Caroline Winterer is the William Robertson Coe Professor of History and American Studies at Stanford University. Her books include American Enlightenments: Pursuing Happiness in the Age of Reason and (with Kären Wigen) Time in Maps: From the Age of Discovery to Our Digital Era.

"How the New World Became Old . . . promotes a series of intellectually ambitious claims about the cultural and political contexts of 'the Deep Time Revolution in America.' . . . An invigorating and informative exploration into the history of American geology."---David Spanagel, Earth Sciences History --- "In How the New World Became Old, Caroline Winterer tells the story of the discovery of American deep time as a story of intellectual nationalism and a rather halting advance of secularization."---Felix Lüttge, Berlin Review --- "Caroline Winterer’s sophistication as an intellectual historian shines throughout this book. . . . [How the New World Became Old] will inspire and challenge historians of science and early Americanists alike. "---Cameron B. Strang, Journal of Southern History --- "[Winterer’s] book is primarily concerned by the way these geologists read God’s handiwork into these unexpected discoveries. She captures this labor beautifully, pinpointing how faith in a God-centered natural order, unfolding over previously unfathomable units of time, deepened as biblical literalism eroded. . . . [How the New World Became Old] is thought-provoking from start to finish."---Ryan Irwin, H-Diplo --- "[How the New World Became Old] remind[s] us that scientific truth isn’t transcendent but, as historians of science have long argued, emerges from and reflects specific social circumstances."---Andrew Katzenstein, The Nation --- "Recommended." --- "Winterer not only skillfully weaves together the discourses that professionalized the disciplines of archaeology, anthropology, paleontology, and geology; she also demonstrates how these same developments were deployed to effect a reality that would benefit the United States economically, politically, culturally and spiritually. . . . [A] major accomplishment."---Emmanuel Ramos-Barajas, Hemisphere --- "Powerful. . . . A richly detailed and indispensable exposition of how American geology found its place commensurate with the Old World and became a partner in a truly global science."---Markes E. Johnson, H-Net Reviews --- "Fascinating. . . . How the New World Became Old intertwines science, politics, culture and ideas to reveal a history of intellectual nationalism that fleshes out and raises up the story of nineteenth-century America."---Michael Taylor, Times Literary Supplement --- "A fascinating and extremely well written book that helps understand not only the facts but also the cultural roots and dimensions of the still fascinating mystery of deep time. . . . Winterer’s book is a jewel, an awesome, jargon free, often witty, perfectly documented and suggestively illustrated synthesis of what remains one of the most powerful enigmas to the human brain."---Jan Baetens, Leonardo --- "As the historian Caroline Winterer shows in her new book How the New World Became Old: The Deep Time Revolution in America, [geology] can shape how an entire nation sees itself. . . . [A] knotty, complex history of a previous intellectual transformation."---Jacob Mikanowski, Chronicle Review --- "[An] elegant history."