Gaia: The Growth of an Idea.

JOSEPH, Lawrence E. [James Lovelock].

$250.00

Item Number: 146626

New York : St. Martin's Press, 1990.

First edition of this overview of the Gaia hypothesis debate. Octavo, original green boards. Signed by the author on the title page. Near fine in a very good dust jacket. Uncommon signed.

In the 1960s, James Lovelock proposed and popularized the hypothesis that "the Earth is a living organism." Named after the Greek goddess Gaia at the suggestion of novelist William Golding, the hypothesis postulates that the biosphere has a regulatory effect on the Earth's environment that acts to sustain life. If proved correct, the hypothesis would both "enlarge and to some extent revise Darwin's theory of evolution." In 'Gaia: The Growth of an Idea,' Lawrence E. Joseph provides an objective overview of the Gaia debate, summarizing the most up-to-date scientific developments and weighing the implications the hypothesis has for politics and the environment.