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Journeys From The Centre Of The Earth
Man with hammer, rucksack and GSOH offers gritty adventure holidays. Looking for sun, sea, sand and - science. Scheduled to tie in with a major new BBC series, Hot Rocks explores the Mediterranean - the cradle of western civilisation - and discovers alongside its tranquil, sun-lapped shores, one of the most volatile places on an ever-changing earth. The Mediterranean we know today has been forged in a violent crucible of clashing continents, rising mountains, restless seas and a turbulent climate. Millions of Britons are drawn to the Mediterranean every year and whether they go for the beautiful scenery and relaxing beaches or the culture and architecture or food, none of it would be there were it not for geology. Forward-thinking geologist and television presenter Dr Iain Stewart, uncovers the hidden Mediterranean and brings a fresh and dramatic eye to geology to show just why it is that geology should be restored to its rightful place as the grandfather of sciences. From earthquakes and volcanoes to Roman architecture and cuisine, Iain discovers just how geology has shaped our lives and how we can expect it to affect us in years to come.
240 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 31, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 27, 2025
This book has a clever title, since the "geology that shaped civilization" Dr. Stewart discusses came bubbling or shooting up from the Earth's mantle; and since the "civilizations" on which the book centers are those that sprang up around the Mediterranean, which of course can be translated as "the center of the Earth."
Stewart has a knack for engaging language to describe geological processes that form various deposits of rocks and metals, and then how ancient peoples used those materials to start building their societies and technologies. He discusses the Egyptians using sandstone for their monuments and the Anatolians using limestone for their dwellings. He discusses the discovery of stone knapping for tools, evolving into copper smelting and then the invention of bronze. It's a fascinating journey and it makes one look at the world around us, and our dependence on the substances that the Earth gives us, with a fresh appreciation.
The book is lavishly illustrated with beautiful color photographs that perfectly complement the text.
Where the book falls down, sadly, is the final chapter. After having spent much of the whole book discussing how ancient climate changes affected the rise and fall of various Mediterranean civilizations and societies, and making it clear that those changes were caused in large part by changes in the sun's output and cycles of the Earth's orbit, in the last chapter he junks all that to repeat the current trendy shibboleths about man-made climate change and how we threaten the existence of life on Earth... despite having himself given multiple examples of climate change, be it minor or catastrophic, millennia before man could have had any effect on the environment. I suppose this kind of kow-towing to current Leftist propaganda shouldn't be surprising in a book produced by the BBC, and I'd like to think that Dr. Stewart included this chapter under duress; but it's why I docked my rating of this otherwise excellent work a full star. If you want my advice, read and enjoy the whole rest of the book but call it a day when you get to the last chapter.
Stewart has a knack for engaging language to describe geological processes that form various deposits of rocks and metals, and then how ancient peoples used those materials to start building their societies and technologies. He discusses the Egyptians using sandstone for their monuments and the Anatolians using limestone for their dwellings. He discusses the discovery of stone knapping for tools, evolving into copper smelting and then the invention of bronze. It's a fascinating journey and it makes one look at the world around us, and our dependence on the substances that the Earth gives us, with a fresh appreciation.
The book is lavishly illustrated with beautiful color photographs that perfectly complement the text.
Where the book falls down, sadly, is the final chapter. After having spent much of the whole book discussing how ancient climate changes affected the rise and fall of various Mediterranean civilizations and societies, and making it clear that those changes were caused in large part by changes in the sun's output and cycles of the Earth's orbit, in the last chapter he junks all that to repeat the current trendy shibboleths about man-made climate change and how we threaten the existence of life on Earth... despite having himself given multiple examples of climate change, be it minor or catastrophic, millennia before man could have had any effect on the environment. I suppose this kind of kow-towing to current Leftist propaganda shouldn't be surprising in a book produced by the BBC, and I'd like to think that Dr. Stewart included this chapter under duress; but it's why I docked my rating of this otherwise excellent work a full star. If you want my advice, read and enjoy the whole rest of the book but call it a day when you get to the last chapter.
August 16, 2016
Watched this on TV first and it got me excited about geology - great standalone read and useful reference book.
August 2, 2020
Great book
fantastic, thought provoking book and. recommended for people witrh an interest in geology, geography, Mediterranean history and anthropology. really very good
fantastic, thought provoking book and. recommended for people witrh an interest in geology, geography, Mediterranean history and anthropology. really very good
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews