"An essential perspective for those seeking a serious introduction to early geological science and a fundamental point of departure for future research. . . . No other book has this scope and conceptual focus." Kenneth L. Taylor, University of OklahomaIn the years between 1665 and 1750, geology was a new kind of science, combining physical law with historical process. Rhoda Rappaport explains its novelty and provides a transnational account of the development of geological thinking. She begins with the establishment of formal institutions of international exchange, including the Philosophical...