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The Map That Changed the World: William Smith and the Birth of Modern Geology
The Map That Changed the World William Smith and the Birth of Modern Geology
Author: Simon Winchester
From the author of the bestselling The Professor and the Madman comes the fascinating story of William Smith, the orphaned son of an English country blacksmith, who became obsessed with creating the world's first geological map and ultimately became the father of modern geology.In 1793 William Smith, a canal digger, made a startling disco...  more »
ISBN-13: 9780060193614
ISBN-10: 0060193611
Publication Date: 8/1/2001
Pages: 352
Rating:
  • Currently 3.6/5 Stars.
 12

3.6 stars, based on 12 ratings
Publisher: HarperCollins
Book Type: Hardcover
Other Versions: Paperback
Members Wishing: 0
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

rxkicker avatar reviewed The Map That Changed the World: William Smith and the Birth of Modern Geology on + 71 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
William Smith had a fabulous combination of background, interest, and opportunity. This is a fascinating story of how he developed the concepts of geology as science. The paperback version has good maps. The hardback has beautiful maps.

I read this because I liked _The Professor and the Madman_. Now I read anything by Simon Winchester.
reviewed The Map That Changed the World: William Smith and the Birth of Modern Geology on + 167 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
A interesting look at the beginnings of geology.
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buzzby avatar reviewed The Map That Changed the World: William Smith and the Birth of Modern Geology on + 6062 more book reviews
Winchester does his best when he is explaining the Zeitgeist of the times. It got boring when he started getting into the issues of who would garner fame for the advancement of knowledge.
reviewed The Map That Changed the World: William Smith and the Birth of Modern Geology on + 14 more book reviews
William Smith in England early 1800's figured out the how fossils in rocks told how the crust of the earth varied. By the author of Krakatoa.
reviewed The Map That Changed the World: William Smith and the Birth of Modern Geology on + 10 more book reviews
A fascinating book on the beginning of the science of geology.


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