“This book ... is certainly a milestone in characterization and understanding. ... I would therefore recommend this book to any geoscientist. It allows the reader to see how our science interplays with other natural sciences, and the close interconnection between geosphere and biosphere. The book is extremely well edited and the chapters well written: a lasting testimony to the considerable effort the editor and authors have applied. Strongly recommended for anyone who thinks about our natural world.” (Rob Bowell, Geoscientist Online, geolsoc.org.uk, November, 2017)