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A Wilder Time: Notes from a Geologist at the Edge of the Greenland Ice
Greenland, one of the last truly wild places, contains a treasure trove of information on Earth's early history embedded in its pristine landscape. Over numerous seasons, William E. Glassley and two fellow geologists traveled there to collect samples and observe rock formations for evidence to prove a contested theory that plate tectonics, the movement of Earth's crust over its molten core, is a much more ancient process than some believed. As their research drove the scientists ever farther into regions barely explored by humans for millennia—if ever—Glassley encountered wondrous creatures and natural phenomena that gave him unexpected insight into the origins of myth, the virtues and boundaries of science, and the importance of seeking the wilderness within.
224 pages, Paperback
First published February 13, 2018
22 people are currently reading
781 people want to read
About the author
William E. Glassley
3 books5 followersWilliam E. Glassley is a geologist at the University of California, Davis, and an emeritus researcher at Aarhus University, Denmark, focusing on the evolution of continents and the processes that energize them. He lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
June 27, 2021
Through LibraryThing Early Reviewers, I received this book along with an ARC from the publisher. Thank you, Bellevue Literary Press. See https://blpress.org for books at the intersection of the arts and sciences.
Who would've thought, a book about the author's six geological expeditions in Greenland, recounted non-chronologically, that is not only absorbing in its detail, expansiveness, and informativeness, but also awe inspiring in its evocation of wilderness that is the provenance and sustainer of human existence. The books approach of evolving impressions make it far more interesting than a scientific travelogue, and the impetus of the expeditions expands the characterizations.
This scientist is an accomplished writer, depicting vivid characters, emotions, and settings, making something as esoterically uninspiring to the average reader as geological studies come alive to captivate the mind.
"The two most engaging powers of an author are to make new things familiar, and familiar things new." ~ Samuel Johnson
“Live as if your Life has consequences far beyond your understanding. It does.” ~ Duncan Morrison
Enhance your frame of reference with a balance of meaningful reading. Please, for our sake, our children's, and all the innocents whose futures are threatened.
L. G. Cullens
Who would've thought, a book about the author's six geological expeditions in Greenland, recounted non-chronologically, that is not only absorbing in its detail, expansiveness, and informativeness, but also awe inspiring in its evocation of wilderness that is the provenance and sustainer of human existence. The books approach of evolving impressions make it far more interesting than a scientific travelogue, and the impetus of the expeditions expands the characterizations.
This scientist is an accomplished writer, depicting vivid characters, emotions, and settings, making something as esoterically uninspiring to the average reader as geological studies come alive to captivate the mind.
"The two most engaging powers of an author are to make new things familiar, and familiar things new." ~ Samuel Johnson
“Live as if your Life has consequences far beyond your understanding. It does.” ~ Duncan Morrison
Enhance your frame of reference with a balance of meaningful reading. Please, for our sake, our children's, and all the innocents whose futures are threatened.
L. G. Cullens
February 19, 2018
"The richer the past that is contained in memory, the stronger the congruity with the moment will be, and the better we will know what the world is."
The title was of great interest. Our vanishing wilderness more important to us now than ever before. Economic self-interests continue to devour what remains of our wild lands. At risk is the loss of our own “essential wildness”. Believing the lives that lived there “are worthy of our recognition and respect”, William E. Glassley shares and celebrates the wild so that it may be saved.
The title was of great interest. Our vanishing wilderness more important to us now than ever before. Economic self-interests continue to devour what remains of our wild lands. At risk is the loss of our own “essential wildness”. Believing the lives that lived there “are worthy of our recognition and respect”, William E. Glassley shares and celebrates the wild so that it may be saved.
August 18, 2022
What is it about geology that makes so many books wax rhapsodic and spend most of their time philosophizing about life, death, and change? I have read Robert Macfarlane’s Underland: A Deep Time Journey, and Hugh Raffles’ Book of Unconformities: Speculations on Lost Time, and both spend far more time commenting on mankind’s place in the universe than they do on rocks and strata and tectonic forces. Perhaps the contemplation of billions of years spurs a philosophical state of mind, or perhaps staring at rocks all day is so boring that thinking about anything else is a relief.
This book is another of those, but in this case it is about 50-50 sightseeing and geology, and both parts are good. The author was a member of a geological expedition to Greenland, looking for signs of the early earth. There are elusive and scattered indications that billions of years ago Greenland was on the shore of a now vanished ocean, with volcanoes and Alps-sized mountain ranges, which over vast time have eroded down to their roots. This period was so early in earth’s history that even the tectonic forces that move continents may not have developed yet.
The author and his companions explore, collect specimens, and try to piece together a theory explaining the evidence, while living in a remote and unforgiving place for weeks at a time. For non-geologists, the descriptions of their finds are intriguing, such as what they call pencil gneisses, metamorphic rocks softened by great heat and pressure and smeared into meter-long “pencils” by shearing forces, or when they examine an outcrop that was once the floor of a shallow sea and casually remark that the minerals found on it could only have formed if they had sunk at least ten miles into the earth and then been pushed back to the surface.
Geology provides the structure for the book, but often fades into the background as the author discusses the climate, weather, and life that abounds in that remote and hostile place. Rocks are often covered with lichen in a wide array of colors, growing at a rate of perhaps on thousandth of an inch per year, sometimes in beds so thick they hide potentially ankle-breaking depressions, and which are slick as ice when wet. Birds and fish are the predominate life forms, along with mosquitoes, which attack in swarms whenever there is not enough wind to blow them away. The weather can change abruptly, from pleasant and almost balmy to ferocious gales. There is a beautiful description of strong winds slamming into a vertical wall of rock and sending streamers of clouds flying off the top.
