Graduate-level Textbooks on Geobiology, Biogeochemistry, Stable Isotope Geochemistry

• Knoll, A.H., Canfield, D.E., Konhauser, K.O., 2012. Fundamentals of Geobiology. John Wiley & Sons, 443 pp. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118280874 

This book provides a comprehensive collection of reviews by leading experts on deep-time biogeochemical cycles. A substantial portion of this book focuses on how isotope geochemistry has been applied to reconstruct the evolution of biogeochemical cycles throughout Earth's history. It could be overwhelming for beginners or undergraduate students, but it is highly recommended for graduate students seeking a deeper understanding of this research field.

Introductory Textbooks on Stable Isotope Geochemistry

• Sharp, Z., 2017. Principles of Stable Isotope Geochemistry, Second Edition. https://doi.org/10.25844/h9q1-0p82 

This open-access textbook, written by a leading expert, offers a concise introduction to stable isotope geochemistry.

• Fry, B., 2007. Stable Isotope Ecology. Springer New York, NY, 308 pp. https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-33745-8
  The author explains the mechanisms of isotopic fractionation and mixing in an engaging and playful way.  When reading this book, you will find that stable isotope geochemistry can be a lot of fun.

Introductory Textbooks on Geology

• Langmuir, C.H., Broecker, W.S., 2012. How to Build a Habitable Planet: The Story of Earth from the Big Bang to Humankind. Princeton University Press, 718 pp. https://www.habitableplanet.org 

Written by two leading experts, this book provides valuable insights into understanding Earth — the only known habitable planet — as a whole. It introduces many profound Earth science concepts and discoveries in a way that is accessible to non-geology majors.

• Nichols, G., 2023. Sedimentology and Stratigraphy, Third Edition. John Wiley & Sons, 544 pp. https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Sedimentology+and+Stratigraphy%2C+3rd+Edition-p-9781119417279

This is a widely used textbook on sedimentology and stratigraphy, with updated color figures in its third edition. In the studies of paleoenvironments, sedimentology and stratigraphy often provide crucial context for hypothesis-driven investigations in isotope geochemistry.

• Marshak, S., 2022. Essentials of Geology, Seventh Edition. W. W. Norton & Company, 720 pp. https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393882728 

I adopted this textbook when teaching an introductory geology course for non-geology majors at Mississippi State University. It is written by an experienced geologist and is rich in fantastic figures.

• Konhauser, K.O., 2009. Introduction to Geomicrobiology. John Wiley & Sons, 440 pp. https://www.wiley.com/en-jp/Introduction+to+Geomicrobiology-p-9781444309027 

The more I study biogeochemistry, the more I appreciate geomicrobiology. Microbes were the key players that profoundly reshaped the biogeochemical landscapes of early Earth.

Popular Science Books on Climate Change

• Porder, S., 2023. Elemental: How Five Elements Changed Earth’s Past and Will Shape Our Future. Princeton University Press, 240 pp. https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691177298/elemental 

This book is written by a biogeochemist working on modern environments. It is easy to read and very insightful. The author links biogeochemical cycles of H-O-C-N-P in early Earth to anthropogenic innovation and success, and proposes that the global challenges we face today are deeply rooted in the world-changing activities of our microbial and plant predecessors and, to overcome those challenges, we should also look to our predecessors for insights.

• Earle, S., 2021. A Brief History of the Earth's Climate: Everyone's Guide to the Science of Climate Change. New Society Publishers, 189 pp.

Written by a geologist, this brief introductory book provides a concise overview of various feedback mechanisms that influence Earth's climate on both tectonic and shorter time scales.

Popular Science Books on Biogeochemistry, Geobiology, Earth History

• Lenton, T., 2016. Earth System Science: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press, 144 pp. https://doi.org/10.1093/actrade/9780198718871.001.0001 

Written by a leading expert, this short introductory book offers a concise overview of biogeochemical cycles and their central role in Earth system science.

• Canfield, D.E., 2014. Oxygen: A Four Billion Year History. Princeton University Press, Princeton and Oxford, 224 pp. https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt4cgd8h 

Written by a leading expert, this popular science book presents intriguing backstories about how many groundbreaking scientific ideas evolved on the biogeochemical history of early Earth.

• Knoll, A.H., 2015. Life on a Young Planet: The First Three Billion Years of Evolution on Earth,  Updated Edition. Princeton University Press, 277 pp. https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctvc77hfk 

This popular science book, written by a leading expert, explains how geologists conducted pioneering research to better understand the co-evolution of life and environments during the first three billion years of Earth's history.

• Shields, G., 2023. Born of Ice and Fire: How Glaciers and Volcanoes (with a Pinch of Salt) Drove Animal Evolution. Yale University Press, New Haven, 352 pp. https://doi.org/10.12987/9780300274738

Written by a leading expert on Precambrian geology, this book presents fascinating stories about Snowball Earth glaciation and deglaciation, biogeochemical carbon, oxygen, and sulfur cycles, and the rise of earliest animal life during the turbulent Neoproterozoic Era.