The Earth: A Very Short Introduction

Written with great clarity and being up to date, The Earth is indeed a very good introduction to this subject and a truly pleasant reading.

This book has a lot going against it: First, it's about geology :-). Second, the producer isn't providing a flashy picture-book format-- it has more text than figures. But I found it constantly interesting! The text reads like a rapid sequence of one interesting fact after another. Many of the facts are surprisingly modern, and some even speculative. But they are all *interesting*. These mini descriptions form a story that puts the Earth in its cosmic context, and visits each significant aspect of its nature. If you have a scientific curiosity but do not know geology, I think you will find it a quick and engaging invitation into some new knowledge.