The Biosphere: Complete Annotated Edition

Though long unknown in the West, Vladimir Vernadsky's The Biosphere, first published in 1926, revolutionized our view of life on Earth. In it he set forth his idea that the emergence of life can be viewed as an astrophysical phenomenon subject to physical laws governing the interactions of matter and energy, and that the biosphere has profound effects on Earth's climate, its landforms, and the contents of its atmosphere. These ideas helped found numerous scientific fields and originated the concept of life a geological force that forms the foundation of Gaia theory. Although Vernadsky's work diffused across the Iron Curtain out of Soviet Russia only slowly and indirectly, the concept of the biosphere in use today is largely his. With this milestone publication of the first English translation of the entire text, English-speaking readers can at last read one of the great classics of modern science in their own language. Mark McMenamin has written extensive annotations to explain the structure of Vernadsky's arguments and their modern relevance, Jacques Grinvald has provided an introduction that places the book in historical context, and a stellar cast of international experts have co-signed the foreword. "First published in 1926 but long neglected in the West, Vladimir I. Vernadsky's The Biosphere revolutionized our view of Earth." "Vernadsky teaches us that life has been the transforming geological force on our planet. He illuminates the difference between an inanimate, mineralogical view of Earth's history, and an endlessly dynamic picture of Earth as the domain and product of living matter to a degree still poorly understood. What Darwin did for life through time, Vernadsky did for all life through space." "With this milestone publication, the first English translation of the entire text, English-speaking readers can at last read one of the great classics of modern science in their own language. Mark A.S. McMenamin, Professor of Geology at Mount Holyoke College, has written extensive annotations to explain the structure of Vernadsky's arguments and their modern relevance. Jacques Grinevald, the world's leading authority on the idea of the biosphere, has provided an introduction that places the book in historical context."--Jacket First published in 1926 but long neglected in the West, Vladimir I. Vernadsky's The Biosphere revolutionized our view of Earth. Vernadsky teaches us that life has been the transforming geological force on our planet. He illuminates the difference between an inanimate, mineralogical view of Earth's history, and an endlessly dynamic picture of Earth as the domain and product of living matter to a degree still poorly understood. What Darwin did for life through time, Vernadsky did for all life through space. With this milestone publication, the first English translation of the entire text, English-speaking readers can at last read one of the great classics of modern science in their own language. Mark A. S. McMenamin, Professor of Geology at Mount Holyoke College, has written extensive annotations to explain the structure of Vernadsky's arguments and their modern relevance. Jacques Grinevald, the world's leading authority on the idea of the biosphere, has provided an introduction that places the book in historical context.

Long unknown in the West, The Biosphere established the field of biogeochemistry and is one of the classic founding documents of what later became known as Gaia theory. It is the first sustained expression of the idea that life is a geological force that can change Earth's landforms, its climate, and even the contents of its atmosphere. A complete, unabridged translation has never before been available in English. This edition - complete with extensive annotations, an introductory essay placing the work in its historical context and explaining its relevance to readers today, and a foreword cosigned by a stellar group of international experts - will be the definitive edition of this classic work. What Darwin did for life through time, Vernadsky did for life through space on a geological scale.

In his epoch-making article introducing the September 1970 issue of Scientific American devoted to "the Biosphere," the founder of the Yale scientific school in ecology, George Evelyn Hutchinson, wrote : The idea of the biosphere was introduced into science rather casually almost a century ago by the Austrian geologist Eduard Suess, who first used the term in a discussion of the various envelopes of the earth in the last and most general chapter of a short book on the genesis of the Alps published in 1875. [lacks the index]"Vladimir Vernadsky was a brilliant and prescient scholar-a true scientific visionary who saw the deep connections between life on Earth and the rest of the planet and understood the profound implications for life as a cosmic phenomenon." -DAVID H. GRINSPOON, AUTHOR OF VENUS REVEALED"The Biosphere should be required reading for all entry level students in earth and planetary sciences." -ERIC D. SCHNEIDER, AUTHOR OF INTO THE COOL: THE NEW THERMODYNAMICS OF CREATIVE DESTRUCTION Though long unknown in the West, Vladimir Vernadsky's "The Biosphere", first published in Russian in 1926, revolutionized our view of life on Earth and formed the foundation of what we now know as Gaia theory. With this milestone publication, the first English translation of the entire text, English-speaking readers can at last read one of the great classics of modern science in their own language.