Major Events in the History of Life: .

By: Editor J. William Schopf

Major Events in the History of Life,?present six chapters that summarize our understanding of crucial events that shaped the development of the earth's environment and the course of biological evolution over some four billion years of geological time. The subjects are covered by acknowledged leaders in their fields span an enormous sweep of biologic history, from the formation of planet Earth and the origin of living systems to our earliest records of human activity. Several chapters present new data and new syntheses, or summarized results of new types of analysis, material not usually available in current college textbooks.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0867202688
• ISBN13: 9780867202687
• Release Date: December 1991
• Publisher: Jones & Bartlett Learning
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 1.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 11.3" x 0.5" x 8.8"

Customer Reviews

Survey articles ranging from highly readable to tedious

In this large format paperback, six experts address six different eras in the history of life, from its chemical origins to the history of the human species. The concept is a good one, but the execution is uneven. The best of these presentations are balanced, clear, and informative. Unfortunately, the first article is the driest and most technical, a fact that may turn off non-specialist readers. One wishes that Schopf had provided an introductory overview or had required more consistency in presentation from other authors. Each article is illustrated by diagrams and black and white photographs, some of which are too small or too murkily reproduced to allow close examination of details.

A good textbook from the expert himself

Professor Schopf has been teaching at UCLA since the sixties, and I've had the honor of taking one of his classes where "Major Events" was a required textbook. The man himself has won more academic awards than you can shake a fist at, and his vast knowledge is noticeable on these pages. Also from his experience of teaching undergraduates, the book is easy to read and full of pictures and illustrations. I highly recommend this book for anyone doing research on evolution and prehistoric geography.