The area being explored was the central coast of western Greenland and there are times when the author comments that he might be the first human who has ever laid eyes on a particular sight and, given the area’s remoteness, he might also be the last to ever do so. It is a beautiful landscape for those willing to endure its dangers and hardships. The scientists camp along the shore of a fjord, traveling by foot or boat to other parts of the region. In the evenings of the arctic summer, when the sun never sets, they write up their notes and discuss the day’s findings, using their samples and observations to build a theory, like trying to see the picture in a jigsaw puzzle from only a few scattered pieces.
There is beauty in this remote, rugged place, and the author does a good job describing it. There are also some remarkable geological finds, sometimes stumbled upon by accident. A passing glint on the shore leads them to the discovery of a wall of giant orthopyroxene crystals, each about a foot long and eight inches high, stacked like bricks in a wall. Later analysis showed that they were formed 2.8 billion years ago, precipitating onto the floor of a magma chamber deep underground. Other rocks were found that could only have been formed at least sixty miles under the earth’s surface, where the pressure was at least 400,000 pounds per square inch.
A book like this cries out for color photos, but alas, the only one it has is a black and white picture of a microscope slide. All those descriptions of beautiful rock formations, of a wild and untamed landscape, and of the deep blue fjords with ice floating in them – without pictures they lose much of their intensity. I checked to see if the author has a website, and he does, and it includes a section on photos, but it consists of only half a dozen small, non-resizable ones, that don’t do justice to the descriptions in the book. It is a pity that the opportunity to enhance the narrative with photos was missed. As an alternative, if your library subscribes to Kanopy, watch the documentary Meltdown, which uses Greenland as a backdrop to discuss global warming, and has some beautiful photography.
I enjoyed the book. It hits a mid-point between being dry technical geological information, and extravagant flights of man’s-place-in-the-cosmos navel gazing. It is also worth remembering that all this vanishing, right before our eyes, as the glaciers melt away and sea level rises, and the populations of whales and fish and seabirds decline.
This book is another of those, but in this case it is about 50-50 sightseeing and geology, and both parts are good. The author was a member of a geological expedition to Greenland, looking for signs of the early earth. There are elusive and scattered indications that billions of years ago Greenland was on the shore of a now vanished ocean, with volcanoes and Alps-sized mountain ranges, which over vast time have eroded down to their roots. This period was so early in earth’s history that even the tectonic forces that move continents may not have developed yet.
The author and his companions explore, collect specimens, and try to piece together a theory explaining the evidence, while living in a remote and unforgiving place for weeks at a time. For non-geologists, the descriptions of their finds are intriguing, such as what they call pencil gneisses, metamorphic rocks softened by great heat and pressure and smeared into meter-long “pencils” by shearing forces, or when they examine an outcrop that was once the floor of a shallow sea and casually remark that the minerals found on it could only have formed if they had sunk at least ten miles into the earth and then been pushed back to the surface.
Geology provides the structure for the book, but often fades into the background as the author discusses the climate, weather, and life that abounds in that remote and hostile place. Rocks are often covered with lichen in a wide array of colors, growing at a rate of perhaps on thousandth of an inch per year, sometimes in beds so thick they hide potentially ankle-breaking depressions, and which are slick as ice when wet. Birds and fish are the predominate life forms, along with mosquitoes, which attack in swarms whenever there is not enough wind to blow them away. The weather can change abruptly, from pleasant and almost balmy to ferocious gales. There is a beautiful description of strong winds slamming into a vertical wall of rock and sending streamers of clouds flying off the top.
The area being explored was the central coast of western Greenland and there are times when the author comments that he might be the first human who has ever laid eyes on a particular sight and, given the area’s remoteness, he might also be the last to ever do so. It is a beautiful landscape for those willing to endure its dangers and hardships. The scientists camp along the shore of a fjord, traveling by foot or boat to other parts of the region. In the evenings of the arctic summer, when the sun never sets, they write up their notes and discuss the day’s findings, using their samples and observations to build a theory, like trying to see the picture in a jigsaw puzzle from only a few scattered pieces.
There is beauty in this remote, rugged place, and the author does a good job describing it. There are also some remarkable geological finds, sometimes stumbled upon by accident. A passing glint on the shore leads them to the discovery of a wall of giant orthopyroxene crystals, each about a foot long and eight inches high, stacked like bricks in a wall. Later analysis showed that they were formed 2.8 billion years ago, precipitating onto the floor of a magma chamber deep underground. Other rocks were found that could only have been formed at least sixty miles under the earth’s surface, where the pressure was at least 400,000 pounds per square inch.
A book like this cries out for color photos, but alas, the only one it has is a black and white picture of a microscope slide. All those descriptions of beautiful rock formations, of a wild and untamed landscape, and of the deep blue fjords with ice floating in them – without pictures they lose much of their intensity. I checked to see if the author has a website, and he does, and it includes a section on photos, but it consists of only half a dozen small, non-resizable ones, that don’t do justice to the descriptions in the book. It is a pity that the opportunity to enhance the narrative with photos was missed. As an alternative, if your library subscribes to Kanopy, watch the documentary Meltdown, which uses Greenland as a backdrop to discuss global warming, and has some beautiful photography.
I enjoyed the book. It hits a mid-point between being dry technical geological information, and extravagant flights of man’s-place-in-the-cosmos navel gazing. It is also worth remembering that all this vanishing, right before our eyes, as the glaciers melt away and sea level rises, and the populations of whales and fish and seabirds decline.
March 1, 2018
A Wilder Time: Notes from a Geologist at the Edge of the Greenland Ice by William E. Glassley is a very highly recommended combination of nature writing at its finest with the recording of geological discoveries and observations.
