The Universe Within: Discovering the Common History of Rocks, Planets, and People by Neil Shubin
Stimulating, accessible, even profound
Providing a stimulating narrative linking cosmology, climate and evolutionary biology, Shubin uses geology as a common thread. Stories of Arctic digs blend seamlessly with perspectives such as the nature of time and the criteria for fitness in human evolution. Shubin is a relaxed expositor of many areas of science, although at times I wished he would not shy away from the least technicality, for example fuller details on radioactive dating would have helped completeness. His stories of scientists are fresh, not an easy thing in popular science topics and any lack of drill down in explanations is compensated by clear and current Further Reading and Notes.
The progression through this short book from deep history to recent past reminded me that there are many other, some more comprehensive, books on terrestrial evolution and its many outcomes. "The Goldilocks Planet: The 4 Billion Year Story of Earth's Climate by Jan Zalasiewicz and Mark Williams" comes to mind but there remains a place for a shorter, very accessible book such as Shubin's which benefits from an enjoyable narrative and style.