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How the Earth Works

Written by: Michael E. Wysession,The Great Courses
Narrated by: Michael E. Wysession
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Publisher's Summary

How the Earth Works takes you on an astonishing journey through time and space. In 48 lectures, you will look at what went into making our planet - from the big bang, to the formation of the solar system, to the subsequent evolution of Earth. 

You will travel to the center of our planet and out again, charting the geologic forces that churn beneath our feet to push the continents and seafloor around like froth on the surface of soup. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis are byproducts of our planet’s ceaseless activity, and you will focus on specific examples of each to learn why and when they occur. Volcanic activity has produced the atmosphere as a side effect, and you will learn how this sea of air functions at the global scale. Earth’s surface is mostly water, and you will explore the cycling of this vital substance throughout the planet, along with its role in climate, erosion, plate tectonics, and biology. 

Not only are humans at the mercy of our planet’s natural forces, but we ourselves have also become agents of change. We are altering the Earth’s land, water, and air faster than any other geologic process. This will be another theme of your journey: how humans have transformed watersheds, leveled mountains, changed the balance of gases in the atmosphere, and caused the extinction of enough species to hasten the end of the 65-million-year-old Cenozoic era. It is vitally important that we understand the nature of our geologic powers if we are to have any hope of controlling them. 

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2008 The Great Courses (P)2008 The Teaching Company, LLC

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    4 out of 5 stars

very informative

whatever you do, don't start a drinking game for everytime he says "it turns out.". you may not survive

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  • Overall
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Changed my worldview

The most amazing class. So much new information that puts life in perspective. Loved it, loved it, loved it. Our Earth is one of a kind and I can't wait to explore it more. The only thing, it's affected my attitude towards religion - in a way that I suddenly find myself much more educated and open minded. It's a change, but a very welcome one. I'll never be able to go back - but neither do I want to. Amazing course. Thank you.

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  • Overall
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Not really complete

The “lectures” continually refer to props and examples that we can’t see. Oftentimes you can use your imagination but in others it is quite difficult. The professor does a very good job of tying together geology and biology and chemistry to make a coherent story of how the earth was formed and uses many practical examples to make his points. For the most part he keeps it to science and stays away from contention. Quite good.

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ummm

The presenter says "umm" and "uhh" every few words, it is maddening! I gave up after a couple topics, because I couldn't take it anymore. I was very disappointed, because I love everything science.

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    2 out of 5 stars

Too many ums

So much wonderful, interesting information, but I couldn't get past the first few chapters because of all the 'ums' from the narrator. Very disappointing, because I love this stuff, but I began to anticipate when the next 'um' would come, and couldn't listen to the material.

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  • Doug B.
  • 2019-05-23

Excellent course

Professor Wysession presented this course in a manner that made me feel as if someone was talking to me rather than lecturing to me. I continually wondered how he seemed to effortlessly pull in-depth knowledge from his head because he certainly didn’t seem to be reading his presentation.
He used simple, practical demonstrations to help the listener understand how the earth works. Although these demonstrations must have been videoed, his descriptions were so vivid I could picture them in my mind.
He enthusiastically gave a thorough history of the earth from the beginning until now and even into the future. He showed no political bias, didn’t dwell on controversies about his subject, and displayed no annoyances which often arise from listening to one lecturer for twenty four hours.
I will certainly listen to the series again to better digest many of the points I surely missed the first time.

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118 people found this helpful

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  • Life Lover
  • 2019-10-18

Frustrating

The material was awesome but I was so frustrated that I couldn't see the props he was using. I lost my patience when he started to drip wax into a fish tank and aluminum foil. he needs to say what hes seeing.

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71 people found this helpful

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  • Catherine Puma
  • 2019-10-03

Good Review of Complex Planetary Science

This is probably more like 4.5 out of 5 stars. Dr. Michael Wysession is a Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, MO, and "How the Earth Works" is his 24+ hour long The Great Courses audio recording. Through nearly 50 lectures at about 30 minutes a lecture, Wysession explains different aspects of our planet's inner-workings to demonstrate how fascinating and complex the system is.

