Language of the Earth: A Literary Anthology

by Frank H.T. Rhodes, Richard Stone

"Man's complex relationship to planet Earth is explored in this new edition of the landmark literary anthology, Language of the Earth. This volume provides a portrait of the planet as experienced not just by scientists, but by artists, aviators, poets, philosophers, novelists, historians, and sociologists as well. It seeks to represent the human experience over the centuries, covering a span of 2,500 years." At the same time, Language of the Earth reflects the planet's extraordinary diversity, from dripping mines and caves to the high deserts of the Andes, the Antarctic ice sheet, and even the surface of the moon. Its comprehensive approach bridges the gap between science and the humanities. Arranged in four distinct parts, with writings from 117 different authors, Language of the Earth surveys the richness, beauty, and sustainability of the planet.

344 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1981

About the author

Frank Harold Trevor Rhodes (born October 29, 1926 in Warwickshire, The United Kingdom), a professor of geology and mineralogy, was the ninth president of Cornell University from 1977 to 1995.

Reviews

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a strange, motley collection. The title caught my eye as it sat at the end of a shelf in the library. It's a smorgasbord of ancient and modern stories of travel diaries, natural disasters, groundbreaking research, and fictional literature, all loosely connected by the theme of geology and the history of the earth. The introductions to each piece were great to get a basic understanding of the author or subject, especially for someone with no background in the field (i.e. me). Not everything captured my interest, but I felt no guilt skipping over a segment in favour of a better one.

[Bob Gustafson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a potpourri of writings and excerpts of writing at the intersections of geology and about every other academic department in a college catalog. I suppose that its purpose is to get people who are interested in other academic curricula interested in geology, or vise versa.

This is a great book for someone younger than thirty; a little less great for people like myself who are nearing seventy.