The Abyss of Time: A study in geological time and Earth history

Geologists are among that group of scientists who must factor the passage of time into their investigations, and they thus have a perspective on time that sets them apart from many other researchers. The proposition that geological time is vast, encompassing thousands of millions of years, is relatively recent. It is a concept that remains controversial and unacceptable to many people today who still consider the Earth to have been made to a timetable covering no more than 10,000 years. This book examines how our fascination with time has developed from our earliest ancestors' recognition of the cycles of the sun and the moon. It considers the passage of time as a series of non-repeatable events - "Time's Arrow" - in contrast to time as a series of repeated processes - "Time's Cycle" - both of which can be used to explain geological features on the Earth's surface. The Abyss of Time argues for a greater understanding of geological or 'deep time' as society becomes more aware of the vulnerability of the Earth's resources to over-exploitation by an expanding consumer society. This debate and the controversy surrounding global warming emphasizes the importance of geological time to the process of economic and political decision-making. It is a book for those interested in the intellectual challenge presented by the extent of geological time. The Abyss of Time is written for environmentalists and policy-makers who wish to better place their concerns and decisions in proper context but, above all, it is a book that offers to share a geologist's appreciation of time with the widest possible audience. This book has won the 2016 Science Book of the Year Award from the Association for Science Education. *** "A work of solid scholarship that is exceptionally well written, organized and presented..." -- Midwest Book Review, Reviewer's Bookwatch: March 2016, Buhle's Bookshelf *** "...the book serves as a fine introduction to the concept of deep time. Throughout, Lyle emphasizes the necessity for understanding the immensity of the time involved, particularly with respect to the formation of the Earth's resources, which humans are using faster than they are being created. The presentation of this message is profusely and vividly illustrated with photos and diagrams. It is a message that everyone must heed. Recommended." -- Choice, Vol. 53, No. 10, June 2016 [Subject: Geology, Earth Science, Environmental Studies]