Introductions to the subject

Building planet earth: five billion years of earth history

P. Cattermole Cambridge University Press, 2000, 292pp. £30.00. ISBN 0521582784.

Illustrated and accessible account of earth's history, geology, and climate: a good overview of its evolution. 128 colour plates. Useful appendices: bibliography; glossary of terms; Data for the earth and planets; index. General and undergraduate readership.

The Cambridge guide to the earth

D. Lambert; Diagram Group Cambridge University Press, 1988, 256pp. ISBN 0521336430.

Still valuable introduction, especially helpful for those with no previous knowledge of the subject. 12 chapters: 1. Sizing up the earth; 2. The restless coast; 3. Fiery rocks … 7. How rivers shape the land; 8. The work of the sea … 11. The last 600 million years; 12. Rocks and man. 1-page bibliography. Index. Large typeface and many diagrams, figures.

The earth: an intimate history

R.A. Fortey Harper Collins, 2004, 501pp. £25.00. ISBN 0002570114.

An impressive blend of travel, history, reportage and science, creating a picture of the earth over the last four billion years. Descriptions of many of its parts are used to illustrate how geology informs our lives today in many varied ways. Clear and accessible scientific expositions. An important easy-toread resource, making earth sciences accessible and relevant to the general public.

‘This is not a book for people who like science books. It is a book for people who love books, and life. [Fortey] has written a wonderful book.’ (Guardian)

The earth: its origin, history and physical constitution

H. Jeffreys 6th edn, Cambridge University Press, 1976, 574pp. ISBN 0521206480.

Classic text. 12 chapters: 1. The mechanical properties of rocks … 3. Observational seismology; 4. The theory of the figures of the earth and moon … 9. The age of the earth … 11. The origin of the earth's surface features. Appendices A–H (G. Statistical methods). Bibliography and author index, pp 535–66. Undergraduate readership.

First published 1924.

Earth story: the forces that have shaped our planet

S. Lamb and D. Sington British Broadcasting Corporation, 2003, 240pp. £12.99. ISBN 0563487070.

Broad coverage of the topic. Describes the forces that formed and shaped the world from four billion years ago to the current time. A wide range of geological issues is tackled. Would appeal to a general readership.

Originally published 1998 to accompany the television series Earth Story.