A Brief History of Earth

Knoll, Andrew H. A Brief History of Earth: Four Billion Years in Eight Chapters. 2021. 272p. ISBN 9780062853912. 

Planet Earth is amazing in so many ways, and the geological records do much to tell us about what it was like billions of years ago. However, many facets of our planet remain unknown. Hod did life evolve? How did we get here? We do know that the planet first formed more than 4 billion years ago, and was most likely a boiling sea of lava that eventually cooled enough to create a crust. Water has been present since close to the beginning, and there is evidence that carbon life is also much older than we thought.

Using up-to-date field research and recent scientific discoveries, Knoll describes the most popular theories on how life arose on the planet, as well as the distinct phases that the planet took on its way to what it looks like today. Knoll also makes predictions on what will happen in the future as human activity contributes to climate change.

Fans of riveting tales of catastrophes and changes on a global scale will appreciate this story of action, massive plot twists, and roaming monsters such as the dinosaurs! A Brief History of Earth will enlighten the reader, letting them know how far we've come, and what is ahead of us!

The Address Book: What Street Addresses Reveal About Identity, Race, Wealth, and Power

 Mask, Deirdre. The Address Book: What Street Addresses Reveal About Identity, Race, Wealth, and Power. 2020. 336p. ISBN 9781250134769. Available at 388.1 MAS on the library shelves.

What's in an address? It's the place where you live. You get your mail there. Your favorite online shopping service sends packages there. But what if you didn't have an address? How would you get your mail? How would you receive information? In this provocative book, Deirdre Mask recounts the history of the street address. From the ancient city of Rome to the development of Philadelphia, it was never pre-ordained that addresses would become one of the most important aspects of modern life and that lacking one would hamper the lives of so many people.

Addresses tell where you live, but they also tell much more. They can tell others about your social class. Someone living at an address on Central Park in New York is more likely to be wealthier than someone living in West Virginia. Certain addresses are in neighborhoods that are inhabited by a majority of people from the same ethnic or racial background. 

Learn all there is to know about addresses and the fascinating history that led to your home having a number attached to it!