Earth and Life
A Four Billion Year Conversation
$39.99
- Hardcover
328 pages
- Release Date
7 July 2026
Summary
From the world-renowned geobiologist and bestselling author of A Brief History of Earth, the epic story of a planetary conversation four billion years in the making.
How did the world as we know it – from the soil beneath our feet to the air we breathe and the life that surrounds us – come to be? Geologists have proposed one set of answers while biologists have proposed another. Earth and Life is the first book to reveal why we need to listen to both…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780691182230 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 069118223X |
| Author: | Andrew H. Knoll |
| Publisher: | Princeton University Press |
| Imprint: | Princeton University Press |
| Format: | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages: | 328 |
| Release Date: | 7 July 2026 |
| Weight: | 580g |
| Dimensions: | 33mm x 152mm x 223mm |
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Critics Review
“This book’s significance is, in my opinion, threefold. First, it raises public consciousness about the coevolution and coupled processes of Earth and life-forms. Second, it outlines some big questions in geobiology that need further research. And third, the book highlights Earth’s precious and privileged place as a living planet and debunks the notion that we can easily colonize Mars… . Earth and Life presents a geoscience that is both vivid and vital for today’s conversations about humanity’s relationship with Earth.”—Rasoul Sorkhabi, Science
“A stimulating primer on how interactions between the planet’s physical environment and living beings have shaped the world throughout time… . Knoll does an impressive job of lucidly explaining both geological and biological processes, providing necessary background without being pedantic. Readers will be informed and entertained.” * Publishers Weekly *
“A welcome look at the Earth as a single system of countless moving parts.” * Kirkus Reviews *
”[A] delightful work… . Knoll’s long experience as a teacher – most recently, as the Fisher Professor of Natural History at Harvard University – is evident in every page of the book, both in his delight in the subject matter and his desire to share his joy with others. As well as being informative, it is also introspective, humorous, and at times personal. Earth and Life is well worth reading for anyone who wants to know how we got here – and what might come next.”—Jan Lee, Earth.org
Andrew H. Knoll
Andrew H. Knoll is the Fisher Research Professor of Natural History and Earth and Planetary Sciences, Emeritus, at Harvard University. His books include A Brief History of Earth: Four Billion Years in Eight Chapters and Life on a Young Planet: The First Three Billion Years of Evolution on Earth (Princeton). Recipient of the International Prize for Biology and the Crafoord Prize in Geosciences, he is a member of the National Academy of Sciences.
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