SCIENCES

The Universe Within: Discovering the Common History of Rocks, Planets, and People

by Neil Shubin
Pantheon. 2013. 240p. illus. index. ISBN 9780307378439. $25.95; ebk. ISBN 9780307907868. SCI
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Rocks (which reside firmly in the camp of the inanimate) are unlikely to be the first things that come to mind when thinking about the history of humanity or the evolution of living creatures. Yet rocks, namely fossils, provide the evidence necessary to understand, and sometimes bridge, missing links in science. Shubin (The Universe Within) studies here the emerging interdisciplinary fields of expeditionary paleontology and developmental genetics. His work connects the dots between important fossil discoveries and what they tell scientists about the evolution of life through the ages. His book is part travelog—describing his experiences gathering fossils in remote areas across the globe, and part scientific exposition—skillfully tying together seemingly disparate facts.
VERDICT The author's enthusiasm for his profession, especially the more harrowing aspects of fieldwork, is infectious, and he does an excellent job of showing the heart-pounding excitement of making new scientific discoveries. Readers will never think about rocks the same way again.
Reviewed by Marianne Stowell Bracke, Purdue Univ. Lib., West Lafayette, IN , Feb 15, 2013
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