Time Matters provides an invaluable insight into the background behind some of the key concepts we use in Earth science today. It shows the historical context in which these ideas were developed, the important contributions of individual scientists and thinkers, and how these ideas continue to shape our view of science and the world in which we live.

The book covers subjects such as the age of the earth, catastrophism vs uniformitarianism, evolution vs creationism, plutonism vs neptunism, continental drift and plate tectonics. It explores the people involved, their ideas and the scientific and religious power politics involved in the development. It is effectively partly a review of the way in which science works or does not work. The text includes questions and comment boxes which help the reader to appreciate/understand the ideas and concepts that have been included and their problems, strengths or weaknesses.

• Accessible introduction - does not assume prior knowledge
• Teaches scientific thought - particularly the use of evidence
• Topic based - uses a set of key geological theories

This book is written for anyone with an interest in geology and the history of science, but will be particularly valuable to university or high-school students beginning a study of earth science for the first time.