1
of
1
Oxygen
A Four Billion Year History
Series: Princeton Science Library
Brief Description
The remarkable scientific story of how Earth became an oxygenated planet The air we breathe is twenty-one percent oxygen, an amount higher than on any other known world. While we may take our air for granted, Earth was not always an oxygenated planet. How did it...
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$3499
Unit price
/
Unavailable
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER
Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 4-6 weeks
Found a better price? Request a price match
Oxygen
$3499
Unit price
/
Unavailable
Latest News
The Book Briefing 21/10/2026
Welcome back to another edition of 'The Book Briefing', your weekly round-up of all the...
Story to Screen - 21/10/26
It's been another huge week in the world of book-to-screen adaptations! From record-breaking trailers and...
Things We Learned from an Evening with Alice Oseman
Liam and Lizzy went along to an evening with Alice Oseman of Heartstopper! Here are...
The Book Hero Team's Wins and Misses in Film and TV Adaptations
We all love arguing in a mostly good-natured way about which adaptations of our favourite...
Vanya Insull (aka VJ Cooks) visits Book Hero
We were lucky to have a visit from popular foodie, home cook and baker Vanya...
See moreThe remarkable scientific story of how Earth became an oxygenated planet
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
still learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Description
The remarkable scientific story of how Earth became an oxygenated planet
The air we breathe is twenty-one percent oxygen, an amount higher than on any other known world. While we may take our air for granted, Earth was not always an oxygenated planet. How did it come to be this way?
Donald Canfield covers this vast history, emphasising its relationship to the evolution of life and the evolving chemistry of Earth. He guides readers through the various lines of scientific evidence, considers some of the wrong turns and dead ends along the way, and highlights the scientists and researchers who have made key discoveries in the field.
Now with an incisive new preface by the author, Oxygen takes readers on an astonishing journey of discovery, telling the story of how our planet became oxygenated.
Series: Princeton Science Library
View all-
Why Size Matters
John Tyler Bonner, one of our most distinguished and creative biologists, here offers a completely new perspective on the role of size in biology. In his hallmark friendly style, he explores the universal impact of being the right size. By examining stories ranging from Alice in Wonderland to Gulliver's Travels, he shows that humans have always been fascinated by things...Paperback$3299Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Trigonometric Delights
A fun, entertaining exploration of the ideas and people behind the growth of trigonometry. Trigonometry has a reputation as a dry, difficult branch of mathematics, a glorified form of geometry complicated by tedious computation. In Trigonometric Delights, Eli Maor dispels this view. Rejecting the usual descriptions of sine, cosine, and their trigonometric relatives, he brings the subject to life in...Paperback$5599Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
The Mathematical Mechanic
Everybody knows that mathematics is indispensable to physicsβimagine where we'd be today if Einstein and Newton didn't have the math to back up their ideas. But how many people realise that physics can be used to produce many astonishing and strikingly elegant solutions in mathematics? Mark Levi shows how in this delightful book, treating readers to a host of entertaining...Paperback$3999Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
The Irrationals
An entertaining and enlightening history of irrational numbers, from ancient Greece to the twenty-first century. The ancient Greeks discovered them, but it wasn't until the nineteenth century that irrational numbers were properly understood and rigorously defined, and even today not all their mysteries have been revealed. In The Irrationals, the first popular and comprehensive book on the subject, Julian Havil...Paperback$5700Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 2-3 weeks -
The Extreme Life of the Sea
The ocean teems with life that thrives under difficult situations in unusual environments. The Extreme Life of the Sea takes readers to the absolute limits of the ocean world β the fastest and deepest, the hottest and oldest creatures of the oceans. It dives into the icy Arctic and boiling hydrothermal vents and exposes the eternal darkness of the deepest...Paperback$3499Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
The Future of the Brain
The world's top experts take readers to the very frontiers of brain scienceIncludes a chapter by 2014 Nobel laureates May-Britt Moser and Edvard Moser An unprecedented look at the quest to unravel the mysteries of the human brain, The Future of the Brain takes readers to the absolute frontiers of science. Original essays by leading researchers such as Christof Koch,...Paperback$3999Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Oxygen
The remarkable scientific story of how Earth became an oxygenated planet The air we breathe is twenty-one percent oxygen, an amount higher than on any other known world. While we may take our air for granted, Earth was not always an oxygenated planet. How did it come to be this way? Donald Canfield covers this vast history, emphasising its relationship...Paperback$3499Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Gamma
Among the many constants that appear in mathematics, Ο, e, and i are the most familiar. Following closely behind is Ξ³, or gamma, a constant that arises in many mathematical areas yet maintains a profound sense of mystery. In a tantalizing blend of history and mathematics, Julian Havil takes the reader on a journey through logarithms and the harmonic series,...Paperback$4999Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Extinction
Some 250 million years ago, the earth suffered the greatest biological crisis in its history. Around 95 percent of all living species died outβa global catastrophe far greater than the dinosaurs' demise 185 million years later. How this happened remains a mystery, but there are many competing theories. Some blame huge volcanic eruptions that covered an area as large as...Paperback$5499Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
The Tower and the Bridge
An essential exploration of the engineering aesthetics of celebrated structures from long-span bridges to high-rise buildings What do structures such as the Eiffel Tower, the Brooklyn Bridge, and the concrete roofs of Pier Luigi Nervi have in common? According to The Tower and the Bridge, all are striking examples of structural art, an exciting area distinct from either architecture or...Paperback$4499Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
36% off
Why Stock Markets Crash
In Why Stock Markets Crash, Didier Sornette delves into the intricate fabric of financial markets to unravel the mysterious mechanisms behind their sudden collapses. Departing from conventional theories that focus on immediate triggers, Sornette's groundbreaking work suggests a deeper, more complex process underpinning the inception of financial crises. He posits that these catastrophic events stem from a gradual build-up of...Paperback$4500Usually:$6999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
QED
QED by Richard P. Feynman is acclaimed for its masterful exploration of quantum electrodynamics, diving into the intriguing interactions of light with charged particles. This seminal work invites readers on a journey through the marvels of the quantum world, rendered through the unique lens of one of the 20th century's most celebrated physicists. Instead of merely focusing on complex equations...Paperback$3999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780691270562
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 25 March 2025
Country: United States
Imprint: Princeton University Press
Illustration: 63 b/w illus.
Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly
DIMENSIONS
Width: 140.0mm
Height: 216.0mm
Weight: 250g
Pages: 232
About the Author
Donald E. Canfield is professor of ecology at the University of Southern Denmark and a member of the National Academy of Sciences.
More from Science & Nature
View all-
Raising Hare
THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES AND NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER SHORTLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION 2025 SHORTLISTED FOR WATERSTONES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2024 SHORTLISTED FOR THE HATCHARDS AND BIOGRAPHERS' CLUB FIRST BIOGRAPHY PRIZE A BOOK OF THE YEAR FOR THE HAY FESTIVAL, SUNDAY TIMES, THE TIMES, FINANCIAL TIMES, SPECTATOR AND iNEWS 'A beautiful book' - ANGELINA JOLIE 'I...Paperback$2400Elsewhere:$2799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Nuclear War
The Sunday Times bestselling non-fiction thriller that has to be read to be believed. Baillie Gifford shortlisted, a favourite of Steven Bartlett, with an average reader rating of 4.6, sure to be a mass-market hit. Up to now, no one outside of official circles has known exactly what would happen if a rogue state launched a nuclear missile at the...Paperback$2500Elsewhere:$2800Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
The Anxious Generation
A powerful argument for reclaiming childhoodβand all human relationshipsβfrom the online world, from the influential social psychologist and international bestselling author. Jonathan Haidt has spent his career speaking truth and wisdom in some of the most difficult spacesβcommunities polarised by politics and religion, campuses battling culture wars, and now the mental health emergency hitting teenagers today in many countries around...Paperback$2299Elsewhere:$3000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Prisoners of Geography
Prisoners of Geography looks at the past, present, and future to offer crucial insights into one of the major factors that determine world history β because if you donβt know geography, youβll never have the full picture. Originally published in 2015, this completely revised and updated edition brings it up to date with the events and trends of the past...Paperback$2899Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Ultra-Processed People
Launching the runaway bestseller with ambitions to be the biggest non-fiction paperback of the year IT'S NOT YOU. IT'S THE FOOD. "If you only read one diet or nutrition book in your life, make it this one" - Bee Wilson "You've got to get this book in your life . . . Completely compelling . . . Read a page...Paperback$2500Elsewhere:$2800Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Pokemon Encyclopedia: Updated and Expanded 2024
The essential guide to all things PokΓ©mon, this yearβs Encyclopedia includes all of the details of Ash Ketchumβs battle to become PokΓ©mon World Champion! The new updated and expanded final edition of the PokΓ©mon Encyclopedia! Ash Ketchumβs journey to becoming a PokΓ©mon Master, and winner of the Masters Eight World Championships, has come to an end. Travel through all 8...Hardback$3799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Kitchen Confidential
The classic bestseller from the star of Parts Unknown and No Reservations: 25th Anniversary edition, with a new introduction by Irvine Welsh. BEFORE THERE WAS THE BEAR, THERE WAS BOURDAIN. βElizabeth David written by Quentin Tarantinoβ β A.A. Gill βFantastic: as lip-smackingly seductive as a bowl of fat chips and pungent aioliβ β Daily Telegraph After twenty-five years of sex,...Paperback$2500Elsewhere:$2799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Sapiens
Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari is an extraordinary exploration of humanity's history from the dawn of our species to the present day. Harari delves into our evolution, offering insights into the cognitive revolutions that allowed Homo sapiens to rise above other animal species. Traversing through various stages of human development, he examines the Agricultural Revolution, the unification of humankind through...Paperback$2500Elsewhere:$3000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Talk
A Harvard professor shows how we can become better talkers - and why effective conversation will help us all thrive. Conversation is at the heart of our relationships and decision-making, but the science behind our everyday interactions, and how to improve them, is little known. In Talk, Harvard Professor Alison Wood Brooks provides fascinating insights into the power of effective...Paperback$3000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Clean & Green
Simple swaps and innovative ideas for cleaning and maintaining your home that won't cost the Earth. Learn how easy it is to make simple swaps in your cleaning and tidying methods for a more eco-friendly home. This beautifully illustrated black and white guide with 101 hints and sustainable, natural cleaning tips and hacks will help you take small steps that...Paperback$2999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
18% offThe Genetic Book of the Dead
From one of the worldβs great science writers, a book that explores the deepest principles of evolutionary history. In this groundbreaking new approach to the evolution of all life, Richard Dawkins shows how the body, behaviour, and genes of every living creature can be read as a book β an archive of the worlds of its ancestors. A perfectly camouflaged...Hardback$4000Elsewhere:$5499Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
The Coming Wave
The instant Sunday Times bestseller from the ultimate AI insider - the only book you need to read on this subject. An Economist, Financial Times, Guardian, Prospect and Sunday Times Book of the Year Shortlisted for the FT and Schroders Business Book of the Year This is the only book you need to understand our new world - from the...Paperback$2500Elsewhere:$2800Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today
Why buy from us?
Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!
Service & Delivery
Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.
Auckland Bookstore
We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.
Our Gifting Service
Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.
Science & Nature lists from the team
Explore our curated lists from our heroes to find your next read!
