A review by therainbowshelf
The Map That Changed the World: William Smith and the Birth of Modern Geology by Simon Winchester

informative slow-paced

3.0

It was interesting learning about the strata maps that helped launch a widespread understanding and acceptance of geology. Overall, this isn't a bad read. I was put off, however, by the author's unnecessary proliferation of sexist, ableist, and anti-asexual notions. For no reason, he took the time to repeat that a female geologist who had shown no romantic interests left this world with her cold, petrified heart in her collection. The sexuality of the men somehow hasn’t come up. He also said of Smith’s wife that she was a burden due to her ill health and somehow didn’t feel it was important to note (granted, I didn’t look this woman up) that her other diagnosis of being ill with hyper-sexuality may have reflected more on the times and their view of women with interest in non-child-making sex than on her actual mental health.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings