The Encyclopedia of Earth: A Complete Visual Guide

Presented in a similar style to the same publisher's The Encyclopedia of Animals: A Complete Visual Guide that I reviewed some time ago, this book focuses on the planet itself rather than the life to be found on it, although it does not avoid life entirely. The book is divided into six sections, these being birth (the origin and a brief history and description of the universe and our solar system, together with a chapter on the emergence of life), fire (including the Earth`s core, volcanoes, thermal springs, earthquakes and tsunamis), land (see next paragraph), air (the atmosphere, wind, climate and weather), water (oceans, seas, rivers, waterfalls, wetlands, swamps, lakes and the marine environment but not glaciers, which are covered in a different section) and humans (looking at how people have used and sometimes abused the planet and what the future might bring). The section on land is, understandably, the biggest. It covers rocks, minerals, soils, landforms and biomes. While the first three subsections describe the ingredients, the subsection on landforms describes the form they take and how they change. It is interesting to note that glaciers are included here rather than in the section on water. More predictably, the subsection on landforms explains weathering, erosion, rock falls, landslides, canyons, river deltas, mountains, valleys, plains, plateaux, coasts and caves. The subsection on biomes explains tundra, forests, deserts and other types of land environment. The book is well illustrated with plenty of photographs and diagrams as well as many interesting facts and opinions. There was a time when a book of this type might have stuck to the facts alone (or at least to the best educated guess about the past based on known information), but the final section dealing with people inevitably strays beyond fact into opinion, especially when predicting the future. Regardless of whether you share these opinions or not, there is plenty of good factual information in this book to make it worth having on your bookshelf.

What a wonderful and comprehensive study of our world. This book is so dense, diverse, and beautiful. Every aspect of our world is explored in an easy to grasp format. The reading grips an adult, the illustrations make it child accessible, the depth of coverage makes it a book that invites constant return. Being a college graduate of 35+ years ago I thought that I may be going a bit overboard in my praise. So I introduced this book to groups of astronomers, archaeologists, and doctors. They all were fascinated. Cool. So parents, instead of shopping all around for a book that may interest one or another child's curiosity, perhaps you can save a bunch and buy this book. It will spark interest in people of many inclinations and maybe point out a possible life path.

I'm a fifth grade teacher and this book is a big hit in my classroom. Great for research or silent reading.

The book is beautiful. I bought it for my father, who said upon receiving it that it was a beautiful book and I should get it for myself, so I've now purchased two. It would make a wonderful gift.