"Geology is not generally considered an enterprise rich with drama." ( pg. 60)
While perhaps this observation is true, there was a richness and drama of a sort in this account of the time William E. Glassley and his Danish colleagues, Kai Sørensen and John Korstgård, spent on six expeditions to Greenland, a place that truly defines the word "wilderness." The geologists went there to sample, photograph, and measure any rock formations that would provide evidence of the terrain's history and the tectonic movements. They wanted to find out how deeply the rocks had been buried, how hot they had been, and when the deformation of them occurred; and they wanted to find the place where that marked the point of collision between two continents.
While Glassley does discuss some of the amazing geological discoveries and observations he and his colleagues made, he is also poetic in his descriptions and observations of Greenland, including the overwhelming silence and the natural environment there. The scientific focus may have been the geology, but Glassley also shares his keen observations of the nature around him - the huge bumblebees, the small arctic flowers, the lichen, the arctic foxes, ptarmigan, herring, an encounter with a falcon, and an almost magical mirage.
The narrative is divided into three parts, Fractionation, Consolidation, and Emergence, each of which describes the sensory experiences that shifted his perception. The first part, Fractionation, documents the way his expectations about Greenland had been altered. Consolidation marks his coming to terms with the reality that "ignorance is an integral part of being aware." The final section, Emergence, covers what he feels, based on epiphanies he had in Greenland, we can and cannot know of the world. The book contains a glossary for those unfamiliar with geological terms. (As a secret geology geek, I was transfixed by the scientific observations of the expedition that Glassley chose to share. I desperately wanted pictures.)
A Wilder Time is a celebration of wilderness, written in poetic prose that can be appreciated by anyone who enjoys good nature writing. It is also a call to save the wilderness areas we have left.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Bellevue Literary Press.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2018/0...
"Geology is not generally considered an enterprise rich with drama." ( pg. 60)
While perhaps this observation is true, there was a richness and drama of a sort in this account of the time William E. Glassley and his Danish colleagues, Kai Sørensen and John Korstgård, spent on six expeditions to Greenland, a place that truly defines the word "wilderness." The geologists went there to sample, photograph, and measure any rock formations that would provide evidence of the terrain's history and the tectonic movements. They wanted to find out how deeply the rocks had been buried, how hot they had been, and when the deformation of them occurred; and they wanted to find the place where that marked the point of collision between two continents.
While Glassley does discuss some of the amazing geological discoveries and observations he and his colleagues made, he is also poetic in his descriptions and observations of Greenland, including the overwhelming silence and the natural environment there. The scientific focus may have been the geology, but Glassley also shares his keen observations of the nature around him - the huge bumblebees, the small arctic flowers, the lichen, the arctic foxes, ptarmigan, herring, an encounter with a falcon, and an almost magical mirage.
The narrative is divided into three parts, Fractionation, Consolidation, and Emergence, each of which describes the sensory experiences that shifted his perception. The first part, Fractionation, documents the way his expectations about Greenland had been altered. Consolidation marks his coming to terms with the reality that "ignorance is an integral part of being aware." The final section, Emergence, covers what he feels, based on epiphanies he had in Greenland, we can and cannot know of the world. The book contains a glossary for those unfamiliar with geological terms. (As a secret geology geek, I was transfixed by the scientific observations of the expedition that Glassley chose to share. I desperately wanted pictures.)
A Wilder Time is a celebration of wilderness, written in poetic prose that can be appreciated by anyone who enjoys good nature writing. It is also a call to save the wilderness areas we have left.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Bellevue Literary Press.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2018/0...
January 21, 2018
A Wilder Time is a lyrical yet scientific appreciation of Greenland and what it has to say about Earth. William Glassley takes us along on a summer expedition to discover what Greenland actually is in paleo terms. His team of three finds that Greenland was there at the clash of continents, near the very beginning. They find rock 3.4 billion years old, right out in the landscape. They find a wall of giant orthopyroxene crystals that exist nowhere else in this size, stacked like a stockpile of bricks. Theory says they were forged in magma chambers 20 miles down, 2.8 billion years ago, but until now, we’ve never seen whole ones. In Greenland, they’re on permanent exhibition. They also find peace, tranquility, vast vistas, silence and an appreciation of the tiny things we’re far too busy to even know about. The less you have to think about, the more bandwidth you have for what’s in front of you. It is a delightful recounting of a wonderful adventure.
For a geologist, Glassley writes like a poet: “Suddenly, I understood Earth to be a manuscript, written in an extraordinary calligraphy, embellished with an artistry I could barely discern.” He gives all kinds of dimensions to what could have been a very dry book. Glassley himself is a unique specimen. A southern California surfer dude who by his own admission was punished and expelled from school numerous times, he managed to focus on geology and bring a nuanced appreciation of nature to everything he does. At one point he lies flat on the tundra to better locate a ptarmigan perfectly camouflaged in the lichen, and discovers the multiple fragrances of arctic flowers you cannot perceive at six feet. I think mensch is the technical term for this man.
Greenland itself is a vast treasure. It is an island that would stretch from British Columbia to Mexico and from San Francisco to Denver. Its ice sheet is still 12,000 feet thick. It still contains 600,000 cubic miles of frozen water – 10% of the water in the oceans. As it recedes, more land is exposed - and more treasures.
Glassley’s attachment to Greenland reminds me of the stories of white Americans kidnapped by Indians in the 1800s. Many who were let go, both men and women, were miserable and had to literally escape civilization to try to make it back to the tribe. There are no cases of freed Indians longing to escape the tribe and return to town life. For Glassley, Greenland is life.
