The Map That Changed the World: A Tale of Rocks, Ruin and Redemption

A book on fossils and the establishment of the science of geology - a fascinating and compulsive read - you must be joking!But Simon Winchester recounts the original thought and breakthrough that William Smith made in the late 1700's that became not just the science of geology but provided the basis that helped Charles Darwin formulate his ideas. And he does it in such an entertaining way.Andrew Smith's great breakthrough was his realisation that all rocks laid down as sediments at a particular time and in a particular place are laid down with the same characteristics and the same fossils always appear in the same stratigraphical order. Therefore by noting the fossils found, he could forecast the order of strata beneath them and so produce a geological map.And he went on to geologically map the whole of the British Isles, producing his masterpiece in 1815. He also realised that the more recent strata contained fossils that appeared to be higher forms of life than the fossils in strata lower down and hence provided the evidence that creation was not exactly 6,000 years ago when all species were simultaneously created as was the prevailing belief. Smith recognised and produced the evidence that life far older than mankind had once existed on the planet.But what makes the book so readable is the story of William Smith's life set in the social history of the time. He was from a lower class who learned his trade as an apprentice land surveyor at the times of the enclosures, then as a mining surveyor and then a surveyor for the canal boom. His theories were developed from his observations and his practical experience.But not being a member of the aristocracy created an almost insurmountable barrier to the acceptance of his ideas and his involvement in the burgeoning societies for scientific development. But there were well connected doctors / MP's / vicars - Joseph Townsend and Benjamin Richardson - who recognised Smith's brilliance and assisted him to formulate and write down his ideas. And particularly Sir Joseph Banks a prominent member of the aristocracy who sponsored him.But he remained unrecognised and in deep financial trouble for much of his life - 30 nights in a debtors prison - all his possessions taken - his outstanding fossil collection sold to pay his bills. But fortunately in his old age, the new more enlightened society did recognise him as one of the most significant men of the 19th century and gave him the honours and respect he deserved.

Simon Winchester has woven a splendid story with a dry subject. The book kept me absorbed for a week. Whenever I decided to take a break from reading a chapter my inquisitiveness got over my lethargy and made me to read the book continuously. What made me obsessed with the book though it contained so many scientific jargons and was dealing with a very dry subject? It is nothing but the sheer style of Simon's writing. Few of my colleague readers may wonder why I am so much obsessed with the author's style rather than with the subject. It is not out of place to mention here that what bogged the rustic geologist, Mr.William in his endeavour , is nothing but the art of expression and the style the lack of which stood as an insurmountable obstacle to his producing two volumes which he promised to his subscribers. Mr.Williams, though a genius, was an uneducated rustic, who could not form his thoughts cogently and express them in simple sentences which stood in his way of producing the promised books to his readers. At this juncture I am reminded of the great English Man, Mr.William Cobbet who was a plough man and who taught himself the elementary principles of Grammar which ultimately made him one of the masters of English Prose. Mr.Cobbett, who was practically an English Yeoman, was sympathetic to the rural poor of England, who could not effectively draft petitions to King in clear terms explaining the enormous difficulties faced by them and the relief needed by them from His Majesty. To such poor people Cobbeett was helpful in drafting petitions to the King and Government in clear terms. It is a pity that though England was having a number of literate persons at the e period of William Smith no one came forward to helping him to put his thoughts in an orderly fashion for publishing a book on geology which would have been of immense help to the posterity.Summing up the whole matter I state that I enjoyed the book very muchWith regardsMuralidharan