"A fascinating tour-de-force of earth history . . . the main strength of the book is that it provides a comprehensive integrated model of the Earth and its climate. Individuals may question different aspects of the model. That is a positive aspect, however, as it will promote discussion and further research, resulting in a better understanding of the Earth and its climate." --Alfred H. Pekarek, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, St. Cloud University"One of the most hotly debated science-based policy issues from the last 20 years is global climate change. . . . Most contributions about global warming are published by Anglo-Saxon authors. We have therefore to thank Elsevier for publishing the refreshing Russina work, which presents a global view of the Earth evolution syste, from its basic planetary components to the impact of microbial activity on the climate." --Brigitte Va Vliet-Lanoe, CNRS Domaines Oceaniques, in Geologos