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How the Earth Works
How the Earth Works takes you on an astonishing journey through time and space. In 48 lectures, you will look at what went into making our planet - from the big bang, to the formation of the solar system, to the subsequent evolution of Earth.
You will travel to the center of our planet and out again, charting the geologic forces that churn beneath our feet to push the continents and seafloor around like froth on the surface of soup. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis are byproducts of our planet’s ceaseless activity, and you will focus on specific examples of each to learn why and when they occur. Volcanic activity has produced the atmosphere as a side effect, and you will learn how this sea of air functions at the global scale. Earth’s surface is mostly water, and you will explore the cycling of this vital substance throughout the planet, along with its role in climate, erosion, plate tectonics, and biology.
Not only are humans at the mercy of our planet’s natural forces, but we ourselves have also become agents of change. We are altering the Earth’s land, water, and air faster than any other geologic process. This will be another theme of your journey: how humans have transformed watersheds, leveled mountains, changed the balance of gases in the atmosphere, and caused the extinction of enough species to hasten the end of the 65-million-year-old Cenozoic era. It is vitally important that we understand the nature of our geologic powers if we are to have any hope of controlling them.
You will travel to the center of our planet and out again, charting the geologic forces that churn beneath our feet to push the continents and seafloor around like froth on the surface of soup. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis are byproducts of our planet’s ceaseless activity, and you will focus on specific examples of each to learn why and when they occur. Volcanic activity has produced the atmosphere as a side effect, and you will learn how this sea of air functions at the global scale. Earth’s surface is mostly water, and you will explore the cycling of this vital substance throughout the planet, along with its role in climate, erosion, plate tectonics, and biology.
Not only are humans at the mercy of our planet’s natural forces, but we ourselves have also become agents of change. We are altering the Earth’s land, water, and air faster than any other geologic process. This will be another theme of your journey: how humans have transformed watersheds, leveled mountains, changed the balance of gases in the atmosphere, and caused the extinction of enough species to hasten the end of the 65-million-year-old Cenozoic era. It is vitally important that we understand the nature of our geologic powers if we are to have any hope of controlling them.
Audible Audio
Published March 11, 2019
About the author
Michael E. Wysession
52 books14 followersProf. Michael Edward Wysession is a member of the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, USA, and author of numerous science textbooks published by Pearson Education and Prentice Hall.
Wysession earned his B.Sc. from Brown University in 1980 and his Ph.D. at Northwestern University in 1991, and has been on the faculty at Washington University since then. His research has focused on using seismic waves to identify the composition and structure of Earth's mantle, with special focus on the boundary between the mantle and core. In 1996, Wysession created one of the first maps of the structure of Earth's core-mantle boundary, and in 1999, he created the first accurate computer-generated animation of the way seismic waves propagate through Earth's mantle. An example of his research was the identification with Jesse Lawrence of the lower mantle Beijing Anomaly. Wysession is chair of the National Science Foundation (NSF)-sponsored Earth Science Literacy Initiative, leading a research community-based effort that created a concise document of what all citizens should know about Earth science. He has been active for many years with the leadership of IRIS (Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology), and has served as Chair for the past four years of the Education and Outreach Program, working to advance global awareness of earthquakes and seismology. Wysession also helped to create the NSF program on Computational Infrastructure for Geodynamics, and is an editor of the journal Geophysical Research Letters, published by the American Geophysical Union.
Wysession is the lead author of Prentice Hall's high school physical science book Physical Science: Concepts in Action, and writer of their high school Earth Science and middle school Earth science Science Explorer books. He is also a co-author of Pearson's new K-8 national science program, Interactive Science. Wysession is co-author of a leading undergraduate/graduate geophysics textbook with Seth Stein entitled Introduction to Seismology, Earthquakes, and Earth Structure. Wysession is author of the best-selling video course How the Earth Works with The Teaching Company, which consists of 48 30-minute lectures on all aspects of Earth science. He is the designer and instructor of a course entitled Earth, Moon, and Mars that he presents at different NASA locations. Wysession is a frequent lecturer internationally at teacher organization meetings (such as the National Science Teachers Association), science centers, and other venues.
