Revolutions in Science Lovelock and Gaia: Signs of Life, (Hardcover)

Publishers Weekly,In the 1960s, British scientist James Lovelock formulated the Gaia hypothesis, which advocated the idea of Earth as a single biota, i.e., a living organism. It was dismissed at first by many scientists but over the years has attracted the support of environmentalists. In this biography, Turney, the editorial director of Penguin Press (London), recounts how Lovelock developed the idea and discusses its somewhat bumpy evolution from outright condemnation to scientific support. Writing for a general audience, Turney skims the science involved but adds enough details to infuse the theory with scientific weight. In light of environmentalism's rise, this title would be a useful overview, but it should be balanced by other, more critical perspectives. Turney writes in a conversational style whose Briticisms don't always ring well to an American ear. Although appropriate for school and public libraries, this book is a little too lightweight to stand on its own in academic collections.—Margaret F. Dominy, Drexel Univ. Lib., Philadelphia (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved All rights reserved.,Publishers Weekly,Publishers Weekly,In the 1960s, British scientist James Lovelock formulated the Gaia hypothesis, which advocated the idea of Earth as a single biota, i.e., a living organism. It was dismissed at first by many scientists but over the years has attracted the support of environmentalists. In this biography, Turney, the editorial director of Penguin Press (London), recounts how Lovelock developed the idea and discusses its somewhat bumpy evolution from outright condemnation to scientific support. Writing for a general audience, Turney skims the science involved but adds enough details to infuse the theory with scientific weight. In light of environmentalism's rise, this title would be a useful overview, but it should be balanced by other, more critical perspectives. Turney writes in a conversational style whose Briticisms don't always ring well to an American ear. Although appropriate for school and public libraries, this book is a little too lightweight to stand on its own in academic collections.—Margaret F. Dominy, Drexel Univ. Lib., Philadelphia (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved All rights reserved.