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jassymay's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
seclement's review against another edition
5.0
This is essentially a David Attenborough documentary in book form, and that's a good thing. It is an inevitably simplified but beautifully told story of the history of our planet based on a number of different stages of development in the animal kingdom. If you are a nature enthusiast, you will likely love this. As ever, the narrative is compelling and Attenborough manages to make you interested in even the least charming creatures. He even manages to make brutal or gross things seem charming because of his wonderful way with words. I also liked the way the book ended with what is essentially a discussion of the Anthropocene (even if it isn't described as such), and very much puts humans in their place, in an evolutionary sense. I have read so many books about nature, but I do think that this has something unique to offer, if for no other reason than it takes you on a journey through time in a really engaging way, and makes you fall in love with creatures that you may or may not have known existed.
gingertyperior's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
2.5
While the topics are interesting, the age of the book shows especially in its reptile and bird segments.
ccoelophysis's review against another edition
4.0
Very enjoyable book. I sympathize with another reviewer who didn't want the book to end. There are so many amazing animals on this earth and I'm sure Attenborough had a hard time deciding what to include and what to leave out. Unfortunately it was written over 30 years ago and a lot of the science is out of date and photography has changed as well. I was pleased to learn that one of the animals mentioned in the book as probably extinct is actually still around. This book will make you want to do a little extra research to follow up on what's happened since it was written which isn't exactly a bad thing. Would love to see an updated edition.
eleanorjmca's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
5.0
Definitive history of the evolution of life on earth. Easy to follow, full of fascinating information, and so well structured to demonstrate by example how the evolutionary process has shaped the world. The audiobook benefits from being read by the author, who is of course an unmatched presenter. This new edition has been fully updated with new scientific discoveries since the original TV show aired, in particular genetic and fossil information. Can’t recommend highly enough!
pandagopanda's review
4.0
This accompanied Attenborough's incredibly ambitious original LOE series. The chapters sort of divide roughly by both chronological periods and organism types, which makes it a little harder to follow the timelines after the first few chapters, particularly when jumping back and forth discussing an ancient animal and it's current-era counterparts. I really enjoyed it though, and the selective (rather than exhaustive) telling highlights some fascinating and often surprising links between species. It made me think a lot more about the massive timescales of evolution and how adaptive (though slower than glacially) living things can be. I would put alongside Rachel Carson's "The Sea Around Us" as an accessible and captivating way to read into natural history and sciences.