More and more, scientists are viewing our home planet as a complex organism, whose delicate balances must be preserved if mankind is to surive. Now TIME presents an unrivaled portrait of Planet Earth -- it's violent history, its stunning geography and terrains, its vast oceans, its constantly changing geology, its life-sheltering atmosphere, its fragile and currently imperiled climate. This beautifully illustrated volume presents a portrait of our wondrous planet that is revelatory, awe-inspiring and essential.