Doug Macdougall is Professor Emeritus of Earth Sciences at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego. He is the author of Nature's Clocks: How Scientists Measure the Age of Almost Everything; Frozen Earth: The Once and Future Story of Ice Ages (both from UC Press); and A Short History of Planet Earth.

"A wonderful primer on geology, and a clear explanation of how the science is done." -- Rob Hardy Columbus Dispatch "MacDougall has given us a gem, a book that removes emotion and apocalyptic hyperbole from the equation and provides a sober analysis of why most scientists have come to the conclusion they have about how human activity has started to play a role in the Earth's climate." -- Jim Trageser North County Times "[Macdougall] Provides important clues to the future of the planet." Interaction / Bms Book News "[Macdougall] addresses ways to apply geology to questions ... and presents all in an enjoyable reading stye." Choice

• List of Illustrations Preface Acknowledgments 1. Set in Stone 2. Building Our Planet 3. Close Encounters 4. The First Two Billion Years 5. Wandering Plates 6. Shaky Foundations 7. Mountains, Life, and the Big Chill 8. Cold Times 9. The Great Warming 10. Reading LIPs 11. Restless Giants 12. Swimming, Crawling, and Flying toward the Present 13. Why Geology Matters Bibliography and Further Reading Index

Doug Macdougall is Professor Emeritus of Earth Sciences at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego. He is the author of Nature's Clocks: How Scientists Measure the Age of Almost Everything; Frozen Earth: The Once and Future Story of Ice Ages (both from UC Press); and A Short History of Planet Earth.

"A wonderful primer on geology, and a clear explanation of how the science is done." -- Rob Hardy Columbus Dispatch "MacDougall has given us a gem, a book that removes emotion and apocalyptic hyperbole from the equation and provides a sober analysis of why most scientists have come to the conclusion they have about how human activity has started to play a role in the Earth's climate." -- Jim Trageser North County Times "[Macdougall] Provides important clues to the future of the planet." Interaction / Bms Book News "[Macdougall] addresses ways to apply geology to questions ... and presents all in an enjoyable reading stye." Choice

• List of Illustrations Preface Acknowledgments 1. Set in Stone 2. Building Our Planet 3. Close Encounters 4. The First Two Billion Years 5. Wandering Plates 6. Shaky Foundations 7. Mountains, Life, and the Big Chill 8. Cold Times 9. The Great Warming 10. Reading LIPs 11. Restless Giants 12. Swimming, Crawling, and Flying toward the Present 13. Why Geology Matters Bibliography and Further Reading Index

Doug Macdougall is Professor Emeritus of Earth Sciences at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego. He is the author of Nature's Clocks: How Scientists Measure the Age of Almost Everything; Frozen Earth: The Once and Future Story of Ice Ages (both from UC Press); and A Short History of Planet Earth.

"A wonderful primer on geology, and a clear explanation of how the science is done." -- Rob Hardy Columbus Dispatch "MacDougall has given us a gem, a book that removes emotion and apocalyptic hyperbole from the equation and provides a sober analysis of why most scientists have come to the conclusion they have about how human activity has started to play a role in the Earth's climate." -- Jim Trageser North County Times "[Macdougall] Provides important clues to the future of the planet." Interaction / Bms Book News "[Macdougall] addresses ways to apply geology to questions ... and presents all in an enjoyable reading stye." Choice

• List of Illustrations Preface Acknowledgments 1. Set in Stone 2. Building Our Planet 3. Close Encounters 4. The First Two Billion Years 5. Wandering Plates 6. Shaky Foundations 7. Mountains, Life, and the Big Chill 8. Cold Times 9. The Great Warming 10. Reading LIPs 11. Restless Giants 12. Swimming, Crawling, and Flying toward the Present 13. Why Geology Matters Bibliography and Further Reading Index