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Back to the first syllable of recorded time
The Glarus “thrust” at Flimerstein, in the Swiss Alps. “Thrust” is where one mighty rock mass was pushed bodily over another

“Doth not our life consist of the four elements?” asked Shakespeare's Sir Toby Belch, at a time when the scientists of the day were alchemists seeking the Philosopher's Stone. He was referring, of course, to earth, air, fire and water. Today, with all of a hundred or so chemical elements systematically listed, this view may appear simplistic. Yet it is the continuous interaction of atmosphere, sea, crust – and the fiery matter beneath the crust – which shapes the ever changing surface of our earth…

In a widely acclaimed book published this year, Professor Richard Fortey tells how our planet evolved into the complex life support system it is today. He tells the tale vividly, partly through historical anecdote and partly through a series of pilgrimages to various parts of the globe to experience at first hand the geological environment.

Professor Fortey, senior palaeontologist at the Natural History Museum in London and a noted science writer, is a keen observer of his surroundings – noting, for example, where specific rocks have been used as building materials and how landscapes have been influenced by local geology.



Back to the first syllable of recorded time The Glarus “thrust” at Flimerstein, in the Swiss Alps. “Thrust” is where one mighty rock mass was pushed bodily over another “Doth not our life consist of the four elements?” asked Shakespeare's Sir Toby Belch, at a time when the scientists of the day were alchemists seeking the Philosopher's Stone. He was referring, of course, to earth, air, fire and water. Today, with all of a hundred or so chemical elements systematically listed, this view may appear simplistic. Yet it is the continuous interaction of atmosphere, sea, crust – and the fiery matter beneath the crust – which shapes the ever changing surface of our earth… In a widely acclaimed book published this year, Professor Richard Fortey tells how our planet evolved into the complex life support system it is today. He tells the tale vividly, partly through historical anecdote and partly through a series of pilgrimages to various parts of the globe to experience at first hand the geological environment. Professor Fortey, senior palaeontologist at the Natural History Museum in London and a noted science writer, is a keen observer of his surroundings – noting, for example, where specific rocks have been used as building materials and how landscapes have been influenced by local geology.
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Review is published by Rio Tinto, 6 St James' Square, London SW1Y 4LD, England Telephone +44 (0)20 7930 2399 Editor: Cherry DeGeer