Becoming Earth: A Journey Through the Hidden Wonders That Bring Our Planet to Life

Starting from Darwin, life on our planet has been viewed from the perspective of evolution. But it is not only the Earth that influences the living world — its inhabitants also transform the planet. Seaweed changes the chemical composition of the ocean, and centuries ago, it was ocean bacteria that gave the sky its blue colour. However, no one influences the appearance of the planet more than humans. Ferris Jabr convincingly shows in his book that humans, the surrounding world and the Earth are inextricably linked. In order to dispel any doubts, we will visit Wrangel Island and the bottom of the ocean, travel back in time to the Pleistocene epoch, and explore the endless spaces of tropical forests: the Earth is not a planet where life merely originated, but a planet that came to life. What future awaits our common home? ‘Life gives our planet an anatomy and physiology — its breath, pulse, and metabolism. Without transformations created by life over billions of years, Earth would be completely unrecognisable. Life does not simply exist on Earth — it is Earth. We have the same reason to consider our planet a living organism as we consider ourselves.’ (Ferris Jabr)

Ferris Jabr. Becoming Earth: A Journey Through the Hidden Wonders That Bring Our Planet to Life / Translated from English by Vlada Asadulaeva. Scientific Editor Margarita Remizova. Executive Editor Maryana Terekhova. Publishing Editor Elizaveta Solodovnikova. Literary Editor Galina Nazarova. — Moscow: KoLibri, Azbuka-Atticus, 2025.