This sumptuously illustrated, beautifully written encyclopedia, the best book available on the topic, presents the most up-to-date information about planet Earth in a style and format that will appeal to an extremely wide range of readers. With thousands of photographs, illustrations, diagrams, and maps and a text written by a team of international experts, it presents an impressive overview of our globe—beginning with the history of the universe and ending with today's conservation issues. A truly spectacular reference, The Encyclopedia of Earth offers new visual interpretations of many ideas, concepts, and facts, painting a fascinating picture of Earth today and across the ages.

The encyclopedia is divided into six sections that are designed for either browsing or in-depth study. Birth gives an overview of Earth's 4.6-billion-year history, including the evolution of life. Fire explains the inner workings of our dynamic planet, its structure, and the tectonic forces that have molded its landscape. Land surveys rocks, minerals, and habitats. Air covers weather, including extreme weather events such as tornadoes and hurricanes. Water tours the oceans, rivers, and lakes of the world. The final section, Humans, provides a compelling portrait of our relationship with Earth, and of how the natural world has shaped social and political developments.

Copub: Weldon Owen Publishing

The Encyclopedia of Earth features:

* Some of the world's finest landscape photography and hundreds of detailed illustrations and diagrams, cross sections, cutaways, maps, and charts

* Coverage of topics including volcanology, paleontology, geology, natural history, cosmology, and more

* Simple, easy-to-understand explanations of complex phenomena

* The most recent scientific information and conservation data

* "Fact files" providing information at readers' fingertips

* "Heritage Watch" boxes focusing on key conservation issues and World Heritage sites

Michael Allaby is author of A Change in the Weather, A Chronology of Weather, and four volumes of the Biomes of the Weather series. Robert Coenraads, a leading gemologist, geologist, and geophysicist, is a lecturer at the Gemmological Association of Australia. Stephen Hutchinson is Senior Research Fellow at the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, United Kingdom. Karen McGhee, a science writer and journalist, is a consulting author of the best-selling Encyclopedia of Animals (UC Press). John O'Byrne is Senior Lecturer and Director of Academic Programs at the University of Sydney School of Physics. Ken Rubin is Professor in the Department of Geology and Geophysics at the University of Hawaii and at the Hawaii Center for Volcanology.

“This wonderful book can take you all around the world with a flip of a page.”—Nashville Parent Magazine

“A fascinating compendium of Earth facts.”—Alaska Airlines Mag

“Written by a panel of authorities top-heavy with academic degrees, the information is nonetheless digestible and easy to track down, thanks to the index (aardvark to Zu, the Akkadian god of storms and darkness).”—Seattle Times

“Absolutely stunning. . . . A wonderful introduction to many of the processes that shape our planet and, by extension, us.” —Civil Engineering

““The Encyclopedia of Earth” proves that reference books don’t have to be drab or prohibitively pricey. . . . Covers everything from Earth’s origins to mountain formation to global wind patterns.”—Geotimes Magazine

“1,700 photographs. . . take readers from Tanzania’s Serengeti Plain to Qaanaaq, Greenland (the world’s most northerly town), along with images of a phytoplankton bloom off the coast of Ireland and the coastline of Iceland’s West Fjords Peninsula.”—Washington Parent

“Full of beautiful color photos (1700 total). . . plus charts, illustrations, cross-sections, and cutaways, this book truly offers something for everyone.”—Curious Parents-delaware Valley

“Covering topics as varied as volcanology, paleontology, geology and cosmology, The Encyclopedia of Earth is divided into six parts that are designed for either browsing or in-depth study.”—Columbus Parent

“This gorgeously illustrated guide to Earth is useful and absorbing. . . . An excellent guide for the shelf of any student.”—Miami Herald

“This gorgeously illustrated guide to Earth is useful and absorbing. . . . An excellent guide for the shelf of any student.”—Miami Herald

“Fastidiously researched and gorgeously rendered.”—E! the Environmental Magazine

“Visually stunning. . . . Could not have arrived at a better time.”—Booklist

“Sublimely comprehensible and aesthetically well-organized.”—Foreword

“A stunning, reasonably priced resource.”—Choice

“One book you want on your coffee table-if you can put it down.”—Sacramento Bee

“The amount of far-flung material stuffed into this book is staggering.” —Washington Post Book World

“Lavishly illustrated and easily accessible.”—Library Journal

“For anyone keen to understand the many interwoven elements of Earth science. . . it offers an essential, and gorgeous, baseline.”—Seed Magazine

“The reference book for the planet, complete with thousands of photographs, illustrations, diagrams and maps.”—Science News