Becoming Earth - by Ferris Jabr (Hardcover)

About the Book

"The notion of a living world is one of humanity's oldest beliefs. Though scorned by scientists in the sixties and seventies, the facts supporting this concept have now become tenets of modern Earth system science, a relatively young field that studies the living and nonliving components of the planet as an integrated whole. Life did not evolve passively in response to its environment, as scientists have long assumed. Instead, it evolved with Earth, shaping its climate and terrain at every scale, one part in a great orchestra, in which non-living elements-the air, rocks, and water-are the instruments that life, in its multitudes, has emerged to play. Jabr transports the reader to some of the world's most extraordinary places--an underwater kelp forest on the coast of California, a vertiginous tower above the Amazon rainforest, and a former gold mine two miles below the Earth's surface--to explain how these symbiotic relationships evolved. He shows us how plants and other photosynthetic organisms help maintain the right level of atmospheric oxygen to support complex life. We see how microorganisms participate in many geological processes, producing new minerals and converting rock from one state to another; some scientists think they played a crucial role in forming the continents. In these pages we learn that large mammals maintain grasslands and prevent permafrost from melting; coral reefs and shellfish store huge amounts of carbon, buffer ocean acidity, improve water quality, and defend shorelines from severe weather; and so much more"--

Book Synopsis

A vivid account of a major shift in how we understand Earth, from an exceptionally talented new voice. Earth is not simply an inanimate planet on which life evolved, but rather a planet that came to life.

"Glorious . . . full of achingly beautiful passages, mind-bending conceptual twists, and wonderful characters. Jabr reveals how Earth has been profoundly, miraculously shaped by life."--Ed Yong, Pulitzer Prize winner and bestselling author of An Immense World

A SMITHSONIAN AND CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

One of humanity's oldest beliefs is that our world is alive. Though once ridiculed by some scientists, the idea of Earth as a vast interconnected living system has gained acceptance in recent decades. We, and all living things, are more than inhabitants of Earth--we are Earth, an outgrowth of its structure and an engine of its evolution. Life and its environment have coevolved for billions of years, transforming a lump of orbiting rock into a cosmic oasis--a planet that breathes, metabolizes, and regulates its climate.

Acclaimed science writer Ferris Jabr reveals a radical new vision of Earth where lush forests spew water, pollen, and bacteria to summon rain; giant animals engineer the very landscapes they roam; microbes chew rock to shape continents; and microscopic plankton, some as glittering as carved jewels, remake the air and sea.

Humans are one of the most extreme examples of life transforming Earth. Through fossil fuel consumption, agriculture, and pollution, we have altered more layers of the planet in less time than any other species, pushing Earth into a crisis. But we are also uniquely able to understand and protect the planet's wondrous ecology and self-stabilizing processes. Jabr introduces us to a diverse cast of fascinating people who have devoted themselves to this vital work.

Becoming Earth is an exhilarating journey through the hidden workings of our planetary symphony--its players, its instruments, and the music of life that emerges--and an invitation to reexamine our place in it. How well we play our part will determine what kind of Earth our descendants inherit for millennia to come.

Review Quotes

"A convincing, mind-opening case that 'the history of life on Earth is the history of life remaking Earth.'"--The Atlantic

"A glorious paean to our living world."--Ed Yong, Pulitzer Prize winner and bestselling author of An Immense World

"Infectiously poetic . . . The way he revels in the wonder of this world is exhilarating. . . . The overall uplifting outlook that he imparts is sure to reenergize even the most hardened climate pessimist. An absolutely delightful read."--Science

"Wide-ranging and thought-provoking . . . The best books manage to entertain, educate, astonish and even galvanize the reader. . . . They expand awareness [and] serve as celebrations and warnings, challenges and pleas. . . . With Becoming Earth, Oregon-based journalist Ferris Jabr achieves all of these aims and more."--The Guardian

"Poetic . . . punctuated with thunderstorm-like downpours of ideas."--Sierra

"An electrifying debut . . . With a bit of literary legerdemain . . . Jabr readies us for wonder. . . . We see the planet that sustains it, and us, more clearly, as if with new eyes. We see Earth for the revelation, the anomaly and the prodigy that it is."--Red Canary Magazine

"A compelling account of interconnectedness . . . Science writer Ferris Jabr weaves a tapestry out of the complex relationships that life forms have not only with each other, but also with the stuff of Earth itself."--New Scientist

"This exploration of the Earth as a living entity is lyrical, smart, and will make you appreciate our home planet in countless new ways. It's really a fascinating book."--Science Friday

"A fantastic book for becoming aware of the great beauty and power residing on this planet we live on and to which we give so little attention."--Big Think

"A remarkable achievement."--Ben Goldfarb, award-winning author of Crossings

"Astonishing."--Steve Silberman, author of NeuroTribes

"Fascinating, thought-provoking, and inspiring."--Elizabeth Kolbert, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Sixth Extinction

"Quite simply, a work of genius."--Robert Moor, bestselling author of On Trails

"A story so important and compelling that I am going to be recommending it for years."--Hank Green, New York Times bestselling author and science communicator

"As fascinating as it is enlightening."--El Español

About the Author

Ferris Jabr is a contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine. He has also written for The New Yorker, Harper's, The Atlantic, National Geographic, and Scientific American. He is the recipient of a Whiting Foundation Creative Nonfiction Grant and fellowships from UC Berkeley and MIT. His work has been anthologized in several editions of Best American Science and Nature Writing. Ferris Jabr lives in Portland, Oregon, with his husband, Ryan, their dog, Jack, and more plants than they can count.