Hutton's Arse: 3 Billion Years of Extraordinary Geology in Scotland's Northern Highlands

by Malcolm Rider, Peter Harrison

The extraordinary and beautiful scenery of the Northern Scottish Highlands has been created by a geological history lasting over three billion years. The new and thoroughly up-dated edition of this popular book takes its readers through those three billion years, shows the rocks, visits the places, introduces some famous researchers and presents the geological theories that have been inspired by the Highlands. Even though the influence of this magnificent place can be overwhelming, the book is about geology and the modern science involved. It is written for all to understand. It is a book for non-specialists interested in modern science, scientists and all lovers of the Northern Scottish Highlands. The text is sometimes light-hearted, but the science is serious. The subjects covered are as wide as he the splitting open of the North Atlantic a time when the Earth resembled modern Mars; early continent formation; billion year old bacteria; the very beginnings of human evolution; Snowball Earth; and, inevitably, climate change. This is modern science wrapped up in good writing and a rare combination.

229 pages, Paperback

Published July 25, 2019

Reviews

[Brian Hawkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute gem of a book, perfect in every way. Though “set” in one small corner of Scotland it covers 3 billion years of the earth’s history but does so with true warmth and good humour.