''Vast and arresting'' SPECTATOR ''A remarkably human take on the geological world'' NEW STATESMAN Rocks are the record of our creative planet reinventing itself for four billion years. Nothing is ever lost, just transformed. Marcia Bjornerud''s life as a geologist has coincided with an extraordinary period of discovery. From an insular girlhood in rural Wisconsin, she found her way to an unlikely career studying mountains in remote parts of the world. As one of few women in her field, she witnessed the shift in our understanding of the Earth, from solid object to an entity in a constant state of transformation. In the most tumultuous times of her own life, a deep understanding of our rocky planet imbued her life with meaning. The lives of rocks are long and complex, spanning billions of years and yet shaping our own human lives in powerful, invisible ways. Sandstone that filters out pathogens creating underground oases in aquifers of clean water. Ecologite is "the chosen rock" whose formation keeps the planet running. Earth is not just a passive backdrop, or a source of resources to be mined, extracted, and carved out. Rocks are full of wisdom, but somewhere along the way many of us have forgotten how to hear it. When we are uncertain about where to find truth, a geocentric worldview reminds us that we are Earthlings, part of a planetary community where we can find wisdom in the most unlikely places. More praise for TURNING TO STONE: ''Marcia Bjornerud writes evocatively'' COUNTRY LIFE ''A nuanced celebration of the language of stone'' DAVID GEORGE HASKELL ''A unique and timeless book'' ROBERT HALZEN

Autorentext

Marcia Bjornerud

Klappentext

The lives of rocks are long and complex, spanning billions of years and shaping our own human lives in powerful, invisible ways.

Marcia Bjornerud's life as a geologist has coincided with an extraordinary period of discovery - the shift in our understanding of the Earth as solid object, to an entity in a constant state of transformation.

From an insular girlhood in rural Wisconsin, Bjornerud found her way to an unlikely career studying mountains in remote parts of the world. As one of few women in her field, a deep understanding of our rocky planet has imbued her life with meaning, even in the most tumultuous of times.

Rocks are full of wisdom, but somewhere along the way many of us have forgotten how to hear it. Turning to Stone encourages a geocentric worldview, where humans are seen as part of wider planetary community and rocks are a powerful record of our planet's continual reinvention.

[RRP: £12.99]

Zusammenfassung
A remarkable study of rocks, the stories they can tell us and the various ways they continue to shape and influence our lives, from the author of Timefulness.