James Lovelock’s Gaia theory proposed a radical change of scale.

He proposed that the Earth is not merely occupied by life but actively shaped by it. Organisms, atmosphere, oceans and rocks form an interdependent system whose physical and biological processes help maintain conditions in which life can continue. Climate, oxygen levels, ocean salinity and cloud formation become parts of a planetary physiology rather than isolated phenomena.

In this expanded sequel to Gaia: A New Look at Life on Earth, Lovelock follows the living Earth across geological time, from its earliest bacterial ecosystems to the contemporary environmental crisis. This substantially revised edition also answers his scientific critics and refines Gaia from a provocative metaphor into a theory of planetary self-regulation. A foundational work of ecological thought, systems theory and Earth science that permanently complicated the boundary between organism and environment.

Second edition, later printing. Oxford University Press, 1995. Paperback. Good condition, with rubbing, creasing and general shelf wear to the covers.