In this nonfiction, the author proffers the idea that our world is alive. He walks us through how, over billions of years, our planet has evolved into a living and breathing being. The book is laid out in three parts - rock, water and air - for ease of structure. The author presents insights into the interconnectedness and interdependence of all living things, including the planet we call Earth. From plankton to seaweed, soil to plants, oxygen to water, wildfires to controlled burning, we get a swath of insights into why the earth could be considered a living being. We traverse the world for these insights - from 5,000 feet below the earth’s crust in South Dakota, to Wrangel Island off the coast of Russia, to Massawa in Eritrea and the Sahel in Africa, and back to Hawaii, Catalina Island off southern Calfornia, Rhode Island , to his own garden in Portland, Oregon in the U.S., and much more. Overall, this was an interesting and intriguing read. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Ferris Jabr’s Becoming Earth: How Our Planet Came to Life is an excellent work of science journalism that takes a pretty common topic in popular science — the history of our planet — but explores it through a relatively unique prism: how living creatures have been “a formidable geological force,” both shaped by and shaping the planet as we currently know it. Jabr’s clear description of Earth’s transformation over eons would have been enough to make this book worth reading, but the unique perspective means it’s all the more stimulating and engaging.

Jabr divides the book into three sections (Rock, Water, Air) to “mirror” the planet’s “three major spheres — the lithosphere, the hydrosphere, and the atmosphere” in order of their “relative abundance.” As he further describes in his introduction, each section moves from the way in which microbes affected that particular planetary element to larger lifeforms such as plants and animals and finally to how we humans have altered the Earth as well (often not for the better).

Jabr does an excellent job with regard to the most important aspect of science journalism: making scientific concepts accessible to the lay reader. His explanations are always clear and easy to follow, and jargon is kept to a minimum but used when appropriate and lucidly so. The science is timely, as recent as one could hope for given the time to publish, and Jabr does an excellent job in highlighting when scientific points are debatable, need further research , or have been called into question by more recent findings, sometimes with the text and sometimes in the notes. For example, when discussing concerns over the impact of melting permafrost and released methane on global warming, he notes that “some scientists have recently challenged this idea.”

Jabr also excels at the second-most important (or perhaps co-equal) element, making it interesting. His sense of wonder is both unflagging and contagious throughout, and while he brings a necessary sense of urgency to the discussion of our species’ harmful impact (more to us and other living creatures than the planet, which will certainly survive us), particularly with regard to climate change, it’s a balanced view as opposed to all gloom and doom. The many in person visits to important sites and personal interviews with scientists also make the book more engaging, ensuring it is more than a dry recitation of geological or biological facts or timelines.

Jabr’s language does the same. While for the most part, as noted, it’s all clear and straightforward, Jabr doesn’t shy away from dipping into a more lyrical style, particularly at the close of chapters. Here, for instance, he describes checking out the boggy section of his backyard:

I noticed the onionskin echo of a recently molted damselfly still stuck to the stem of a rush. Just below it, where the waterfall met the surface of the pond, bubbles formed and popped. Each was a tiny domed mirror in which I caught glimpses of my distorted reflection, the contours of trees and flowers, and the clouds in the sky. In each bubble, a different version of the garden; in each, one of many possible worlds.

And here, he takes on a larger view than his backyard as he describes the symbiotic relationship between life and Earth:

Life emerged from, is made of, and returns to the Earth. We still carry the ocean in our blood and grow skeletons of rock . . . Earth is a stone that eats starlight and radiates song, whirling through the inscrutable emptiness of space — pulsing, breathing, evolving

To be honest, Jabre does such a nice job when waxing a bit more poetic that I wished he’d done more of it, though that sort of thing can be overdone, so I understand his wariness. Informative, a relatively fresh angle, both deeply personal and expansive, always clear and sometimes poetic, smooth movement from research findings and data to in-the-field experiences and engaging interviews with the scientists doing the work, Becoming Earth is an excellent bit of popular science and one I highly recommend.

Popular science at its best. In style and boldness, it reminds me of the famous "The Sixth Extinction" by Elizabeth Kolbert – and I hope it will receive similar recognition.

"Gaya the Living Planet” hypothesis was first published in 1979 and was ridiculed at first, but since then there is more and more scientific evidence to support it. "Becoming Earth" nicely summarizes the current state of knowledge in this field, showing that our entire planet is one large interdependent ecosystem. As the author writes: "Living creatures are not simply products of inexorable evolutionary processes in their particular habitats; they are orchestrators of their environments and participants in their own evolution. We and other living creatures are more than inhabitants of Earth; we are Earth—an outgrowth of its physical structure and an engine of its global cycles. Earth and its creatures are so closely intertwined that we can think of them as one.”

I love books that make you change your perspective and see things in a new way. I had a lot of those moments while reading this book. Like in a part about plastic pollution in the ocean: "Because modern plastic is synthesized in laboratories and factories, it is often regarded as an ‘unnatural’ material. Yet the concept of the unnatural makes sense only in contraposition to the idea of the natural, which is itself dependent on the false premise that humans and human artifacts are somehow separate from nature at large."

Highly recommended to anyone interested in natural science and the fate of our planet.