David Wineberg
For a geologist, Glassley writes like a poet: “Suddenly, I understood Earth to be a manuscript, written in an extraordinary calligraphy, embellished with an artistry I could barely discern.” He gives all kinds of dimensions to what could have been a very dry book. Glassley himself is a unique specimen. A southern California surfer dude who by his own admission was punished and expelled from school numerous times, he managed to focus on geology and bring a nuanced appreciation of nature to everything he does. At one point he lies flat on the tundra to better locate a ptarmigan perfectly camouflaged in the lichen, and discovers the multiple fragrances of arctic flowers you cannot perceive at six feet. I think mensch is the technical term for this man.
Greenland itself is a vast treasure. It is an island that would stretch from British Columbia to Mexico and from San Francisco to Denver. Its ice sheet is still 12,000 feet thick. It still contains 600,000 cubic miles of frozen water – 10% of the water in the oceans. As it recedes, more land is exposed - and more treasures.
Glassley’s attachment to Greenland reminds me of the stories of white Americans kidnapped by Indians in the 1800s. Many who were let go, both men and women, were miserable and had to literally escape civilization to try to make it back to the tribe. There are no cases of freed Indians longing to escape the tribe and return to town life. For Glassley, Greenland is life.
David Wineberg
July 13, 2020
The opening put me off -- too, um, touchy-feely? Then on to straightforward stuff on the expedition, then back to gushing. So. Might not be for me?
I haven't given up, and I certainly like the feelings he describes, of being in places where few humans have been before (or not lately). Though I've never been in such an isolated place as Greenland! His writing style just may not be my cup of Nescafe -- which is what they brought for hot drinks. Gah.
Finished, and confirmed my remarks above. Where he sticks to geology, Greenland and earth history, it's great. Where he ventures into philosophy and esthetics: well, not for me! But YMMV. They did make significant contributions to the geological history of Greenland, including pushing back the dates of deformation there to 3.35 billion years ago, and finding the deepest continental rocks known so far, from 150 miles down! Some of those samples were in an archive from work done in the 1960s by a retired Danish geologist, who went back with them to his old field area in 2012.
So, I would have preferred more geology, and less vaporing. But it is what it is. Weak 3 stars for the "package deal" -- and you can skim!
A nice review, that prompted me to put the book on reserve:
https://inquisitivebiologist.wordpres...
"A Wilder Time is an exceptionally captivating book, its brevity and small size working in its favour. Spend an afternoon with this book, I doubt you will regret it."
I haven't given up, and I certainly like the feelings he describes, of being in places where few humans have been before (or not lately). Though I've never been in such an isolated place as Greenland! His writing style just may not be my cup of Nescafe -- which is what they brought for hot drinks. Gah.
Finished, and confirmed my remarks above. Where he sticks to geology, Greenland and earth history, it's great. Where he ventures into philosophy and esthetics: well, not for me! But YMMV. They did make significant contributions to the geological history of Greenland, including pushing back the dates of deformation there to 3.35 billion years ago, and finding the deepest continental rocks known so far, from 150 miles down! Some of those samples were in an archive from work done in the 1960s by a retired Danish geologist, who went back with them to his old field area in 2012.
So, I would have preferred more geology, and less vaporing. But it is what it is. Weak 3 stars for the "package deal" -- and you can skim!
A nice review, that prompted me to put the book on reserve:
https://inquisitivebiologist.wordpres...
"A Wilder Time is an exceptionally captivating book, its brevity and small size working in its favour. Spend an afternoon with this book, I doubt you will regret it."
February 3, 2018
William Glassley is an Earth scientist that has published scientific papers for the past forty years. Glassley’s new book, A Wilder Time, moves away from scientific dialect and instead invites the reader to venture into a poetic, visual journey into Greenland. This is not a book to learn geology even though there are tidbits of technical explanations added to give context to a particular story. A Wilder Time is a wilderness lover’s observation of a world not yet harnessed by man. It is nice to read a book on the environment that makes the reader feel a sense of joy. Glassley succeeded in giving 2018 a great start for nature books.
January 22, 2024
Trigger warnings: animal death, gun violence
3.5 stars
I wish this had contained photos rather than just diagrams of geological phenomena. Like, Glassley does a fantastic job of depicting Greenland's wilderness. I felt like I was there, seeing what he was seeing (although he DID lose me when he got deep into the geological stuff). But I still would have liked to have photos included.
3.5 stars
I wish this had contained photos rather than just diagrams of geological phenomena. Like, Glassley does a fantastic job of depicting Greenland's wilderness. I felt like I was there, seeing what he was seeing (although he DID lose me when he got deep into the geological stuff). But I still would have liked to have photos included.
June 24, 2018
Kinda neato at first, but gets boring really quickly. It's basically a dude talking about his memories of Greenland's scenic nature. I feel like a documentary or maybe a book of photos would do more with significantly less boredom.
I liked it for the odd sentence or paragraph. Don't buy this unless you're big on nature reminiscence or if you really have a hard-on for Greenland.
I liked it for the odd sentence or paragraph. Don't buy this unless you're big on nature reminiscence or if you really have a hard-on for Greenland.
July 10, 2021
I liked everything about this book, especially the author's descriptions of the tectonic plate movements, his observations on the temporal nature of plant and animal life, and his interaction with his two associates.
January 23, 2024
Rating: 3.5 stars rounded to 3
“The edge of wilderness, offering little resistance, was silently retreating into a new future we unknowingly are shaping. When wilderness is gone, even that which is responding naturally to climate change forces, all that will remain are memories and impressions of its textures and forms, its silences and screams, its smells and tastes.”
