First Impressions

This week's First Impressions, the competition in which you have to identify a book from its opening sentence, comes from a book that profoundly influenced Charles Darwin:

"Geology is the science which investigates the successive changes that have taken place in the organic and inorganic kingdoms of nature; it enquires into the causes of these changes, and the influence which they have exerted in modifying the surface and external structure of our planet."

Entries should be submitted to First Impressions, The THES, Admiral House, 66-68 East Smithfield, London E1 9XY, faxed to 0171 782 3300 or emailed to theschat@thes.co.uk The winner receives a Pounds 20 book token and the closing date is November 18. The winner of last week's competition, who identified Robert Graves's Goodbye to All That, is G. Davies of Devon.