260 million years ago, life on Earth suffered several waves of catastrophic extinctions, with the worst extinction wiping out over 90% of species on the planet. In this book, Professor Wignall investigates the worst 80 million years in Earth’s history, a time marked by two mass extinctions (the end Permian and the Triassic) and four lesser crises; and sheds light on the fateful role the supercontinent of Pangea might have played in causing these global catastrophes. These global catastrophes all have two factors in common: (1) they occurred when the world’s continents were united into the single continent of Pangea; and (2) they coincided with gigantic volcanic eruptions. The period covered in this book begins in the middle of the Permian Period, spans the entire Triassic, and finishes in the Early Jurassic.

This book examines what happened during the Permo-Jurassic extinctions of Pangea, evaluate what may have caused these catastrophes (more specifically, to ask, how volcanism could have done it?), and finally to understand whether the resilience of the biosphere has changed in 260 million years or whether it has just become luckier thanks to continental separation i.e. are supercontinents bad for life.

Wignall examines each of the extinction events in chronological order, with numerous illustrations/diagrams as necessary to help clarify the text. One complaint other reviewers have written about is the scientific jargon used in this book, but I have no idea how the author was supposed to make a strong argument for his hypothesis without the relevant terminology. However, I did not consider the use of scientific terms to be excessive or complicated - the author does not go into excruciating chemical detail; he states what happens and why in understandable terms.

This is primarily a book about a time when Earth was very different, a time of supercontinents, super-oceans, and super-eruptions, and above all, an age of mass extinctions. I found the writing to be clear and logical and the book to be thoroughly enjoyable and informative.

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Between 260 mya and 180 mya, life on earth experienced a succession of mass extinctions unrivaled by any other time before or since. Because the extinction that wiped out the dinosaurs is the one that receives all the attention, many are unaware that there had been earlier, more devastating exterminations. This book focuses on what happened during those 80 million years when, during the worst of it, up to 96% of all marine species and 70% of terrestrial species became extinct.

Recommended for fans of science and natural history writing. Some prior knowledge of fossils and geologic time will make following along easier -- a lot of chemistry, geology, paleontology and phylogenic terms are used fairly casually. ( )

Received via NetGalley and Princeton University Press in exchange for an completely unbiased review.
Also posted on Silk & Serif

The Worth of Times is a book that looks to be fairly straightforward on the surface, but is actually semi-complex.

Wignall's attempt to alert readers to our limited understanding of the global climate system comes across as part textbook and part climate debate.

Wignall's novel describes how and why cataclysms caused mass extinctions in pre-historic time. He explains how scientists use technology and ancient clues to solve the riddles surrounding mass extinctions. He mainly describes the role of volcanic activities in mass extinction events. The novel attempts to foster further understanding as to why LIPs (large igneous provinces), which can develop into volcanic provinces, were so detrimental to life before Pangaea broke into smaller land masses.

The Worst of Times is not a book for the uninitiated. Although the description looks to be written for the masses, the content often became bogged down in detail and scientific jargon. I found myself looking up certain Latin named species to understand just what creature Wignall was describing. I also came across words I'd never seen before due to the highly technical nature of the text. Fortunately, Wignall rises above this and attempts to fill the reader in on some of these details.

Prior to reading this title I was unaware of how completely uninformed I was about ancient geology, climate studies and their role in modern science. I had always assumed that studies of extinction level events and climatic shifts were interesting but not at all relevant to today's world. The Worst of Times completely changed that perception by causing me to understand the interlinked relationship between studying ancient climatic change and developing a deeper understanding of today's planetary climate system.

I have read very few articles that convey a positive prognosis for a post global warming world and it is with this background that I found this novel to be refreshing. The author provides plenty of evidence affirming the resiliency of life and the adaptability of Earth's climatic system which is a welcome change to the mass published panic enabling literature. If Wingall's research is correct, it could mean we do not understand the long-term effect of global warming or the strength of Earth's self-correcting abilities. The novel was not enough to change my perception of global warming, but it did offer some interesting food for thought.

I found this title to be dense, often quite difficult to wade through but filled with wisdom. I would not suggest this book if you're looking for a light, fun read with very simple concepts. I still do not understand half of what I read. I can only say that what looked like a novel akin to a Natural Geographic documentary actually became an academic study of mass extinction agents and climate change effects.

This book would appeal to readers who enjoy science, scientific research, extinction events, ancient history and extremely educational novels. I would recommend readers be prepared for a academic feeling novel as this is not part of the "popular science" trend. ( )