Wysession earned his B.Sc. from Brown University in 1980 and his Ph.D. at Northwestern University in 1991, and has been on the faculty at Washington University since then. His research has focused on using seismic waves to identify the composition and structure of Earth's mantle, with special focus on the boundary between the mantle and core. In 1996, Wysession created one of the first maps of the structure of Earth's core-mantle boundary, and in 1999, he created the first accurate computer-generated animation of the way seismic waves propagate through Earth's mantle. An example of his research was the identification with Jesse Lawrence of the lower mantle Beijing Anomaly. Wysession is chair of the National Science Foundation (NSF)-sponsored Earth Science Literacy Initiative, leading a research community-based effort that created a concise document of what all citizens should know about Earth science. He has been active for many years with the leadership of IRIS (Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology), and has served as Chair for the past four years of the Education and Outreach Program, working to advance global awareness of earthquakes and seismology. Wysession also helped to create the NSF program on Computational Infrastructure for Geodynamics, and is an editor of the journal Geophysical Research Letters, published by the American Geophysical Union.
Wysession is the lead author of Prentice Hall's high school physical science book Physical Science: Concepts in Action, and writer of their high school Earth Science and middle school Earth science Science Explorer books. He is also a co-author of Pearson's new K-8 national science program, Interactive Science. Wysession is co-author of a leading undergraduate/graduate geophysics textbook with Seth Stein entitled Introduction to Seismology, Earthquakes, and Earth Structure. Wysession is author of the best-selling video course How the Earth Works with The Teaching Company, which consists of 48 30-minute lectures on all aspects of Earth science. He is the designer and instructor of a course entitled Earth, Moon, and Mars that he presents at different NASA locations. Wysession is a frequent lecturer internationally at teacher organization meetings (such as the National Science Teachers Association), science centers, and other venues.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
March 1, 2021
To me, Geology had always been the epitome of a boring subject. Who on earth would want to devote their life to studying rocks? Cataloguing blades of grass seemed more engrossing. But my first—and only—geology class fairly destroyed this prejudice. I was in Kenya, studying at the Turkana Basin Field School; and geology was included in the curriculum because of its obvious relevance to paleontology.
I assumed that we would spend most of our time in a classroom, learning to differentiate pebbles. And there was some of that. But what I soon realized, as we struggled to keep up with our sprightly professor in the equatorial heat, is that geology is a field science. We were constantly on the move: surveying, navigating, mapping, by boat, by foot, and by truck. For our final assignment we had to find our way back to camp through a hellish landscape of volcanic rock, entirely free of vegetation, under a relentless sun. It was the thirstiest I have ever been. My image of a geologist, by the end, had changed from a bespectacled nerd to a full-fledged badass.
The student may reach the same conclusion after finishing these lectures. While Wysession is not exactly Indiana Jones, these lectures are filled with intellectual daring. Here there is no science of the stamp-collecting kind. Rather, Wysession uses the grand concepts of geology to explain the largest features of the planet—its radioactivity, magnetism, moving continents, mountains, valleys, shorelines, and climates. With an eye for the dramatic, he uses earthquakes, volcanoes, and tsunamis to teach basic geological concepts, making clear that the subject has life and death implications. (It turns out that geology is actually a dangerous profession, considering how often they visit extreme environments like volcanoes.) Geologists are not only badasses, it turns out, but vital researchers in explaining our place in the universe.
Ironically, what I missed most from this course was mineralogy—what types of rocks are there, where can they be found, how are they formed? If I am to become an amateur geologist, I should be able to tell schist from shale. But as a basic introduction to an often-overlooked science, I think Wysession does a terrific job. Now that geology is exciting, though, I am in need of a new discipline to mock.
I assumed that we would spend most of our time in a classroom, learning to differentiate pebbles. And there was some of that. But what I soon realized, as we struggled to keep up with our sprightly professor in the equatorial heat, is that geology is a field science. We were constantly on the move: surveying, navigating, mapping, by boat, by foot, and by truck. For our final assignment we had to find our way back to camp through a hellish landscape of volcanic rock, entirely free of vegetation, under a relentless sun. It was the thirstiest I have ever been. My image of a geologist, by the end, had changed from a bespectacled nerd to a full-fledged badass.