I was intrigued by this book despite the fact science was one of my least favorite school subjects 😅
The book follows the author’s experiences of Greenland from six different expeditions. The writing wasn’t as dry as I expected; it discusses not only the technical/informational research but also draws on the beauty of nature. It’s written in a very poetic way especially in the second half!
I enjoyed the beautiful descriptions of the landscape and animals. However it could be a little too philosophical and prose-y rather than diving into the scientific aspects mentioned in the introduction. I was pulled in but by the second half I had lost interest and was confused what Glassley was trying to say with this book.
A Wilder Time felt like two different books with the poetic writing of most of the book vs the intro and epilogue exploring the life/science of Greenland.
I expected something different based on the introduction and the science felt rushed in the epilogue because he chose the rest of the book to give us prose on nature and philosophical questions of existence 😭
In the introduction, he talked about Greenland (Kalaallit Nunaat) and Inuit communities in terms of how they’re affected by climate change. As well as wilderness being affected by climate change and expansion of society. I thought we’d explore this topic more in the book but it was seemingly forgotten?
There were a few quotes I enjoyed and like I said, the descriptions were beautiful. I just wish Glassley expanded on the topics he brought up in the intro and hadn’t put all the scientific research findings in the epilogue, but paced it out throughout the entire book.
“Life lived in Greenland is integrated with the life of the sea; it is balanced and nuanced, and nothing is taken for granted.”
“The edge of wilderness, offering little resistance, was silently retreating into a new future we unknowingly are shaping. When wilderness is gone, even that which is responding naturally to climate change forces, all that will remain are memories and impressions of its textures and forms, its silences and screams, its smells and tastes.”
I was intrigued by this book despite the fact science was one of my least favorite school subjects 😅
The book follows the author’s experiences of Greenland from six different expeditions. The writing wasn’t as dry as I expected; it discusses not only the technical/informational research but also draws on the beauty of nature. It’s written in a very poetic way especially in the second half!
I enjoyed the beautiful descriptions of the landscape and animals. However it could be a little too philosophical and prose-y rather than diving into the scientific aspects mentioned in the introduction. I was pulled in but by the second half I had lost interest and was confused what Glassley was trying to say with this book.
A Wilder Time felt like two different books with the poetic writing of most of the book vs the intro and epilogue exploring the life/science of Greenland.
I expected something different based on the introduction and the science felt rushed in the epilogue because he chose the rest of the book to give us prose on nature and philosophical questions of existence 😭
In the introduction, he talked about Greenland (Kalaallit Nunaat) and Inuit communities in terms of how they’re affected by climate change. As well as wilderness being affected by climate change and expansion of society. I thought we’d explore this topic more in the book but it was seemingly forgotten?
There were a few quotes I enjoyed and like I said, the descriptions were beautiful. I just wish Glassley expanded on the topics he brought up in the intro and hadn’t put all the scientific research findings in the epilogue, but paced it out throughout the entire book.
“Life lived in Greenland is integrated with the life of the sea; it is balanced and nuanced, and nothing is taken for granted.”
October 22, 2022
A remarkable book. Glassley's sensory, scientific prose led me inward and outward at the same time and made me appreciate wildness in new ways.
May 11, 2018
I loved the combination of mystical nature musings and science. always like the theme of surviving in an inhospitable climate. fieldwork/ research a good theme too. the meandering style became a bit repetitive and the main reason I didn't give it 4 stars is that there were no pictures! he was constantly describing colors and patterns and there should have been a section of color photos to illustrate.
May 10, 2019
Geology as poetry. So beautiful.
"We are the result of water insinuating itself into the latticework of crystalline forms, of its persuasive discourse with the elements that reside there to run to the sea. ...We live in an illusion that is a consequence of our trial-and-error biology. Our reality, consequently, is an impoverished truth. In pristine wildness, one has a chance to experience small epiphanies that expose one's preconceptions and misunderstandings."
"We are the result of water insinuating itself into the latticework of crystalline forms, of its persuasive discourse with the elements that reside there to run to the sea. ...We live in an illusion that is a consequence of our trial-and-error biology. Our reality, consequently, is an impoverished truth. In pristine wildness, one has a chance to experience small epiphanies that expose one's preconceptions and misunderstandings."
December 23, 2022
This one definitely could’ve used some pictures. The image of Greenland in my head is a big block of ice so hearing over and over about how beautiful it is was torture. Maybe if I knew more geology it would’ve been easier to imagine so that’s my fault. But otherwise I liked the writing style and how much the author loves wilderness.
July 13, 2018
Part field journal, part love note to the beauty of Greenland, and part geology primer, A Wilder Time is a surprisingly entertaining description of three scientists studying the history and, well, birth of Greenland. William Glassley's descriptions of Greenland are breathtaking and he explains his science so well that even I understand the implications of his research. Even though I was intrigued by the subject matter of A Wilder Time, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book.
April 30, 2018
This short book is an epic poem to the IMPORTANCE, wonder and wild beauty of wilderness areas.
Set in Greenland, it makes little difference, that the primeval wilderness is where life came from and is still fundamentally important to life today. This is beautifully written. Glassley expresses his thoughts and feelings with clarity and insight. This simple book should be required reading for everyone! It's a simple story of his month in Greenland collecting geological samples of rock and studying the place.
