Discusses plate tectonics, the theory that the surface of the earth is always moving, and the connection of this phenomenon to earthquakes and volcanoes. (view table of contents)

Describes the atmosphere which makes life on earth possible, explores its effects on weather and climate, and examines what causes air pollution and what can be done it. (view table of contents)

An overview of the history of the Earth, the life that evolved on it, and known periods of mass extinctions, from the planet's origin to the present. (view table of contents)

Describes the importance of Earth's natural resources and discusses how their misuse and depletion endanger life on the planet. (view table of contents)

Discusses the many different life forms that have existed on Earth, their importance, and how they have changed over time. (view table of contents)

Describes the formation of the earth, the composition of its surface and interior, and the effects of earthquakes and volcanoes. (view table of contents)

An in-depth look at Earth's waters and mankind's uses of water throughout history which includes ideas about planning better use of this critical resource in the future. (view table of contents)

Discusses how living things inherit traits, chronicles the history of the study of heredity, and examines current research on genetic engineering and mapping the human gene. (view table of contents)

Readers can join the author, who was invited by the Russian Academy of Sciences to take part in its annual Tunguska Expedition to investigate the largest metorite impact in recorded history and who travelled the world in search of other meteorite impact sites, on a fascinating adventure to the most significant meteor sites of the untamed and desolate Russian interior. (view table of contents)

Describes the composition of minerals, their physical properties, and how they are formed. (view table of contents)

Describes stars--how they are formed, their composition, and what happens when they die. (view table of contents)

An introduction to the celestial phenomena of asteroids, meteoroids and meteorites, and comets. (view table of contents)

Explains why water, although common, has characteristics which make it an unusual substance. (view table of contents)

Explains what a space station is, how it is put into orbit, and what experiments and living conditions are like there. (view table of contents)

Describes the nine planets that make up the solar system. (view table of contents)

Describes the three types of rocks and how each type is formed and becomes part of the rock cycle. (view table of contents)

Describes what was believed in the past about stars, including the sun, and what we know today. (view table of contents)

Describes what fossils are, how they are formed, and what they tell scientists about the earth's past. (view table of contents)

Explores the many different myths, theories, and experiments which explain the origin of life, including spontaneous generation, the development of planets, chemical evolution of matter, and the various places in the solar system where life exists or mayexist.Explores the many different myths, theories, and experiments which explain the origin of life, including spontaneous generation, the development of planets, chemical evolution of matter, and the various places in the solar system where life exists or mayexist. (view table of contents)

Relates the history of the struggle to understand Earth's place in the universe, from earliest mythmaking to today's discoveries via the Hubble telescope

Describes the development of geological theory from the ancient Greek philosophers to the discovery of plate tectonics, which explains the forming of geological structures

Discusses human evolution and the search for the earliest forms of humans, examining the Neanderthals, Homo erectus, the variety of fossils found in Africa, and the early apelike hominids

Introduces atoms, the tiny particles which make up everything in the world, discussing their different parts, how they were discovered, and how they can be used as a source of energy