understanding of the world's long history and humanity's place in it.--Thoreson, Bridget Copyright 2017 Booklist

Library Journal Review

How did Darwin write On the Origin of Species without knowledge of genetics or biochemistry? Maddox (Rosalind Franklin: The Dark Lady of DNA) offers an answer. Using Victorian geologist Charles -Lyell's career as a central theme, the author supplies vignettes that explain evolution's foundations through three 19th-century geological principles: the Earth is extremely old; the biblical flood never occurred; and species come and go. With silky prose, Maddox opens the world of gentleman geologists, enriching the text with social and historical background, quotes, and poetry. She also emphasizes the contributions of women and those not independently wealthy. However, there are several minor flaws: Maddox does not mention that uniformitarianism allows for natural cataclysms and asserts that genomics, not big data and computer simulation, revolutionized modern paleontology. Despite these issues, this is an accessible, enjoyable, and authoritative read. VERDICT Anyone curious about evolution, geology, or paleontology's roots won't want to miss this work, especially fans of Rob Wesson's Darwin's First Theory and Edmund Blair Bolles's The Ice Finders.-Eileen H. Kramer, Georgia Perimeter Coll. Lib., Clarkston © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Foreword	p. ix
1 The Abyss of Time	p. 1
2 Healthful Exertion	p. 17
3 Down the Mines	p. 27
4 Vestiges of Paternity	p. 33
5 Fighting Fellows	p. 47
6 Dating the Deluge	p. 61
7 On the Beach	p. 79
8 Dinosaur Wars	p. 87
9 Celibacy Galore	p. 97
10 From Siluria to the Moon	p. 111
11 Alps on Alps Arise	p. 119
12 Darwin the Geologist	p. 127
13 The Iceman Cometh	p. 139
14 Footprints in Pennsylvania	p. 149
15 At Last, the Big Question	p. 167
16 Origin of Origin	p. 173
17 The Whole Orang	p. 187
18 Museum Pieces	p. 195
19 Then and Now	p. 201
Notes	p. 209
Select Bibliography	p. 227
Acknowledgements	p. 239
Index	p. 243

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Bound With These Titles

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Summary

Summary

Author Notes

Reviews (3)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Booklist Review

Library Journal Review

Table of Contents