De Saussure and the Heliothermometer
March 23, 2019
Horace Bénédict de Saussure was a natural philosopher from Geneva who explored the Alps in the late 1700s and puzzled through the reasons for the
"Rob Wesson’s Darwin’s First Theory dares, thank goodness, to work some of the rare Darwinian territory that is actually unexplored."
“An eye-opening account of a less well-known side of Darwin. Wesson hits the jackpot when he concentrates on his subject and reveals that 20 years before Darwin wrote On the Origin of Species, his genius was already in evidence. A welcome addition to Darwin studies.”
“An impressive addition to the huge body of literature on Darwin and his work. Wesson has a broad understanding and a deep familiarity with primary and secondary sources on Darwin and his contemporaries―and he has a master storyteller’s talent for engaging and illuminating narrative.”
“A wonderful evocation of Darwin's great theory of subsidence and uplift, the substrate of his later, explosive discovery of evolution.”
“In witty prose, Rob Wesson has captured a side of Darwin that is often omitted in popular writings―that of a geologist. Appropriate quotes from Darwin and Robert Fitzroy, a polymath himself, enhance the eloquence of all three authors. Darwin’s First Theory reveals the power and the glory of curiosity. ”
“An illuminating retelling of a neglected episode in epoch-making science.”
“Readers interested in Darwin, the earth sciences, and field-based research will find this well worth their time.”
“Distinguished seismologist Rob Wesson left his desk and followed Darwin’s footsteps. He traces Darwin’s pioneering development of geological theories of a dynamic earth and illuminates the growth in science leading to our modern understanding of plate tectonics.”
“A lively, readable account of field experiences while chasing the records in southern Chile of several of Earth's most severe earthquakes. A very welcome addition to the history of the geosciences.”
“An exciting scientific travelogue. Indispensable reading for rock hounds and fans of natural history.”
