Ends of the Earth

Journeys to the Polar Regions in Search of Life, the Cosmos, and Our Future

De: Neil Shubin

Narrado por: Fred Berman

**Shortlisted for the 2025 Royal Society Trivedi Science Book Prize**

The bestselling author of Your Inner Fish takes readers on an epic adventure to the North and South Poles to reveal the secrets locked in the ice about life, the cosmos, and our planet’s future.

“Urgent [and] prescient…The book captures Shubin’s reverence for both the beauty and the mysteries hidden in the cold, barren tundra.”—The New Yorker

Renowned scientist Neil Shubin has made extraordinary discoveries by leading scientific expeditions to the sweeping ice landscapes of the Arctic and Antarctic. He’s survived polar storms, traveled in temperatures that can freeze flesh in seconds, and worked hundreds of miles from the nearest humans, all to deepen our understanding of our world.

Written with infectious enthusiasm and irresistible curiosity, Ends of the Earth blends travel writing, science, and history in a book brimming with surprising and wonderful discoveries. Shubin retraces his steps on a “dinosaur dance floor,” showing us where these beasts had populated the once tropical lands at the poles. He takes readers meteor hunting, as meteorites preserved in the ice can be older than our planet and can tell us about our galaxy’s formation. Readers also encounter insects and fish that develop their own anti-freeze, and aquatic life in ancient lakes hidden miles under the ice that haven’t seen the surface in centuries. It turns out that explorers and scientists have found these extreme environments as prime ground for making scientific breakthroughs across a vast range of knowledge.

Shubin shares unforgettable moments from centuries of expeditions to reveal just how far scientists will go to understand polar regions. In the end, what happens at the poles does not stay in the poles—the ends of the earth offer profound stories that will forever change our view of life and the entire planet.

Sweeping history and science

this is a well told narrative. fantastic interplay of science and history, both recent and ancient.

not bad but not the most interesting subjects

it's a bit long winded and the book could've covered everything in half the length. the early explorers of antarctica were not heroes like the author made them sound like. they went there because of their own volitions, and their cruelty of using dogs as slaves to carry supplies and then killing and eating them one by one was beyond inhumane, unethical and despicable. the only useful and interesting knowledge acquired from antarctica came from recent, more humane visits there. even then, the part about the meteorites and how they move went on for a long time. the details of their studies were just not that interesting, but the results were kinda interesting. overall it's just ok and i learned very little new knowledge.

Excellent scientific view of the poles

I loved that Dr. Shubin writes about often overlooked women scientists and indigenous communities living in polar regions. I was unaware of the active scramble for the Arctic among various nations and the magnitude of change happening in glaciers even at the poles. I really enjoyed the book and learned a lot.

Obvious conclusion without the listen

Each individual chapter was Ok alone but there was no particular connection, chronology of events or even geographical sequence. It felt like scattered thoughts not necessarily tied. The conclusion is without a crescendo. I already know the same conclusion without spending 6 hours listening to the audio book. There are some glimpses of interesting facts but were diluted by the narrator’s pronunciation of the word “sea”!

Perhaps it would have better read than listen to.