The student may reach the same conclusion after finishing these lectures. While Wysession is not exactly Indiana Jones, these lectures are filled with intellectual daring. Here there is no science of the stamp-collecting kind. Rather, Wysession uses the grand concepts of geology to explain the largest features of the planet—its radioactivity, magnetism, moving continents, mountains, valleys, shorelines, and climates. With an eye for the dramatic, he uses earthquakes, volcanoes, and tsunamis to teach basic geological concepts, making clear that the subject has life and death implications. (It turns out that geology is actually a dangerous profession, considering how often they visit extreme environments like volcanoes.) Geologists are not only badasses, it turns out, but vital researchers in explaining our place in the universe.
Ironically, what I missed most from this course was mineralogy—what types of rocks are there, where can they be found, how are they formed? If I am to become an amateur geologist, I should be able to tell schist from shale. But as a basic introduction to an often-overlooked science, I think Wysession does a terrific job. Now that geology is exciting, though, I am in need of a new discipline to mock.
February 25, 2023
A series of forty eight lectures, each lasting around thirty minutes, delivered by Michael E. Wysession, PHD – Professor of Geophysics at Washington University in St. Louis. Part of the Great Courses collection provided by Audible (many of them free to members.). This set takes us from the formation of everything – the Big Bang – right through to speculation around whether life exists beyond this planet. It’s thorough, sometimes a little too detailed for me but enthusiastically delivered by a man who clearly knows his subject.
There’s a lot of geology here, but all of the other major sciences feature too. Some early facts that grabbed me included:
- 20% of all humans who have ever lived are alive today
- Most of what each of us is – the atoms- are actually billions of years old
We’re walked through the formation of our planet and a good deal about how it functions, which includes some pretty eye opening news (to me) regarding how Plate Tectonics work and how this has delivered substantial changes that to Earth’s geography over time. There’s also a lot here about weather and severe events that impact us, such as volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. Towards the end there’s a really interesting section on natural resources: how they’re being depleted and what options are open to us in the future. Some more facts stood out to me here, such as:
- The US uses circa 25% of the world’s oil but only has around 2% of the world’s reserves
- Saudi Arabia covers a third of one percent of Earth’s surface but owns 25% of the world’s oil
The final sections looking beyond planet Earth were possibly the highlights for me. It seems that in our galaxy only Mars offers a haven should we be forced to leave our planet – but this presupposes that water is found there (the scientists think this is likely). Though even on Mars life would be tough – and very cold! Wider afield, it all becomes pretty much guesswork but there seems to be a distinct possibility that we are indeed the only planet on which life as we know it exists.
There’s a lot of geology here, but all of the other major sciences feature too. Some early facts that grabbed me included:
- 20% of all humans who have ever lived are alive today
- Most of what each of us is – the atoms- are actually billions of years old
We’re walked through the formation of our planet and a good deal about how it functions, which includes some pretty eye opening news (to me) regarding how Plate Tectonics work and how this has delivered substantial changes that to Earth’s geography over time. There’s also a lot here about weather and severe events that impact us, such as volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. Towards the end there’s a really interesting section on natural resources: how they’re being depleted and what options are open to us in the future. Some more facts stood out to me here, such as:
- The US uses circa 25% of the world’s oil but only has around 2% of the world’s reserves
- Saudi Arabia covers a third of one percent of Earth’s surface but owns 25% of the world’s oil
The final sections looking beyond planet Earth were possibly the highlights for me. It seems that in our galaxy only Mars offers a haven should we be forced to leave our planet – but this presupposes that water is found there (the scientists think this is likely). Though even on Mars life would be tough – and very cold! Wider afield, it all becomes pretty much guesswork but there seems to be a distinct possibility that we are indeed the only planet on which life as we know it exists.
June 10, 2020
This is an awesome 4 ½ billion year journey, the story of earth, how it was, how it is, and how it might be one day. Our planetary home is not a finished product. It’s a work in progress, ever-changing. When we look at a mountain range, or coastline, or ocean, we’re not seeing an eternal thing, we’re seeing a snapshot of something in the process of forever changing. We live in such a tiny pocket of eternity that it’s easy to forget that.
I enjoyed this series of lectures a lot, as you may have guessed. It is, however, not perfect, at least not for me. This is really a series of videos that I listened to in audio format. Professor Wysession used a lot of visual aids that I had no chance to see. Fortunately, I was familiar enough with the subject that I was able to follow him anyway. Also, some of the information is getting a little out of date. Considering that these lectures were given, I think, more than ten years ago now, that’s as it should be.