Released in 2008, "How the Earth Works" might be a little outdated in its climate change projections, but most of the discussions focus on fundamental geological phenomena such as volcanism and plate tectonics, so there is so much that is still relevant here. I saw a review of this that said something like, "this course covers more than you can ever remember, but it's all fascinating", which articulates the experience of listening to this really well. Sometimes geology can be perceived as dry because often it is difficult or boring to identify individual rock samples, but Wysession does a great job of placing basic scientific knowledge into a context of how larger systems influence one another. For example, he explains how local volcanic activity can influence seasons, such as that which caused the harsh winter leading up to the "let them eat cake" episode and subsequent French Revolution.

This course journeys back in time to describe how our planet was formed and climate created. Then it explains how current ocean, land, and atmospheric movements function. And lastly, one of the final lectures discusses what scientists know about exoplanets and signs of life on other planets, both in our solar system and beyond.

As much as I enjoyed this review of important and interesting earth science information, I give this only 4.5 stars for a few minor reasons. The first is that I do not think those who have not taken a formal academic geology or other earth sciences course will understand everything being discussed. This is not a substitute for an introductory undergraduate course on the same topic. I just do not think that topics like plate tectonics and earthquakes can be adequately taught without the aid of quality infographics, videos, and other visual tools. Secondly, while Wysession was good about describing what he is doing while giving demonstrations, those sections still distract from the main discussion when the audience cannot see what is going on.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed listening to this over the course of a week or so, and I'm glad I did. I appreciated Wysession's ability to recognize and address the complexity of Earth's many systems constantly working together. I recommend this to any student of geology, earth science, planetary science, climate science, seismology, volcanism, plate tectonics, atmospheric chemistry, and/or science communication.

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48 people found this helpful

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  • Audy Meadow Davison LMT
  • 2019-07-02

This changes how it feels to live on Earth

There is so much mind bending, time expanding, Earth changing exploration. I look at mountains, rocks, sea shores, rainstorms, and this continent differently now. Living on this changing land seems more temporary
and much more fragile somehow. But also more amazing.

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47 people found this helpful

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  • Brian
  • 2019-05-18

Superb Course

Dr Wysession knows how to teach and keep things interesting. His depth of knowledge is impressive and he ties things together superbly. The best of 10 courses I listened to.

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38 people found this helpful

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  • Melanie
  • 2019-10-11

All is Revealed

Over the past decade I have struggled to understand how we/mankind got to this place. Our place on the Earth and then within the universe.

this course is the story of how we began, not we Man, we the Earth. it's about how the Earth was able to become our home. if you have ever wondered how it all fit together and how we fit in it, listen or watch this course.

I have left listened to about 50 of the great courses. some through audible and some through the prime great courses channel channel. Most of them have been about science. .

Of all that I have listened to, this has been the most thought-provoking and insightful. It has my highest recommendation. Listen to it, think about it and then listen again. You will not leave this course without understanding and wonder.

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25 people found this helpful

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  • Diane Schmitt
  • 2019-05-31

Fantastic!!!

This course is the most amazing I’ve listened to yet and that’s saying something!! Totally interesting from beginning to end. I just finished and am going to start it over. Fantastic!!

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  • Bobby
  • 2019-09-17

The Genesis Conflict on YouTube debunks this

Yes, get your copy today of the fictional fairy tale timeline of scientific delusions of grandeur. Relearn from your school days how the universe exploded from nothing into time, space, and matter. How the stars and planets magically overcame Jean's limit. Then magically how life arose from non living materials. Then the animals magically doing some in the past that they can't do today [reproduce something other than it's own kind].

The timeline and events that this author hopes, wishes, prayed happened never happened. Look up The Genesis Conflict on YouTube for a complete scientific refutation of this fairy tale of evolutionism. Look up Kent Hovind's Creation Seminar on YouTube. Look up on Audible Stephen C. Meyer, Douglas Axe, Michael Behe. Real scientists on Audible who don't staple the glasses of materialism to their face before assessing the evidence.

If Darwin knew today what we knew from science he wouldn't be a something-from-nothing evolutionist.

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24 people found this helpful

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  • Mary and Steve
  • 2019-07-22

Very good course

Dense at the beginning, but very interesting. Second half really applies what you learned. Highly recommended.

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  • Claudia Mastroianni
  • 2019-10-15

Audio version of a video course

Be aware that there are demos of geological principles that you will not see! With that caveat, this seems to be a thorough introduction to many topics of geology, from a pleasant lecturer.

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18 people found this helpful