The book explores the historical understanding of earthquakes over 3000 years, highlighting their destructive nature and unpredictability. It discusses Aristotle's early rational theories and the shift in earthquake research during the 19th century, particularly focusing on Mallet's physico-mechanical theory. This theory distinguished between different types of earthquake phenomena by comparing them to sound and water waves, leading to the development of the tectonic earthquake theory. The evolution of scientific thought regarding earthquakes is a central theme.