Anyway, I enjoyed this.
I enjoyed this series of lectures a lot, as you may have guessed. It is, however, not perfect, at least not for me. This is really a series of videos that I listened to in audio format. Professor Wysession used a lot of visual aids that I had no chance to see. Fortunately, I was familiar enough with the subject that I was able to follow him anyway. Also, some of the information is getting a little out of date. Considering that these lectures were given, I think, more than ten years ago now, that’s as it should be.
Anyway, I enjoyed this.
November 15, 2022
Very elementary. If you are new to the topic or need a basic refresher about geology, Earth‘s history, physics, plate tectonics, volcanoes, etc., this is a good primer.
From the book blurb:
“How the Earth Works takes you on an astonishing journey through time and space. In 48 lectures, you will look at what went into making our planet - from the big bang, to the formation of the solar system, to the subsequent evolution of Earth.“
… charting the geologic forces that churn beneath our feet to push the continents and seafloor around… Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis are byproducts of our planet’s ceaseless activity, and you will focus on specific examples of each… how humans have transformed watersheds, leveled mountains, changed the balance of gases in the atmosphere, and caused the extinction of enough species to hasten the end of the 65-million-year-old Cenozoic era…“
The lectures start off with „Geology’s Impact on History“, „Geologic History—Dating the Earth“, „Earth’s Structure—Journey to Earth’s Center“. The we start to delve into some basic principles.
Lectures 6 & 7 „Making Matter—The Big Bang and Big Bangs“ and „Creating Earth—Recipe for a Planet“ were pretty fun chapters. I think this is something I want to explore more in the future, aka how do planets and solar systems form?
Recommended reading by Wysession:
- Hawking, A Brief History of Time. — I tried this when it was published and didn’t get far. Got a hardback version, now I just have to find the time.
- Tyson, Death by Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandaries. — Tyson has a style I like, at least from watching him on screen. Tempted.
- Calvino, Cosmicomics
- Ferris, The Whole Shebang: A State-of-the-Universe Report
„The Rock Cycle—Matter in Motion“, „Minerals—The Building Blocks of Rocks“ and „Crystallization—The Rock Cycle Starts“ were pretty dry, but probably a necessary foundation for another fun lecture: Lecture 12 „Volcanoes—Lava and Ash“.
Lecture 15 „Plate Tectonics—Why Continents Move“ — this was probably the best explanation about the mechanics of plate tectonics that I have ever heard. Wysession is good a breaking it down with practical examples on any topic. Here one probably needs a video to watch him with his metal sheets, ice cubes in water etc., instead of just listening to the explanations.
Lecture 16 to 19 told me more about plate tectonics though than I ever wanted to know and I almost DNFd several times. I listened to most of lecture 20, „Continents Collide and Mountains are Made“, and started on lecture 21, „Intraplate Volcanoes“, before finally deciding to call it a day. 10.5 hours done, another 13-odd hours to go… the lecture format made this pretty dull and boring a lot of the time, although there were the above mentioned highlights as well. Maybe I will pick this up again at some point and make it to some more fun chapters, but for now I am done.
2.5 crystalized rocks, rounded up.
From the book blurb:
“How the Earth Works takes you on an astonishing journey through time and space. In 48 lectures, you will look at what went into making our planet - from the big bang, to the formation of the solar system, to the subsequent evolution of Earth.“
… charting the geologic forces that churn beneath our feet to push the continents and seafloor around… Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis are byproducts of our planet’s ceaseless activity, and you will focus on specific examples of each… how humans have transformed watersheds, leveled mountains, changed the balance of gases in the atmosphere, and caused the extinction of enough species to hasten the end of the 65-million-year-old Cenozoic era…“
The lectures start off with „Geology’s Impact on History“, „Geologic History—Dating the Earth“, „Earth’s Structure—Journey to Earth’s Center“. The we start to delve into some basic principles.
Lectures 6 & 7 „Making Matter—The Big Bang and Big Bangs“ and „Creating Earth—Recipe for a Planet“ were pretty fun chapters. I think this is something I want to explore more in the future, aka how do planets and solar systems form?
Recommended reading by Wysession:
- Hawking, A Brief History of Time. — I tried this when it was published and didn’t get far. Got a hardback version, now I just have to find the time.