" This is not a situation unique to Greenland; on every continent, wilderness is being
consumed, and the people who have depended on it, living at its fringe and within its
embrace, are forced to relinquish what they cherish. With infinite hubris, the modern
world is imposing the consequences of its industrial avarice on lifestyles it knows nothing
of. The moral bankruptcy of the rationalizations for the destruction of wilderness and the
people who live in harmony with it is staggering. That many are, in fact, angry and seeking
ways to mitigate impacts is heartening, but the pushback is formidable. The moral outrage we
ALL should feel seems meager against the economic juggernaut. "
Set in Greenland, it makes little difference, that the primeval wilderness is where life came from and is still fundamentally important to life today. This is beautifully written. Glassley expresses his thoughts and feelings with clarity and insight. This simple book should be required reading for everyone! It's a simple story of his month in Greenland collecting geological samples of rock and studying the place.
" This is not a situation unique to Greenland; on every continent, wilderness is being
consumed, and the people who have depended on it, living at its fringe and within its
embrace, are forced to relinquish what they cherish. With infinite hubris, the modern
world is imposing the consequences of its industrial avarice on lifestyles it knows nothing
of. The moral bankruptcy of the rationalizations for the destruction of wilderness and the
people who live in harmony with it is staggering. That many are, in fact, angry and seeking
ways to mitigate impacts is heartening, but the pushback is formidable. The moral outrage we
ALL should feel seems meager against the economic juggernaut. "
October 27, 2019
This book is basically Glassley's chronicle of his Greenland expedition sprinkled with his own personal scientific musings and deliberations. Once I accepted that, I enjoyed reading the book.
I still would have liked a lot more pictures (color!) to really bring home the experience of this giant mysterious island and I believe this would be more effective as a video documentary than a verbal one.
Nevertheless I enjoyed the conversational tone of it and the insights Glassley made about science, perception, and more specifically the formation of mountains and continents via plate tectonics.
I still would have liked a lot more pictures (color!) to really bring home the experience of this giant mysterious island and I believe this would be more effective as a video documentary than a verbal one.
Nevertheless I enjoyed the conversational tone of it and the insights Glassley made about science, perception, and more specifically the formation of mountains and continents via plate tectonics.
April 14, 2021
Ambivalence might be the best way to describe my experience reading this book. The subject matter is fascinating and the author’s adventure was truly unique. I discovered how little I knew about Greenland, particularly its geological history. But his writing style is like looking at an art nouveau poster, fascinating but busy. He goes into reveries over rock formations and even a cloudless sky. His fellow scientists seem to pale in comparison to the landscape. Even the science seems to get lost. An editor’s guiding hand would have been helpful.
February 1, 2024
The book is almost nothing but purple prose. Glassley spends far too little time with the science and far too much time waxing poetic on his own insignificance in the face of the tundra. Glassley clearly does not understand that unnecessary complication is not a virtue in writing, as he seems allergic to a straightforward sentence. I rolled my eyes so many times while reading this book that my superior rectus muscles are now much stronger than they were before. I can thank Glassley at least for the exercise.
For a good example of the groan-worthy prose, here's the beginning of the epilogue (don't worry, the following sentence is not a spoiler, because it has nothing to do with the main action of the book and Glassley just inserted it because he liked it):
"Earth is the construct of wandering stardust, accreted from the atomic debris of supernovae and the elemental winds of unknown stars. The gentle fall of interstellar particles, the collisions of comets and meteors and frozen water, gave rise to our planet in a rush of cosmic artistry just over four-and-a-half billion years ago."
What are the "elemental winds"? That is certainly not a scientific term. What he actually means is "stellar winds." What makes the debris "atomic," other than that it is made of atoms, like literally everything else? Why include the word at all, then? Why is the fall of interstellar particles described as "gentle" in the same sentence that refers to meteors crashing into each other? This is Glassley's needlessly opaque and inaccurate way of describing the formation of the solar system, and neatly illustrates the fundamental problem with this book: Glassley's motto seems to be, "Why be straightforward when you can be obscure? Why be relatable when you can be pretentious? Why be scientifically accurate when you can sound like a caricature of 19th century natural philosophers?" ALMOST EVERY SENTENCE IS LIKE THIS.
What keeps this book from a two-star rating is the fact that when Glassley the geologist actually talks about geology, the results are educational. When he sticks to the facts and to descriptions of who did what and where, they are actually interesting. The expedition itself is exciting and clearly discussing its scientific and personal significances should make for great writing. Unfortunately, that is clearly not his priority. There is not a single table in this book, only one photo (and it's in the epilogue), and only one insert that could charitably be called a geologic map. There are no data or numbers; the few geologic explanations that appear are ad-hoc and incomplete. What there is is an abundance of scientific grandiloquence that quickly gets old.
There's nothing wrong with feeling scientific awe, but many better science writers (Hawking, Sagan, Dawkins, Penrose, Goodall) have better induced it by *explaining* awe-inspiring scientific results rather than just shoving awe down the reader's throats like Glassley does.
Furthermore, the science that is here is disorganized and hard to find. Any overarching scientific discoveries or theories are hidden behind the ever-present vapor of fluff. The book reads almost like a bad memoir, meandering from place to place with no clear literary point, and Glassley does not provide enough pathos to support the emotional pull of a memoir.
A charitable reading of the book is that it attempts to continue the transcendentalist tradition of Muir and Thoreau, authors whom Glassley cites as inspiration. This would work better if Glassley possessed their literary originality, but unfortunately he does not and just repeats the same points over and over again about how unworthy and insignificant humans are in the face of nature. I've already read a lot of pop science literature and have heard these points 10^6 times, but maybe for someone new to the genre they will resonate. For such readers, I would recommend they start at page 219 of the book-- that is where Glassley lists his literary inspirations. I recommend that readers then choose one of the titles from that list and read that instead, because they are all better science writing than this.
