A short history of planet Earth. Mountains, mammals, fire and ice / Краткая история планеты Земля. Горы, млекопитающие, огонь и лед

A book like this owes much to many people. I am especially grateful to my colleagues—associates, students, and friends, past and present—at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, from whom, over the years, I have learned a great deal. They have provided Scripps with an atmosphere in which exploration and learning take place every day Without that ambiance, Tm not sure this book would ever have been started, or my enthusiasm for it sustained. At home, Sheila Macdougall endured many dull evenings and weekends without much complaint as this was being written, for which I am ever grateful. Christopher and Katherine were guinea pigs for the raw manuscript, and declared that it could both be read and made sense of by nonscientists, and didn’t immediately put them to sleep.

Al Levinson, encouraging throughout, read parts of the manuscript and made many useful suggestions. Rick Balkin was a great help and encouragement at many steps along the way, for which I am very grateful. Guy Tapper drew or reproduced all of the illustrations with professionalism and within a short time frame, and his efforts add considerably to the book. At Wiley, Emily Loose enthusiastically endorsed this project, and shepherded the manuscript over various hurdles, ensuring its timely appearance. To all of you, my thanks. <...>