The Anthropocene is certainly one of the most important scientific and political issues of the 21st century. This book by B. L. Turner II is fascinating, very clear, and erudite. It provides a useful synthesis of contemporary knowledge. And it does so in a particularly accessible and scientifically accurate way. It includes numerous diagrams, photographs, and charts, an index, and a glossary with many definitions. It is an indispensable teaching tool for: raising students’ awareness of how the Earth system works; researchers who are currently working to produce knowledge that will enable us to understand more about how the Earth system works; and those who are working to identify the levers for containing the dramatic bio-climatic runaway.