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Search - The Map That Changed the World: William Smith and the Birth of Modern Geology

The Map That Changed the World William Smith and the Birth of Modern Geology
Author: Simon Winchester

From the author of the bestselling The Professor and the Madman comes the fascinating story of William Smith, the orphaned son of an English country blacksmith, who became obsessed with creating the world's first geological map and ultimately became the father of modern geology.In 1793 William Smith, a canal digger, made a startling disco... more »very that was to turn the fledgling science of the history of the earth -- and a central plank of established Christian religion -- on its head. He noticed that the rocks he was excavating were arranged in layers; more important, he could see quite clearly that the fossils found in one layer were very different from those found in another. And out of that realization came an epiphany: that by following the fossils, one could trace layers of rocks as they dipped and rose and fell -- clear across England and, indeed, clear across the world. Determined to publish his profoundly important discovery by creating a map that would display the hidden underside of England, he spent twenty years traveling the length and breadth of the kingdom by stagecoach and on foot, studying rock outcrops and fossils, piecing together the image of this unseen universe.In 1815 he published his epochal and remarkably beautiful hand-painted map, more than eight feet tall and six feet wide. But four years after its triumphant publication, and with his young wife going steadily mad to the point of nymphomania, Smith ended up in debtors' prison, a victim of plagiarism, swindled out of his recognition and his profits. He left London for the north of England and remained homeless for ten long years as he searched for work. It wasn't until 1831, when his employer, a sympathetic nobleman, brought him into contact with the Geological Society of London -- which had earlier denied him a fellowship -- that at last this quiet genius was showered with the honors long overdue him. He was summoned south to receive the society's highest award, and King William IV offered him a lifetime pension.The Map That Changed the World is, at its foundation, a very human tale of endurance and achievement, of one man's dedication in the face of ruin and homelessness. The world's coal and oil industry, its gold mining, its highway systems, and its railroad routes were all derived entirely from the creation of Smith's first map.; and with a keen eye and thoughtful detail, Simon Winchester unfolds the poignant sacrifice behind this world-changing discovery.

ISBN-13: 9780060193614
ISBN-10: 0060193611
Publication Date: 8/1/2001
Pages: 352
Rating:

Currently 3.6/5 Stars.

3.6 stars, based on 12 ratings

Publisher: HarperCollins
Book Type: Hardcover
Other Versions: Paperback
Members Wishing: 0
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

Mary (rxkicker) - , reviewed The Map That Changed the World: William Smith and the Birth of Modern Geology on 9/22/2008 + 71 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 2

William Smith had a fabulous combination of background, interest, and opportunity. This is a fascinating story of how he developed the concepts of geology as science. The paperback version has good maps. The hardback has beautiful maps.

I read this because I liked _The Professor and the Madman_. Now I read anything by Simon Winchester.

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Valerie F. (canoegirl) reviewed The Map That Changed the World: William Smith and the Birth of Modern Geology on 10/11/2006 + 167 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

A interesting look at the beginnings of geology.

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John O. (buzzby) - , reviewed The Map That Changed the World: William Smith and the Birth of Modern Geology on 6/9/2009 + 6062 more book reviews

Winchester does his best when he is explaining the Zeitgeist of the times. It got boring when he started getting into the issues of who would garner fame for the advancement of knowledge.

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Nancy H. reviewed The Map That Changed the World: William Smith and the Birth of Modern Geology on 5/31/2006 + 14 more book reviews

William Smith in England early 1800's figured out the how fossils in rocks told how the crust of the earth varied. By the author of Krakatoa.

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Alan A. reviewed The Map That Changed the World: William Smith and the Birth of Modern Geology on 5/30/2006 + 10 more book reviews

A fascinating book on the beginning of the science of geology.

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Genres:

Biographies & Memoirs >> General
Biographies & Memoirs >> Professionals & Academics >> Scientists
History >> Europe >> England >> General
Science & Math >> Earth Sciences >> Geology
Science & Math >> History & Philosophy >> History of Science
Engineering & Transportation >> Professional Science >> Earth Sciences >> Geology

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