Great Moments in the History of Life

A non-technical (but serious) treatment of those parts of Earth history leading up to human history, as well as some pre-historical aspects of humanity. Many “events” in Earth’s history necessarily preceded the emergence of human beings (and intelligence). Geology has provided us with a great deal of information about these various steps on the way to intelligent life, and how and why they were important. Some of these events were on a cosmic scale (no universe – no life!), some were planetological/astronomical (no Earth – no life), some were essentially chemical (how did life emerge in the primordial ocean and why do we have oxygen in the atmosphere?), and some were details of evolutionary history (how did life colonize the land and how did mammals develop?). In this book an enthusiastic professor of geosciences presents a broad introduction from the Big Bang to the present and into the future, lucidly explaining aspects from various disciplines to interested, non-specialist readers.

“The book would be a wonderful resource for advanced undergraduates or for a graduate-level seminar, as each chapter focuses on a key question regarding life on Earth. … The index is brief; the few images are useful additions to the text. … Summing Up: Recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty and professionals.” (L. T. Spencer, Choice, Vol. 56 (11), July, 2019)

George Shaw has had a career as a professor of geosciences, and focused on geophysics, especially high-pressure measurements of elastic properties. He taught at University of Minnesota (14 years; Minneapolis, MN) and Union College (Schenectady, NY), as well as being awarded an NSF post-doctoral fellowship at Edinburgh, Scotland, and American Geophysical Union Congressional Science Fellowship. Dr. Shaw worked for a congressman from Washington State, on energy and environmental issues, and particularly on the formulation and passage of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982. At Minnesota Shaw developed with a colleague a course in energy resources and policy, which he taught for about ten years and which he continued to teach at Union. About fifteen years ago he initiated a course called “Great Moments in the History of Life”, starting with the origin of the universe and chemical elements and continuing through the Anthropocene. This revived an old interest in early Earthhistory and especially the conditions preceding and surrounding the origin of life. This book is the result of that revived interest.