Language of the Earth

by Frank H.T. Rhodes (Editor), Richard O. Stone (Editor)

Man's complex relationship to planet Earth is explored in this second edition of the landmark anthology edited by Frank Rhodes and Bruce Malamud. 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.A unique collection that bridges the gap between science and humanitiesContains writings by scientists, artists, aviators, poets, philosophers, novelists, historians, and sociologists including Charles Darwin, Dane Picard, Rachel Carson, John Muir, Mark Twain and Archibald GeikieRepresents the human experience over the centuries, covering a span of 2,500 yearsReflects the planet's extraordinary physical diversityThe previous edition was voted one of the 25 'Great Books of Geology' by readers of the Journal of Geological Education"...this is a very worthwhile read, with something for everyone interested in geography, earth systems and geology, natural history or the general environment."
Robert A. Francis, King's College London, Progress in Physical Geography

416 pages, Paperback

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.