Inside of my college (St Edmund Hall, Oxford) library taken from https://www.seh.ox.ac.uk/
I have read a fair few popular science books over the past few years and have compiled a list of my favourites that are loosely related to the Earth Sciences. Be it for your personal statement or a just a personal interest there may just be something on here that you might enjoy!
1. Underland by Robert MacFarlane
MacFarlane recounts a collection of experiences exploring the underground world. From caving in England, exploring the catacombs in Paris and looking at sinkholes in Slovenia, to visiting a nuclear-waste containment site in Finland this incredible book has it all. A great introduction to nature writing, MacFarlane's narrative is truly hooking and I couldn't put it down!
A summary and more reviews on goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53121631-underland?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=q9JP4qCaqZ&rank=4
2. A Life on Our Planet by David Attenborough
Now having been made into a documentary, everyone's favourite naturalist uses his this book to recount his experiences of our planet throughout his lifetime and describes the book as his 'witness statement' of our current destructive action against the planet. He goes on to discuss how there is still hope for Earth's future and what humanity has to do in order to move away from its current trajectory.
A summary and more reviews on goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53916142-a-life-on-our-planet?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=UsCIJVCABC&rank=1
3. T.Rex and the Crater of Doom by Walter Alvarez
I read this book with no prior knowledge about the K-Pg extinction and it was a fabulous and gripping introduction. In this book Alvarez, a geologist at the University of California Berkeley who contributed greatly to solving the mystery of the K-Pg extinction, explains the investigation and study that went into determining what is now the widely accepted theory as to the cause of one of Earth's mass extinction events. If you want to know how the dinosaurs died as well as the years of work behind this theory its a very interesting read!
A summary and more reviews on goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3116111-t-rex-and-the-crater-of-doom
4. Supercontinent by Ted Nield
Supercontinent was the first book I read when preparing for my personal statement (after Prisoners of Geography by Tim Marshall when I went through a 'I want to study geography' phase). It was probably not the best introduction into the world of geology as I found certain aspects a little confusing but nevertheless it was an interesting read and a great introduction to the concept of geological time. It is a book I think I would very much enjoy if I went back and reread it now. The book talks about supercontinents before Pangaea as well as the developments in humanity's understanding of plate tectoncis and the supercontinent cycle.
A summary and more reviews on goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/925917.Supercontinent?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=kOi8qcQ1Ry&rank=1
5. The Planet in a Pebble by Jan Zalasiewicz
In this fascinating read, Zalasiewicz takes us on a journey through Earth's history all based on what you can see from a small pebble on a beach in Wales. The book is written in a narrative way which makes it much easier to read if the idea of picking up a geology text book scares you but nevertheless a lot of information about the planet's history, and how geologists use evidence such as pebbles to determine it, is packed in there!
A summary and more reviews on goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9309946-the-planet-in-a-pebble
6. Anthropocene: A Very Short Introduction by Erle Ellis
The Very Short Introduction (VSI) series are fabulous books written by professionals in their field to explain the fundamentals of a range of topics. I read the Anthropocene one as part of my EPQ project in sixth form. The Anthropocene itself is a fascinating concept bringing together the worlds of geology, earth system science and humanity's impacts on the planet.
Other notable books in the series are VSI: Geology, Rocks, Minerals and Earth System Science. Having read them all they are definitely more informative than simply pleasure reads so not the ones to go for if you want a story but definitely worth the read if you want a deeper dive into the subject.
A summary and more reviews on goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36849103-anthropocene?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=HCQeHuZTCF&rank=1
7. A Zoologists Guide to the Galaxy by Arik Kershbaum
I read this book the summer between my first and second year at university and yes, I did pick it because I has just finished, and very much enjoyed, A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which is not remotely geology related but is a fab read! The book discusses how we can use what we know about biology and evolution on Earth to deduce what aliens may look like. From appearance to communication, the book discusses all aspects of Earth's biology and whilst it does not tell you whether or not aliens are green you do learn a whole lot about how we could expect them to behave and what we could expect them to look like. Great read for something a little less rock related!
Unfortunately no goodreads page so here's the Waterstones one instead: https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-zoologists-guide-to-the-galaxy/arik-kershenbaum/9780241986844
8. The Goldilocks Planet by Jan Zalasiewicz and Mark Williams
Zalasiewicz and Williams discuss the last 4.5 billion years of our planet's climate, going on to talk about how anthropogenic climate change may affect the future of the planet, and the future of humanity. The climate fluctuations over Earth's history have been huge and complex but the book is an easy yet interesting read. Definitely recommend to anyone wanting a better idea of Earth's history and how it has reached conditions meaning it is able to sustain life.
A summary and more reviews on goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13565743-the-goldilocks-planet?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=PEzftNtH97&rank=2
9. The Two Mile Time Machine by Richard B. Alley
Another climate related read but in this one Alley brings you along as he explains the research that goes on with Antarctic ice cores and how they have assist scientists in determining global climate history. A very interesting insight into the world of climate research as well as a very digestible account of our planet's fluctuating climate.
A summary and more reviews on goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17133.The_Two_Mile_Time_Machine?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=REPDePHbv5&rank=1
10. How to Build a Habitable Planet by Charles Langmuir and Wallace Broeker
This is a rather hefty book at 736 pages but definitely worth the read for anyone about to commence a course in the geosciences. I purchased this book because it was on the Oxford Earth Sciences pre-reading list and is also the name sake for one of the first year modules. It is undoubtably a long read but packed with information and brilliant to dip in and out of. I used it multiple times during first year to check up on concepts I was unsure about in lectures. A great overview of our planet and the geosciences!
A summary and more reviews on goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13748067-how-to-build-a-habitable-planet?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=qsEaefUfam&rank=1
Looking for more ideas? Check out the goodreads geology page: https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/geology .
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