For a good example of the groan-worthy prose, here's the beginning of the epilogue (don't worry, the following sentence is not a spoiler, because it has nothing to do with the main action of the book and Glassley just inserted it because he liked it):
"Earth is the construct of wandering stardust, accreted from the atomic debris of supernovae and the elemental winds of unknown stars. The gentle fall of interstellar particles, the collisions of comets and meteors and frozen water, gave rise to our planet in a rush of cosmic artistry just over four-and-a-half billion years ago."
What are the "elemental winds"? That is certainly not a scientific term. What he actually means is "stellar winds." What makes the debris "atomic," other than that it is made of atoms, like literally everything else? Why include the word at all, then? Why is the fall of interstellar particles described as "gentle" in the same sentence that refers to meteors crashing into each other? This is Glassley's needlessly opaque and inaccurate way of describing the formation of the solar system, and neatly illustrates the fundamental problem with this book: Glassley's motto seems to be, "Why be straightforward when you can be obscure? Why be relatable when you can be pretentious? Why be scientifically accurate when you can sound like a caricature of 19th century natural philosophers?" ALMOST EVERY SENTENCE IS LIKE THIS.
What keeps this book from a two-star rating is the fact that when Glassley the geologist actually talks about geology, the results are educational. When he sticks to the facts and to descriptions of who did what and where, they are actually interesting. The expedition itself is exciting and clearly discussing its scientific and personal significances should make for great writing. Unfortunately, that is clearly not his priority. There is not a single table in this book, only one photo (and it's in the epilogue), and only one insert that could charitably be called a geologic map. There are no data or numbers; the few geologic explanations that appear are ad-hoc and incomplete. What there is is an abundance of scientific grandiloquence that quickly gets old.
There's nothing wrong with feeling scientific awe, but many better science writers (Hawking, Sagan, Dawkins, Penrose, Goodall) have better induced it by *explaining* awe-inspiring scientific results rather than just shoving awe down the reader's throats like Glassley does.
Furthermore, the science that is here is disorganized and hard to find. Any overarching scientific discoveries or theories are hidden behind the ever-present vapor of fluff. The book reads almost like a bad memoir, meandering from place to place with no clear literary point, and Glassley does not provide enough pathos to support the emotional pull of a memoir.
A charitable reading of the book is that it attempts to continue the transcendentalist tradition of Muir and Thoreau, authors whom Glassley cites as inspiration. This would work better if Glassley possessed their literary originality, but unfortunately he does not and just repeats the same points over and over again about how unworthy and insignificant humans are in the face of nature. I've already read a lot of pop science literature and have heard these points 10^6 times, but maybe for someone new to the genre they will resonate. For such readers, I would recommend they start at page 219 of the book-- that is where Glassley lists his literary inspirations. I recommend that readers then choose one of the titles from that list and read that instead, because they are all better science writing than this.
April 19, 2018
This brief book is beautifully written and expressive of the wonder of nature. Glassley finds himself in a new world far removed from human activity, noise, and perception when he spends several brief summers helping two Danish geology colleagues research some ancient rocks along the west coast of Greenland between the bewildering fjords and the mile high ice cap. He is an advocate for wilderness: "Knowing the mathematical and objective description of place only feeds the hunger to understand, while that hunger remains one of the greatest of all mysteries". I often wondered while reading how he was any help to the other two, because so often he seems lost in absorbing the wild world around him, a tundra land filled with summer flowers, and occasional wildlife. Many of his experiences are unexpected, but connect him to a whole. I also loved the book because he also explains some of the research they're conducting, which satisfies some of my hunger to also know the long deep history of the earth.
April 16, 2021
I really, really enjoy this book.
It’s about geologists collecting rock samples from the wilderness in Greenland, wanting to uncover Earth’s geological history there. Through the book, William E. Glassley provides interesting insight and observations on the wilderness of Greenland, and how it made him reflect on modern life and our place in the scale of nature.
Glassley manages to capture a sense of scale, awe, and fascination in his descriptive and introspective writing. It’s straight up poetry most of the time. As someone who likes nature, but has never experience true wilderness, this book gives me a sense of adventure unlike any book of fiction, because everything in this book is real.
I think some may not like the fairly flowery, poetic language of the book. For me it was something I really enjoyed. It helps capture the indefinable grandeur of natural beauty and the emotions it brings. I found lots of great quotes in the book.
I recommend this to anyone interested in nature or geology.
I really want to go camping now.
It’s about geologists collecting rock samples from the wilderness in Greenland, wanting to uncover Earth’s geological history there. Through the book, William E. Glassley provides interesting insight and observations on the wilderness of Greenland, and how it made him reflect on modern life and our place in the scale of nature.
Glassley manages to capture a sense of scale, awe, and fascination in his descriptive and introspective writing. It’s straight up poetry most of the time. As someone who likes nature, but has never experience true wilderness, this book gives me a sense of adventure unlike any book of fiction, because everything in this book is real.
I think some may not like the fairly flowery, poetic language of the book. For me it was something I really enjoyed. It helps capture the indefinable grandeur of natural beauty and the emotions it brings. I found lots of great quotes in the book.
I recommend this to anyone interested in nature or geology.
I really want to go camping now.
May 7, 2023
A Wilder Time follows a small group of geologists to Greenland for surveys. William E. Glassley presents a lyrical description of his adventure into the frigid peacefulness of this world. It is so quiet, so cold, and so beautiful.
Glassley discusses what he sees from the ice and snow to the animal and plant life. One would not think that this book was written by a scientist though. It is not an overly technical report of events and sights but rather comes across as though Glassley might be a poet. The details are rich and smooth and flow beautifully.
As an added interest, he describes the mundane details of his day, which do not present as boring. Even the day-to-day details that we take for granted—like bathing—are an adventure in this setting, and we do learn a bit of science.