Thanks to the publisher, Random House, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

Becoming Earth is a fascinating monograph about the emergence of planet earth and how the interconnected systems of life came to be by Ferris Jabr. Due out 25th June 2024 from Random House, it's 304 pages and will be available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

This is a layman accessible, concise, and well written book on the vast and interdependent systems of our planet. The author writes well and understandably about the Gaia hypothesis, and shows effectively, step-by-step how changes in one part of the system can and do have profound effects on other remote parts of the system.

The book is split into three main sections: rock, water, and air. Each of the areas are divided into thematic subjects, from surface microbes, to larger animals plants & macro-forms both terrestrial and acquatic, breathable air, combustibility, and climate/weather patterns (and how changes can have catastrophic effects on everything else).

It's a surprisingly upbeat book, and the author's sense of wonder is palpable. I found myself smiling often and nodding along. It's a rare talent to be able to explain often really complex physics/chemistry/biology in a manner which is accessible and really understandable to the average layperson, and Mr. Jabr manages very well. Additionally, with many layman level nonfiction books, readers with specialized knowledge of the subjects will find it oversimplified; that isn't the case here. The scope is broad enough that even the most advanced geophysicist will likely find interesting tidbits to takeaway in the microbiology or botany sections.

Five stars. Well written and interesting. A good choice for public or secondary/post-secondary school library acquisition, home use, or gift giving.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

This book unveils the profound symbiosis between life and our planet. It’s fascinating and informative, engrossing and easy to read. Join a journey to extraordinary places, from treetop observatories to a Siberian nature reserve. Explore how microbes formed continents, plants regulate oxygen, and animals sculpt landmasses. Learn how humans have radically altered the planet and how we can protect its wondrous ecology for future generations.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Becoming Earth by Ferris Jabr is a fantastically written nonfiction book about Earth, specifically the elemental parts of it. It goes through different parts of the Earth, such as the soil, water, air, etc. and how these basic parts of our Earth have changed drastically over time.

I would like to preface this review by saying that I am not typically a nonfiction reader, especially when it comes to reading digital books. I would rather listen to a nonfiction book, or actually hold the book in my hands because I think it helps me focus more. This book, however, captivated my interest despite it’s format. I felt it was well-written and had a great mix of personal anecdotes and scientific information.

One of the things I did notice pretty early on is that this book uses a lot of jargon that may be difficult for someone who is entirely disconnected from the sciences to understand. I am currently working towards a STEM major in college and had absolutely no issue, but when I looked back on some of the words, I realized I may not have known them in high school. Apart from this, I really have no complaints and loved the book.

Overall, I would give this book 3.25/5 stars. It was enjoyable and I feel like I learned a lot from it, giving me a better understanding about how our world got to where it is today environmentally. It also goes into how this impacts us on a larger scale. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys nonfiction and would like something a little science-y.

I am sorry for the inconvenience but I don’t have the time to read this anymore and have lost interest in the concept. I believe that it would benefit your book more if I did not skim your book and write a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience.

Becoming Earth by Ferris Jabr is an impressively concise book describing the interconnectedness of Earth, life, and everything in between. The book is broken down into three sections: Rock, Water and Air. Jabr postulates that each of these three components have fundamentally transformed Earth as we know it, both bringing Earth to life and life to Earth. Each section transports us to new locations, introduces us to new individuals, and uses evidence, both empirical and anecdotal, to justify Jabr’s claims.

Jabr’s writing is clearly written and should be easily consumed by most audiences. When items might be complex, he elaborates and explains as appropriate. There are many facts within this book that I highlighted or noted externally to reference back later. I also made notes of many adjacent subjects and individuals that piqued my interest and hope to learn more about. To these points, I give Jabr credit for introducing so much unique information in such a short book.

I would recommend this to my friends and family looking to further their knowledge of Earth, the Gaia hypothesis, and the interconnectedness of rocks, water, air, and life.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Becoming Earth by Ferris Jabr is an intriguing comprehensive study of the dynamic nature of earth. Central to Mr. Jabr's message is the Gaia hypothesis from the 1970's that postulates that life transforms earth, including non-living elements of earth in a self-regulating symbiotic cooperative process. Because of this relationship, changes to all forms of life have significant impacts on the inert components of earth. Becoming Earth is organized into three sections: Rock, Water and Air. Each section has 3 chapters that cover the original microorganisms, the impact of more complex organisms and finally the consequences of dramatic changes in recent history.

Mr. Jabr impressively covers a vast body of knowledge with clarity and conciseness. For a scientific book, the writing is very accessible, and I recommend this book to those interested in a well-researched and broad exploration of the complex relationship between the earth and all life forms from simple unicellular microorganisms to plants to humans. Becoming Earth covers a wide spectrum of ecosystems from agriculture to wetlands.

While I appreciate the conciseness and ease of reading of this book, I often felt that some of the points were supported by anecdotal evidence. I felt that the arguments could have been stronger with more examples. However, I recognize that including many more examples would make it nearly impossible to achieve the conciseness that allows this book to be so accessible. I have studied climate change for many years so my desire to delve into more detail may not be reflective of the typical reader. I highly recommend this fascinating book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.