In this day of instant information via the Internet, one can legitimately ask the question as to whether the concept of an encyclopedia is outdated. I would on the contrary argue that a volume as complete as the Encyclopedia of Environmental Change has a very legitimate raison d’être in today’s world. The range of topics included in the Encyclopedia edited by John A. Matthews, from the past to the future, from the physical to the social and economic spheres, enables a comprehensive overview of topics that are often inter-related in subtle and complex ways; it is through these linkages that an encyclopedia takes on its full meaning. I am certain that the Encyclopedia of Environmental Change will be of interest to both the research community and a wider public, often keen to know more about the evolving environments of today and tomorrow.