SKU: 39657104789

The Mountains of Saint Francis: Discovering the Geologic Events That Shaped Our Earth

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The Mountains of Saint Francis: Discovering the Geologic Events That Shaped Our EarthModern geologists, Walter Alvarez among them, showed in the last decades of the twentieth century that the history of our planet has witnessed events profoundly more dramatic than even the most spectacular chapters in human history. More violent than wars, more life altering than revolutions understanding the geologic events that have shaped the Earth's surface is the quest and the passion of geologists. In the knowledgeable and graceful prose of

Modern geologists, Walter Alvarez among them, showed in the last decades of the twentieth century that the history of our planet has witnessed events profoundly more dramatic than even the most spectacular chapters in human history. More violent than wars, more life altering than revolutions--understanding the geologic events that have shaped the Earth's surface is the quest and the passion of geologists. In the knowledgeable and graceful prose of Alvarez, general readers are led to explore the many mysteries that our planet guards.

The author has chosen Italy as a microcosm in which to explore this amazing past for several reasons. First, it is the land where the earliest geologists learned how to read the history of the Earth, written in nature's rock archives. Second, it is where Alvarez and his Italian geological friends have continued to decipher the rock record, uncovering more historical episodes from the Earth's past. And third, the lovely land of Italy is unusually rich in geological treasures and offers examples of the key processes that have created the landscapes of the entire world.

The Mountains of Saint Francis begins in Rome. We discover that the landscape of Rome was built by violent volcanic eruptions in the very recent past, almost certainly witnessed by our human ancestors. Next we travel to Siena and come face to face with a fundamental discovery of the geologists--that much of the dry land that we currently inhabit was once underwater, beneath ancient seas or oceans. Then we stop in the small medieval city of Gubbio and contemplate the amazing secret that the limestone rocks kept hidden for 65 million years--that a huge asteroid smashed into the Earth, disrupting the environment so severely that the dinosaurs, and perhaps half of the other forms of life inhabiting the Earth at the time, disappeared forever, opening the way for the rise of the mammals and eventually of humans.

The impact theory that came from those Italian limestones at Gubbio was one of the great geological discoveries of the twentieth century. Just as important to the field of geology was the theory of plate tectonics--the understanding that the outer layer of the Earth is divided into crustal plates that move around, sometimes carrying continents into collisions with one another, like the great collision between Italy and Europe that built the Alps. And yet, to explain the Mountains of Saint Francis requires something more than a collision between continents. These are mountains that are still jealously guarding the secret of their past, and in this book we go along with the geological detectives as they try to uncover that secret. It is a journey that has seen the land of Italy lifted out of the sea, squashed and folded, torn apart, left high and dry when the Mediterranean Sea evaporated away, and then flooded when the Atlantic waters poured back in.

The story of the Earth's history is fascinating in its own right, but with Alvarez as the tour guide, the journey takes on a human dimension, full of stories about the landscape and history of Italy and about the great geologists who uncovered the deep past of this land. It is a journey recounted in warm tones and subtle colors, reflecting the transcendent beauty of Italy itself.



Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Published: 12/01/2008
ISBN: 9780393061857
Pages: 304
Weight: 1.27lbs
Size: 9.28h x 6.44w x 0.98d

Review Citations: Library Journal Prepub Alert 01/14/2008 pg. 62
Publishers Weekly 05/26/2008 pg. 48
Library Journal 06/15/2008 pg. 88
Kirkus Reviews 06/15/2008 pg. 627
Booklist 07/01/2008 pg. 22
Scitech Book News 12/01/2008 pg. 56
Choice 06/01/2009
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SKU: 39657104789

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Sean
Bozeman, US
★★★★★ 5
Name holds true.
Size: Large Triple
Just bought my second set of these.. first set lasted my healer almost 4 years and are still together but starting to split at the smaller seams so you can’t play as aggressive as my dog would like. We bought the second set and now she has her second wind! She loves tugging and I love knowing this toy will last a good while especially with an active dog!
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Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2025
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Kelsey
Houston, US
★★★★★ 5
The dogs like it very much, it produces a lot of noise.
Size: Large, Size: Large
I’m rating this based on my dogs’ response to this toy – they absolutely love it, and it has seen more use without damage than any of their regular throwing toys. At the same time, unless you enjoy, REALLY ENJOY the sound of crunching water bottles, you may not like having this ball in the house. Pros: The rubber outer shell of the ball is durable, and can survive both chewing and pulling forces (as a note, my dogs do not concentrate on chewing - they use it more for play games). It’s big enough for my dogs to play tug of war with it, hooking their teeth in the mesh, and they since it bounces around if they drop or kick it, it makes the game more interesting than rope. They did crush the interior plastic, but they don't really seem to care. It’s much more engaging than a normal ball, and can be modified to hold treats, sticks, rope elements and other external bits, which my shepherd mix loves; he gets bored easily and frequently, and this can actually entertain him. Cons: This toy is loud, and produces repetitive crunching sounds. It is apparently really engaging to chew, and my dogs will produce the horrid plastic crackling up to half an hour at a time. If you let your dogs in and out, it would make a fine outdoor toy, but since I have a dog door, it migrates around to pretty much wherever the dogs are. I kind of hate it, but will probably buy another if they break this one since they enjoy it so much.
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Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2016
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BakedN
Lowell, US
★★★★★ 5
Very durable and my Heeler's fave inside toy
Size: Large
My red Heeler loves these balls, second only to Tennis balls but she destroys those within minutes and they are outside only. This is her inside ball. She is hard on toys and has the strongest bite of any dog I've had (shepherds, collies, weimaraners, retrievers, Labs) yet these continue to last. She catches the ball, we play tug of war with it (she places it in hand hand and pulls only when I have a firm grip, she shakes it and flings it. The rubber outside even outlasts the water-bottle like plastic piece inside. Steps holds the ball with her foot and pulls on the rubber with her mouth, stretching it to sometimes twice its size. I pull while shes pulling. This thing gets abused daily and keeps on going. Its the most used toy and she brings it to me to play with every day. Each ball lasts about 6 months before the inside ball is toast and the outer rubber is finally starting to tear/break. which for me in an incredibly long time. If this ball is available to play, she wants it over all others. Shes NEVER gotten a piece off to actually swallow and that alone is worth the price.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2025
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David Fulford
Dallas, US
★★★★★ 4
Good for price
Size: Medium
Good product, wish it was a little more chew resistant
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Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2026
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Carlos h
Natrona Heights, US
★★★★★ 5
Good deal. Pretty durable
Size: Large
Dog loves it! Not as crinkly, but still enjoyed even if smashed a bit.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 22, 2026

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