- Tyson, Death by Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandaries. — Tyson has a style I like, at least from watching him on screen. Tempted.
- Calvino, Cosmicomics
- Ferris, The Whole Shebang: A State-of-the-Universe Report
„The Rock Cycle—Matter in Motion“, „Minerals—The Building Blocks of Rocks“ and „Crystallization—The Rock Cycle Starts“ were pretty dry, but probably a necessary foundation for another fun lecture: Lecture 12 „Volcanoes—Lava and Ash“.
Lecture 15 „Plate Tectonics—Why Continents Move“ — this was probably the best explanation about the mechanics of plate tectonics that I have ever heard. Wysession is good a breaking it down with practical examples on any topic. Here one probably needs a video to watch him with his metal sheets, ice cubes in water etc., instead of just listening to the explanations.
Lecture 16 to 19 told me more about plate tectonics though than I ever wanted to know and I almost DNFd several times. I listened to most of lecture 20, „Continents Collide and Mountains are Made“, and started on lecture 21, „Intraplate Volcanoes“, before finally deciding to call it a day. 10.5 hours done, another 13-odd hours to go… the lecture format made this pretty dull and boring a lot of the time, although there were the above mentioned highlights as well. Maybe I will pick this up again at some point and make it to some more fun chapters, but for now I am done.
2.5 crystalized rocks, rounded up.
January 20, 2020
In my adolescence I liked to consider myself something of an absurdist philosopher. I enjoyed taking concepts that were typical in human existence and speak about them in ways that were abnormal for normal discussion. One of the prime phrases I used to say, so as to infuse most situations with a bit of humility, was that we are all just monkeys on a rock.
It was not so long after that I discovered that we are actually monkeys. And of course, after listening to this lecture series I’m starting to feel a great deal of reluctance in referring to this planet as a ‘rock’. Such phrasing is much too simple. The earth is so intricate and complex that it warrants more than my adolescent characterization.
This is a lecture series on geology given by geophysicist Micheal E Wysession from wash u in St. Louis. He gave this series in the mid 2000’s some small parts feel dated, but I’ll get to that in a moment.
Wysession discusses the many complexities of geology. He immediately off the bat clarifies that the subject is the study of the earth and how it’s various structures interact and change over time rather than the study of just, ya know, pebbles. He speaks fairly widely, from how the various continents acquired their shapes, how and why the earth is layered and structured as it is, and of course on the nature of plate tectonics, and their dynamics . While this may sound boring to many, I assure you it’s fairly stimulating. He ropes in a great deal of more than the aforementioned topics as he travels into how the earths formation impacted human history (such as his theory on the relation of how a volcano created a climate hospital to the French Revolution), the nature of the seasons, the earths magnetic field, and climate change*. Overall it tuned out to quite informative and a lot more sophisticated and relevant than I had originally presumed. This lecture series is about 24 hours on audible and it is certainty worth the time.
Recommended for :
Everyone curious about how
* his commentary on this is quite short and inadequate but he spoke pretty adamantly with a desire towards optimism in 2018 on the topic : https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dOcywQ2... . This was an enjoyable lecture which doesn’t posit we are all doomed, but rather, “let’s try to handle this”.
It was not so long after that I discovered that we are actually monkeys. And of course, after listening to this lecture series I’m starting to feel a great deal of reluctance in referring to this planet as a ‘rock’. Such phrasing is much too simple. The earth is so intricate and complex that it warrants more than my adolescent characterization.
This is a lecture series on geology given by geophysicist Micheal E Wysession from wash u in St. Louis. He gave this series in the mid 2000’s some small parts feel dated, but I’ll get to that in a moment.
Wysession discusses the many complexities of geology. He immediately off the bat clarifies that the subject is the study of the earth and how it’s various structures interact and change over time rather than the study of just, ya know, pebbles. He speaks fairly widely, from how the various continents acquired their shapes, how and why the earth is layered and structured as it is, and of course on the nature of plate tectonics, and their dynamics . While this may sound boring to many, I assure you it’s fairly stimulating. He ropes in a great deal of more than the aforementioned topics as he travels into how the earths formation impacted human history (such as his theory on the relation of how a volcano created a climate hospital to the French Revolution), the nature of the seasons, the earths magnetic field, and climate change*. Overall it tuned out to quite informative and a lot more sophisticated and relevant than I had originally presumed. This lecture series is about 24 hours on audible and it is certainty worth the time.
