Preface to the English edition

To cover the 4500 million years of the history of the Earth in one book is certainly a formidable task. As my particular field lies in isotope geochronology and rock magnetism, which are the most effective means of clarifying the Earth’s evolutionary history, I have been able in this book to present my own view of the Earth’s evolution mainly on the basis of results obtained by these two approaches.

In preparing the English edition, I have made a few changes following comments by my colleagues on the original Japanese edition. I have now realised that to prepare the English edition involved far more than mere translation. I have had to admit that the Japanese language is more suited to literature than it is to being a scientific medium. So for Mrs Judy Wakabayashi the task was to convert a language suited to the heart into a language suited to the mind. And as far as the English edition is concerned, I feel that she is almost entitled to be a co-author, and I would like to express my very deep appreciation of her work and for all the “blood, sweat and tears” which she has endured during the past six months.