In this book, plate tectonics is placed at a central position and the history of Earth is considered not only from the more conventional surface approach, but also of Earth as a whole and as a member of the Solar System.

Many subjects that we consider an essential part of Earth history and that are often omitted or only covered in a superficial manner in beginning historical geology texts are included to give the student a more in-depth and accurate picture of the complexities of the history of Earth and of life. Among these are the origin and evolution of the crust, mantle, and core as well as the atmosphere and oceans; comparative planetary evolution; a survey of important isotopic dating methods; the study of ancient climates; the origin and evolution of life; and the early history of Earth. New and exciting developments are introduced at appropriate places in the text.

Examples are the nature of Earth's oldest rocks, the origin of continents, extraterrestrial impact and mass extinctions of organisms, rates of organic evolution, and recent developments on the origin of humans.