Recommended for :
Everyone curious about how
* his commentary on this is quite short and inadequate but he spoke pretty adamantly with a desire towards optimism in 2018 on the topic : https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dOcywQ2... . This was an enjoyable lecture which doesn’t posit we are all doomed, but rather, “let’s try to handle this”.
February 6, 2020
Overall, this course was awesome! Good introduction to mineralogy, orogeny, volcanism, siesomology, even planetary geology. I learned a lot with minimal background knowledge. Only complaint is the lecture on the history of life. The lecturer discusses the origin of life as a series of facts, though the information is really conjectural. When he said 'vertebrates make up most of the animal on earth' I just skipped the lecture - I'll get my biology from a biologist, thank you.
December 9, 2019
Did I listen attentively to each lecture? I did not. Did I still learn quite a lot? Indeed I did.
January 20, 2024
Incredible Course. Wrong Format.
I listened to this course on audible, costing me the £7.99 worth of one audible credit. Probably one of the best value for money purchases I've made.
The sheer amount of content in this 24.5 hour book in stupendous. Covering 48 topics across a series of half hour lectures, Professor Wysession takes you through the entire journey of the universe, at all scales. From the Big Bang to start of the first single-celled life. From the structure of the Earth to the journey of a single grain of sand.
Although some lectures were of greater personal interest than others, I learned a lot from all of them.
Unfortunately I found I struggled with the format at times. This book is a set of audio recordings from lectures with live demonstrations and videos, and this became a real problem for several of the more complex topics where Professor Wysession used a lot of visual aids to help explain difficult concepts. I found myself needing to pause and look up diagrams online to try and understand better what was being discussed. The attached pdf of the key content could have been significantly improved if this had these included.
Overall though, I'm deeply pleased that a resource such as this exists, and Professor Wysession does an incredible job of teaching the listener How the Earth Works.
I listened to this course on audible, costing me the £7.99 worth of one audible credit. Probably one of the best value for money purchases I've made.
The sheer amount of content in this 24.5 hour book in stupendous. Covering 48 topics across a series of half hour lectures, Professor Wysession takes you through the entire journey of the universe, at all scales. From the Big Bang to start of the first single-celled life. From the structure of the Earth to the journey of a single grain of sand.
Although some lectures were of greater personal interest than others, I learned a lot from all of them.
Unfortunately I found I struggled with the format at times. This book is a set of audio recordings from lectures with live demonstrations and videos, and this became a real problem for several of the more complex topics where Professor Wysession used a lot of visual aids to help explain difficult concepts. I found myself needing to pause and look up diagrams online to try and understand better what was being discussed. The attached pdf of the key content could have been significantly improved if this had these included.
Overall though, I'm deeply pleased that a resource such as this exists, and Professor Wysession does an incredible job of teaching the listener How the Earth Works.
September 22, 2019
It's decently done, but too elementary.
December 27, 2019
Watch a detailed review along with my favorite ideas and takeaways at:
https://youtu.be/067LJrg3oa8
https://youtu.be/067LJrg3oa8
December 21, 2023
It's a good basic geography/geology course, but 48 lectures was a bit much. I think it could have been done in 36.
This was Professor Wysession's first GC, done way back when the lecturers had an audience in the studio with them. While I really like Dr. Wysession's later GCs, this one definitely needed someone to take the good professor aside and tell him he was forbidden to say "interestingly/here's something interesting" or "actually" ever again. If it was a drinking game, I'd have been hammered by the middle of any given lecture. In one, I counted some from of "interestingly" 16 times in the first ten minutes. Prime example of bow an innocent verbal tic can completely distract from a presentation.
This was Professor Wysession's first GC, done way back when the lecturers had an audience in the studio with them. While I really like Dr. Wysession's later GCs, this one definitely needed someone to take the good professor aside and tell him he was forbidden to say "interestingly/here's something interesting" or "actually" ever again. If it was a drinking game, I'd have been hammered by the middle of any given lecture. In one, I counted some from of "interestingly" 16 times in the first ten minutes. Prime example of bow an innocent verbal tic can completely distract from a presentation.