Being in such an immense place, isolated, gives this author plenty of time to contemplate life and the planet. He comes up with some profound thoughts. This is an interesting little book that is fun to read.
Glassley discusses what he sees from the ice and snow to the animal and plant life. One would not think that this book was written by a scientist though. It is not an overly technical report of events and sights but rather comes across as though Glassley might be a poet. The details are rich and smooth and flow beautifully.
As an added interest, he describes the mundane details of his day, which do not present as boring. Even the day-to-day details that we take for granted—like bathing—are an adventure in this setting, and we do learn a bit of science.
Being in such an immense place, isolated, gives this author plenty of time to contemplate life and the planet. He comes up with some profound thoughts. This is an interesting little book that is fun to read.
January 16, 2024
This was a great book focusing on preserving the wilderness, appreciating it while we still have it and a little insight into the life of Greenland and their politics. I felt transported, and I liked learning some new things. It’s given me a little bit of a new love for the world around me.
Some favourite quotes:
“It was the silence of the place that I had forgotten”
“Whether through direct experience or through poetry, art, or song, we must share and celebrate the wild so that it may be saved. The lives lived there - of all species - are worthy of our recognition and respect, the land, our awe, art and dreams”
“Wilderness becomes, in our presence, the only threshold through which we can freely perceive the significance of our ability to reason, imagine poetry, and create what we cherish as beauty”
“It is difficult to escape the magnitude of our insignificance”
Some favourite quotes:
“It was the silence of the place that I had forgotten”
“Whether through direct experience or through poetry, art, or song, we must share and celebrate the wild so that it may be saved. The lives lived there - of all species - are worthy of our recognition and respect, the land, our awe, art and dreams”
“Wilderness becomes, in our presence, the only threshold through which we can freely perceive the significance of our ability to reason, imagine poetry, and create what we cherish as beauty”
“It is difficult to escape the magnitude of our insignificance”
August 19, 2025
The passion that William E. Glassley has for geology and the geological history of the world is evident in his recounting of his experiences in Greenland with two fellow scientists, as they aim to gather evidence to prove their theories about plate tectonics. Along with Glassley’s writing style, which is pleasant verging on poetic, this makes for an easy read even though this book isn’t your typical page-turner.
Greenland sounds like an extraordinary place to spend four weeks, however, even though this is a short book, after a while it does become a little samey. Perhaps if I was a little more interested in the geological side of things it would’ve better held my attention to the very end. As it was, I didn’t regret picking up this book, but I also wasn’t disappointed when I finished it.
Greenland sounds like an extraordinary place to spend four weeks, however, even though this is a short book, after a while it does become a little samey. Perhaps if I was a little more interested in the geological side of things it would’ve better held my attention to the very end. As it was, I didn’t regret picking up this book, but I also wasn’t disappointed when I finished it.
March 8, 2018
I am not necessarily interested in geology in a great deal but since the title and the book cover caught my eye, I had to read. It’s an interesting book. Certainly it was a first time learning about Greenland and the geology side of it, let alone it being wilderness, as the author described it. Probably because my heart belongs to nature and the wilderness and I wanted to see what it is like to go back in time where things have been trapped millions and billions of years. I’m glad that the author emphasized his appreciation of solitude and tranquility side of the trip while still completing the tasks that he and two tower geologists were teamed up to do. It makes me want to go back and backpack again.
November 8, 2021
An American and two Danes explore the western coastline of Greenland as geologists to discover how this continent may have been formed. The author describes in detail his interaction with nature.
Greenland is largely unexplored so to be in such pristine country that it just effects a person and the author does a good job of describing those feelings. Was Greenland once a tall mountain range?
Did two continents a couple billion years ago collide to form Greenland? Such are the questions that these geologists wish to answer by gathering rocks and noting the structure of the layers near the sea.
Greenland is largely unexplored so to be in such pristine country that it just effects a person and the author does a good job of describing those feelings. Was Greenland once a tall mountain range?
Did two continents a couple billion years ago collide to form Greenland? Such are the questions that these geologists wish to answer by gathering rocks and noting the structure of the layers near the sea.
April 13, 2020
Essays about the joys of exploration and discovery while engaged in geological fieldwork in Greenland that laid the basis for important discoveries in earth science about plate tectonics. Although a bit tedious at times, the author’s musings on and observations about nature keep the reader intrigued.
The book loses half a star for its epilogue, which starts off as a summation of the author’s research findings, and then metamorphoses into a rant about the destruction of nature that is disengaged from the remainder of the book.
This book is rated 3.5 stars.
The book loses half a star for its epilogue, which starts off as a summation of the author’s research findings, and then metamorphoses into a rant about the destruction of nature that is disengaged from the remainder of the book.
This book is rated 3.5 stars.
May 29, 2020
This book should be read slowly. Meditations from the Wilderness. Written by an American geologist, during a month long exploration deep into the wilderness of Greenland. Along with two Danish geologist colleagues, they are dropped off by a boat a days trip from the nearest village. The author describes his near mystical experiences deep in the Wilderness, and how vital Wilderness is to our psyche as humans. They do make important geological discoveries, but these are difficult for a layman to understand, given the complexities of plate tectonics and metamorphic rock.
December 6, 2020
I loved Glassley’s ability to bring me into the experience of his field research in Such a visceral and lush way. He did not romanticize the experience but rather simply drew attention to the deep connection we all have to the natural world and the way time in that natural world impacts how we see and think. The other salient factor impacting how Glassley sees is his geology research expertise. I envy his ability to understand so much about the earth and our world through that lense and appreciated this layperson’s narrow glimpse into what the experience of that must feel like.
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