Rather dated now (published 1992); that’s the problem with earth history – it keeps changing. Editor J. William Schopf invites experts to essay on what they think are the major events in the history of life, and gets the origin of life, the first fossils, the first animals, the first plants, the first vertebrates, and the first humans. Interesting enough but all now outdated (in the details – the events themselves are still as important as always). Paleontologist Leigh Van Valen coined the “Red Queen Hypothesis” – organisms have to keep evolving to maintain their status against other evolving organisms, based on the Red Queen’s comment to Alice that you have to keep running as fast as you can just to stay in one place. So it is with studying any subject – you have to keep learning as fast as you can just to stay up to date – and if you want to get ahead you have to go even faster. So it is with me and paleontology – and all other subjects.

Well illustrated; lots of references to each chapter (again now outdated). Worth it but with the caveat that you need to follow up with more recent works. ( )