August 15, 2023
This is a really good course with really good information. However, I can't recommend the audiobook as much as I would like to, because there were a lot of places where the lecturer was discussing visual effects that he was showing in the video. This did not translate as well to the audio-only version. This is the first Great Courses lecture where I wished I was watching the video version instead of listening to the audio. I did still like the audio version, but I think the video would be much better.
October 5, 2022
One of the most informative audiobooks I have ever listened to. A must for anybody who is interested in the world, science or geography and so much more. Wow, I will definitely listen to it again soon as there is so much wisdom in it.
July 19, 2020
This is what an audible course should be. The lecturer, Professor Wysession, is an expert in his field with all the necessary knowledge. He is passionate, enthusiastic, and with an engaging presentation style. He has an innate ability to infuse variety, wit, or anecdotes when the content becomes too dry.
The biggest draw of the long course, however, is not its style but the substance. The Professor diligently and methodically covers vast grounds, and all quite comprehensively for introductory sessions. In each section - whether on the construct of our planet or plate tectonics, the history of life or the geographical flux, the weather, or the volcanoes - there are enough details for an upcoming savant to drool over and equally well-crafted summaries for a dilettante to nibble and feel satisfied. Most listeners will gloss over details of some sections that interest them less, but will still feel happy with the overall richness of this patiently-crafted course. It also helps that the Professor does not mind stepping outside the usual subject bounds to discuss relevant (tiny) bits of cosmology, cellular biology, climate sciences, or political history.
The Professor's cheerful and forgiving account of human impact is in sync with the positivity that permeates through the course. Yet, it is at odds with the scientific details he discusses. He could have had a stronger message for his students in that regard, given the mastery he has on the subject and the importance of the message from the data he has.
The biggest draw of the long course, however, is not its style but the substance. The Professor diligently and methodically covers vast grounds, and all quite comprehensively for introductory sessions. In each section - whether on the construct of our planet or plate tectonics, the history of life or the geographical flux, the weather, or the volcanoes - there are enough details for an upcoming savant to drool over and equally well-crafted summaries for a dilettante to nibble and feel satisfied. Most listeners will gloss over details of some sections that interest them less, but will still feel happy with the overall richness of this patiently-crafted course. It also helps that the Professor does not mind stepping outside the usual subject bounds to discuss relevant (tiny) bits of cosmology, cellular biology, climate sciences, or political history.
The Professor's cheerful and forgiving account of human impact is in sync with the positivity that permeates through the course. Yet, it is at odds with the scientific details he discusses. He could have had a stronger message for his students in that regard, given the mastery he has on the subject and the importance of the message from the data he has.
August 10, 2020
I liked Earth Science when I studied it in elementary school and I enjoyed it again when my son studied it, so I approached this Great Courses book with great enthusiasm and I wasn’t disappointed. Wysession provides 48 very clear lectures walking the listener through the creation of the planet and the various geological “life cycles”. There were times when the book slowed down (for example endlessly discussing the different kinds of erosion) but over all it kept my attention and truly captivated me when discussing the various kinds of climate change the planet is experiencing and has experienced since creation. This was Wysession at his best—optimistic, noticing where the challenges are, but also noting the progress that we’ve made as we mature as a species and as different countries. If you are interested in Earth Science this is a great introduction to the topic.
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If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
July 7, 2022
Accessible science with an interesting and passionate delivery. I have another course by Wysession on energy and am stoked for it. There's so many interesting lectures and topics covered in this series that I didn't expect. Are we part of a whole, extending our circle of compassion as we evolve? Did we end a 65 million year era recently? Is God in the future? Why are there seasons? Where do temperatures vary most on land? Why do mountains commonly form at the edge of continents? Are humans the ocean's biological attempt at land exploration?
Some of my favorite topics:
- How volcanoes are related to the French Revolution and American westward expansion.
- Seismometers and Cold War peace.
- The basics of biological dating and radioactivity.
Some of my favorite topics:
- How volcanoes are related to the French Revolution and American westward expansion.
- Seismometers and Cold War peace.
- The basics of biological dating and radioactivity.
