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.