Earth’s history is embedded in its rocks, from dinosaur-trodden landscapes to new plastic-and-rock combinations. How to Read a Rock unearths stories buried in everything from grains of sand to mountain ranges, featuring over one hundred breathtaking illustrations that capture the planet’s splendour. The book explores Earth’s layers and landscapes, including caves, diamond volcanoes, ice strata, sand dunes, and lava flows, while also looking at space rocks beyond Earth to offer a sweeping history of rock formation unlike any other.

How to Read a Rock delves into the geological past and what it can teach us about Earth’s future, including evidence of the greening of the planet, the impact of natural forces, and clues on climate change and energy consumption. The book covers topics such as ancient coastlines and coral reefs, fossil fuels, deep earth, natural wonders, the contemporary limestone rock crisis, human-made minerals, technofossils, and so much more. From plate tectonics to interstellar geology, How to Read a Rock is rich with knowledge that will fill readers with a deep appreciation for Earth and the very ground on which they walk.

JAN ZALASIEWICZ is a field geologist and stratigrapher, with over 100 published academic articles to date on rock-related processes. He is the author of five previous popular geology books including The Earth After Us and The Planet in a Pebble. He has contributed to science journalism pieces for New Scientist, Scientific American and the Guardian education and also spoken about the environment on radio and television.