January 24, 2024
I loved his great course on energy but only liked this one. It was a slog. There was endless amounts of technical jargon and explanations that were hard to visualize without seeing the lectures. There was just way too much information conveyed too quickly to process and absorb. And I was left with a gazillion questions. Chief of among them is why precisely plate tectonics are necessary for life on our planet. He said something to that effect many many times but never explained why that is the case. I recall that our core and geological systems play a role in protecting us from solar radiation but he never directly answered that question. But for me the course was too complicated for me.
May 10, 2020
This set of 48 lectures is a good overview of and introduction to the Geological sciences. It was mostly a review for me, but I did learn some new things -- especially some details related to plate tectonics and atmosphere dynamics.
There are a few minor errors, slips of the tongue mostly, and some of the lectures should be updated, but overall a good course well presented. Professor Wysession's enthusiasm for the subjects is infectious.
There are a few minor errors, slips of the tongue mostly, and some of the lectures should be updated, but overall a good course well presented. Professor Wysession's enthusiasm for the subjects is infectious.
December 24, 2020
Good summary of how the earth works - the first half focusing on details of various rock types, earth forces and geological phenomena might be a bit dry for a non-specialist curious reader, but it all leads up to a great climax. In this audio course's final part, the author explores the relationship of life (as we know it) to earth's chemistry and physics, and details the impact humans are having on this unique planet. A pleasant enough listen for runs or commuting
May 16, 2020
I really enjoyed it, especially the last 10-12 lectures which are on climate change, (there are 48 lectures, some really meant for the student of geology I think instead of just the average Joe). But the final lectures tell how climate change has affected civilization over time and the current impact of humans on the environment.
September 19, 2020
a great intro course on Earth Science that would be very suitable for non - scientists - i am a high school biology teacher who has been tagged to teach earth science this year so i listened as a primer to help get me up to speed - i learned a lot - the lectures were easy to follow - good stuff - i am inclined to try other great courses after this first go round.
April 13, 2021
This was a series of 48 geology lectures. I learned a lot, and I spent a lot of time after reading the book thinking about the ideas. I found myself telling other people almost everyday about something I had read in this book. I would have given it 4 stars because it is so long and parts of it are dry, but the ideas presented and the summary at the end of each chapter were worth 5 stars.
September 3, 2021
Geology has changed and so much has been learned since I ever studied anything about it years and years ago. This presentation was so well done and I am so grateful that I was able to hear it and understand some of the advances that have been made in understanding how our world and universe work together to make life...
October 12, 2023
I really learned a lot about the earth from this book, and enjoyed the author’s and the narrator’s enthusiasm for the subject. I’m giving this five stars in spite of the one distracting detail of the excessive use of the word “interestingly”, which after awhile seemed to occur in every other sentence.
February 8, 2020
Lots of terms, facts and figures without much story or applicability.
Way too much info for me on internal composition of the earth.
Lends a good overall understanding of earth thermodynamics, weather, plate tectonics, etc.
Ends with a fun view of exoplanets.
Way too much info for me on internal composition of the earth.
Lends a good overall understanding of earth thermodynamics, weather, plate tectonics, etc.
Ends with a fun view of exoplanets.
October 7, 2020
The science was insightful. A lot of it is based on a theory that the author assumes is fact. There were some contradictions that were repeated a number of times. Terrible to think this is what is being taught to our college students in science.
November 3, 2020
I loved this it was the most enjoyable thorough scientific journey I've taken.
Perhaps my lack of knowledge in this area helped but it was just such an interesting enjoyable read.
I feel that my wonder at the world has grown deeper along with my understanding as to how it all works.
Perhaps my lack of knowledge in this area helped but it was just such an interesting enjoyable read.
I feel that my wonder at the world has grown deeper along with my understanding as to how it all works.
August 13, 2021
These really were great lectures. They spark curiosity and answer a lot of big questions but also help you organise your pre-existing knowledge in a more cohesive way. The early lectures with a lot of science required more attention and sometimes two or three listens. But the big picture lectures were for a much wider audience. Really enjoyed this series. And also the prof sounds so much like Jerry Seinfeld that I was waiting for him to make a joke about airline peanuts.
April 6, 2023
I learned a lot, but it's now 15 years old, which makes the climate change material seriously out of date. Plus he's WAY too optimistic about human nature and our willingness to sacrifice any of our own comfort for the sake of a greater good.
March 11, 2020
Deep dive into the many systems that are constantly in motion on our planet. This series is easy to follow and does a good job of putting all the pieces together.
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