Ghost Mountains and Vanished Oceans: North America from Birth to Middle Age;

This book is more than the story of how a continent formed over 4 billion years. Told in readable, entertaining prose and filled with personal and geological anecdotes, Ghost Mountains and Vanished Oceans tells the story of our world, and in doing so, it tells our story.
As the author says: "An understanding of the geology of the Earth is essential to truly understanding our place on it. To put it the other way round, we cannot understand life and our place in it without understanding the ball of rock on which, and out of which, it evolved. We are not just passengers on a dead piece of cosmic debris whirling through space; we are an integral part of an exceptional, dynamic system that produced both ourselves and our Earth. In a very real sense, geology made us."
As one reviewer said, "…this book is a true, well-crafted page-turner…If you've ever wondered how the continents and the particular slab of rock you live on came about, you will love this book. Even if you don't, you'll still love it. Highly recommended."