About this title: A guided tour through the origins of life. Fortey begins when Earth was a barren globe, without an atmosphere, spinning through space. He examines the very earliest signs of life on the rims of volcanoes, the first appearance of cells, the evolution of plants, dinosaurs, and animals, moving onward until the moment just before the debut of Homo ...
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Description: Good. 0375401199 Former library item may have library binding and show stamps, stickers or other marks. Items not meeting quality expectations may be returned. Due to the large scale of our operation, we do not have access to the specific contents/condition of our items. read more
Description: Good. Ex library book in nice shape with library markings, no additional markings found! ! May have a few stray marks not seen! ! Includes Dust Jacket! read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Vintage
Date Published: 1999
ISBN-13:9780375702617ISBN:037570261X
Description: Good. Clean pages good condition overall sharp corners tight spine All new inventory received to basement All orders guaranteed and ship within 24 hours. Your purchase supports More Than Words, a nonprofit job training program for youth, empowering youth to take charge of their lives by taking charge of a business. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Vintage
Date Published: 1999
ISBN-13:9780375702617ISBN:037570261X
Description: Good. Books have varying amounts of wear and highlighting. Usually ships within 24 hours in quality packaging. Satisfaction guaranteed. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Date Published: 1998
Description: Good. Good condition. Clean cover--corner has a light bend. Clean pages. Closed page edges show some wear. Prompt shipping & FREE delivery confirmation. read more
Edition: First Edition
Binding: Near Fine
Publisher: Vintage, NY
Date Published: 1998
ISBN-13:9780375702617ISBN:037570261X
Description: Near Fine. No Jacket. Softcover Crease line to bottom front corner, otherwise, book is very clean with no other markings, tears, rips, creases, or writing. "One of the world's leading paleontologists offers an absorbing account of how and why life on earth developed as it did. Interlacing the tale of his own adventures in the field with vivid descriptions of creatures who emerged and disappeared in the long march of geologic time. " read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Knopf
Date Published: 1998
ISBN-13:9780375401190ISBN:0375401199
Description: Very Good. Moderate cover wear with scuffing to edges. GoodwillnyBooks is committed to providing each customer with the highest standard of customer service. You may return new items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund. read more
"Amazing. Delightful. Good enough to make me miss my bus stop - so I can't recommend it highly enough. Fortey's love of both science and language is stunning in every era of evolution. Also, consider this: marsupial lions."
"Fortey, Richard. LIFE: A Natural History of the First Four Billion Years of Life on Earth. (1998). **. My rating of this heavy book in no way should reflect on the quality of the material or the quality of the writing. It reflects solely on my ability to understand the subject matter. The author starts out his book with an account of his expedition, while still a student, to Spitzbergen in the late 1960s, and uses that trip as a metaphor for the themes that pervade the book. Through his science of paleontology, he traces the development of life from the earliest forms up to humanity. The book is profusely illustrated throughout, and, after a while, you begin to scan the text and just look at the photos. If a photo particularly interests you, you can scan the surrounding text and find out more about it. For example, there is an interesting photo of slime mold, Lycogala epidendron, and you learn that slime molds are special. They occupy a place between the plant and animal kingdom. And...so it procedes throughout the book. The book, though beautifully executed, was not for me. I am not a biologist, a microbiologist, or a paleontologist. I need something easier than this to start with. If you are of such a bent, this is for you. If you're not any of those, join me in looking at the pictures."
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