""A splendid introduction to geology and paleontology for the lay reader. To compress Earth's history into a single, lucidly written volume is a major achievement."" --Publishers Weekly, starred review""Few people have both the knowledge and the writing ability to capture such a long and varied history in a compelling manner. In A Short History of Planet Earth, J.D. Macdougal demonstrates that he is one of the few."" --EarthThis exhilarating survey of the four and half billion years of Earth's history charts both the geological and biological history of the planet....

This new edition of the critically acclaimed Scientific Companion offers a comprehensive introduction to the physical sciences: physics, astronomy, chemistry, geology, meteorology, biology, atmospheric science, and oceanography. Emiliani traces the evolution of the universe from the Big Bang to the present, explaining the nature of the galaxy, the Earth, inorganic and organic matter, and the development of scientific thought. More than 50 new illustrations appear throughout - from stunning aerial shots of Earth's topography to striking close-ups of the moon provided by NASA. Hundreds of...