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This fascinating yet disquieting audiobook finds that we are running out of dirt, and it's no laughing matter. An engaging natural and cultural history of soil that sweeps from ancient civilizations to modern times, Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations explores the compelling idea that we are, and have long been, using up Earth's soil. Once bare of protective vegetation and exposed to wind and rain, cultivated soils erode bit by bit, slowly enough to be ignored in a single lifetime but fast enough over centuries to limit the lifespan of civilizations.

In 2018, lumps of frozen soil, collected from the bottom of the world's first deep ice core and lost for decades, reappeared in Denmark. When geologist Paul Bierman and his team first melted a piece of this unique material, they were shocked to find perfectly preserved leaves, twigs, and moss. That observation led them to a startling discovery: Greenland's ice sheet had melted naturally before, about 400,000 years ago.

Ein Buch, das unser Weltbild ins Wanken bringt. Ob bei Google Maps oder Apple: Täglich verlassen wir uns auf Karten. Aber wir denken selten darüber nach, wie umfangreich sie Einfluss auf unser Leben nehmen. Zum Beispiel durch die Mercator-Projektion aus dem 16. Jahrhundert, die bis heute die Dominanz des Westens unterstreicht, indem sie die Länder des Nordens größer erscheinen lässt. Oder durch Gerrymandering, die Grenzziehung von Bezirken, die den Ausgang von Wahlen beeinflusst.

Earth has been reinventing itself for more than four billion years, keeping a record of its experiments in the form of rocks. Yet most of us live our lives on the planet with no idea of its extraordinary history, unable to interpret the language of the rocks that surround us. Geologist Marcia Bjornerud believes that our lives can be enriched by understanding our heritage on this old and creative planet. Contrary to their reputation, rocks have eventful lives—and they intersect with our own in surprising ways.