The Changing Earth: Exploring Geology and Evolution (with Physical GeologyNOW) (Available Titles CengageNOW)

THE CHANGING EARTH, a leader in the Introductory Geology course, is the only text specifically written for the combined physical and historical geology course. The Fourth Edition's content is based on the best-selling texts PHYSICAL GEOLOGY: EXPLORING THE EARTH and HISTORICAL GEOLOGY: EVOLUTION OF EARTH AND LIFE THROUGH TIME, both written by James Monroe and Reed Wicander. Briefer than the previous edition and maintaining a consistent and clear writing style throughout, the text provides a balanced coverage of physical and historical geology with engaging, real-life examples that draw students into the material. Examples in the Fourth Edition include new two-page art spreads, new paleogeographic maps, and "Geology in Unexpected Places"-a favorite feature from PHYSICAL GEOLOGY: EXPLORING THE EARTH, Fifth Edition. Known for its competitive and robust ancillary package, the Fourth Edition now features GeologyNow, the first assessment-centered student tutorial technology developed for the Geology market. The seamless integration of GeologyNow with chapter concepts emphasizes the connections between the content and students' own lives, through visual 3-D animations and chapter quizzes, helping students develop a greater appreciation for geology.

James S. Monroe is Professor Emeritus of Geology at Central Michigan University, where he taught Physical Geology, Historical Geology, Prehistoric Life, and Stratigraphy and Sedimentology beginning in 1975 and served as chair of the Geology department. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Montana. He has coauthored several textbooks with Reed Wicander and has interests in Cenozoic geology and geologic education. Monroe now lives in Chico, California, where he remains active in geology by teaching courses to a large group of retirees.

Reed Wicander is a geology professor at Central Michigan University, where he teaches Physical Geology, Historical Geology, Prehistoric Life, and Invertebrate Paleontology and was previously chair of the department. He obtained his B.A. at San Diego State University and his Ph.D. at UCLA. His main research interests involve various aspects of Paleozoic palynology, specifically the study of acritarchs, on which he has published numerous papers. He is a past president of the American Association of Stratigraphic Palynologists and currently a councilor of the International Federation of Palynological Societies and chair of the Acritarch Subcommission of the Commission Internationale de Microflore du Paleozoique. He has coauthored several geology textbooks with James S. Monroe.