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See more: An illustrated version of this article will be published within the next two weeks on our CultureLab books and arts blog

AT ONLY around 300 pages long, The Story of Earth ought to be too short for its subject. But mineralogist of the Carnegie Institution for Science in Washington DC does a wonderful job of condensing a mountain of technical information into a gripping, well-told story – without sacrificing any of the scientific uncertainties along the way.

Hazen caused a stir when he proposed that life was responsible for Earth’s incredibly rich diversity of minerals. By breaking down rocks and changing the composition of the oceans and air, his theory goes, life created crystals and ores that would never otherwise have appeared.

That is just part of the story told here, as Hazen sweeps from the initial assembly of Earth to the rise of complex life. His vivid descriptions of the early Earth’s tortured landscapes are a joy, as is his Carl Sagan-like gift for conveying the sheer age of our world and the vastness of space. A fantastic, stirring read.