EARTH Sciences book launch. A book written by a Bishop's Castle resident and published by the University of Chicago Press was launched at the Yarborough House Bookshop in Bishop's Castle on January 16. Owners Jock and Carol Wright hosted the launch of Martin J S Rudwick's most recent book 'Earth's Deep History: How it was Discovered and Why it Matters' . Professor Rudwick explained to an audience of 50 guests that his book came into being because so many admirers of his definitive two-volume scholarly study of earth history (published in 2005 and 2008) had urged him to write a book 'for intelligent readers like yourselves'. Martin paid tribute to thinkers and scientists from the 17th century onwards who had dedicated their intellects to exploring the billions of years of earth's evolution. He also suggested the importance of their work to our own vision of ourselves and existence. Guests were drawn from Bishop's Castle Parish Church, the Community Choir, the South West Shropshire Archaeological and Historical Society, the Bishop's Castle Walking Group and from friends and neighbours. Martin expressed gratitude to Bishop's Castle itself for the friendliness it had shown him. Martin Rudwick is an emeritus professor of History at the University of California, San Diego and an affiliated research scholar at Cambridge University's Department of History and Philosophy of Science.