Wednesday, June 28, 2017

Ice Age

Charlie Munger called Ice Age "the best work of science exposition and history that I've read in many years!”, so I had to give it a shot. The authors don't waste any words, as the book clocks in at just 100 pages, but not for lack of content.

The authors dig into the history of human knowledge when it comes to understanding the earth's climate over time, through the geological clues that have been left behind through the ages. Some of the scientific discoveries are fascinating, as better models were constantly invented as new technologies unearthed (in some cases literally!) new findings.

On the other hand, the book purports to be about how a change in climate "made us human". Unfortunately, there was very little discussion about this in the actual book. You have to wait til the epilogue before this (albeit, pretty cool) theory is actually put forward and expanded on, so don't be fooled by the subtitle.

I also can't say I understood everything; as the theories/models got more and more complex, I did get lost at various points along the way. I doubt it's the authors' fault, however, as that does tend to happen to me even when I read books aimed at the layman.

If the topic interests you, I highly recommend Ice Age.

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