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Edward Greenly was a geologist perhaps known best for his detailed geological survey of the island of Anglesey, North Wales, which took him and his wife, Anne Greenly, 24 years to complete. This short book is a summary of the prevailing geological understanding of the Earth at the time of writing (1927), aimed at the public. It is an absolute delight to read, as it comes from a time when it was okay to combine poetry and science. As a geologist I also found it quite an eye-opener, for almost every highlighted unknown in the book has since, for the most part at least, been resolved by the theory of plate tectonics or through further research into the uses of radioactivity. For instance, he was writing at a time when the age of the Earth and its rocks could only be guessed at, without the help of radioisotope dating. In other parts he could almost be describing plate tectonics, without actually knowing about them. Only by reading these old geological texts can you really understand how geology came to be the science it is today. We have come so far in less than 100 years! Greenly also quotes parts of the poem "In Memoriam A.A.H." by Tennyson throughout the book. The quotes themselves are beautiful little illustrations of how the boundaries between art and science were far blurrier than they are today, and I love the romance of it all. It only struck me later that this poem, which explores grief at the loss of a loved one, could have been close to his heart at this point in life, as his wife (and field assistant, editor, illustrator...) Anne Greenly passed away shortly before its publication.

Found a tattered old copy of this book in a charity shop. It is one of the several nature guides written by Shell oil company to brand themselves as "the key to the countryside" in the 1920s to 1950s. It was part of a marketing campaign to brand the countryside as an idyllic, rural wilderness which could only be explored with the help of a motor engine... fuelled by Shell petrol. A fascinating example of the ways in which Shell (and many others), have had such a massive impact on the way we see the countryside as well as the role of the motor engine in providing us with access. It feels so ironic that they used the very beauty of the environment to sell oil and encourage car use, destroying so much of this beauty in the process. It shows that these types of marketing campaigns are not a new phenomenon, but go back a hundred years at least.

A fairly powerful comment on the destructive powers of American dream, on consumerism and the relationship between a father and his sons. In parts a confusing play to read, as large sections are composed of memories and hallucinations that are signposted only by stage instructions, meaning it would be simpler to understand the play in action rather than on paper. Indeed I would like to see the play on stage as the set design and use of different elements (such as characters walking through walls during hallucinations and memories) is quite unusual! I am not an American, or remotely involved in the "travelling salesman" industry, so I can't really judge how accurately this play represents the lived experience in America. I can only see how the same emotions run through the minds of many who do not know which of the paths in life to follow: passions, dollars, expectations, or a combination of the above. This play comes to a fairly singular conclusion as to which path you should follow (no prizes for guessing which!), and so it seems a well-worn tale in this theme of literature.

One of the minds born of the Age of Enlightenment was Alexander Von Humboldt. I didn't realise before reading this book how central he is to the way we think about nature and the world. Minds such as Darwin, John Muir, Thoreau, George Marsh, Earnest Haeckel (along with the Art Nouveau movement) and so on were directly influenced by his works and worldview. This worldview saw nature and humanity as a global intertwined system which can only be understood through a combination of great leaps of the imagination (the subjective and emotional experience) as well as hard data (the scientific, empirical and objective mind) together, a radical new theory for the time. I feel after reading this book I understand my passion and profession (I am an MSc earth science student) so much more, as well as the origins of my field. I feel university and the education system in general has pushed me away from the arts, suggesting that I could only pursue EITHER science OR beauty when in fact I have a love of both, and wish to see the natural world in an aesthetic as well as a scientific light. After all, what is more poetic than the communication of an entire woodland by fungal networks, or more humbling than a hundred million years in the geology of a cliff face? What underpins every scientist's passion for their subject? The beauty of it of course! This book has been a great inspiration to me. Learning about Humboldt's life and influence on the world (and thus my worldview) has been a way for me to reconnect with my subject after university education had taken some of the romance out of it. In short, I highly recommend this book, I will certainly go on to read Humboldt's "Cosmos" and "Views on nature"!