Where did the earth come from? What is it made of? Why does it have continents? In what ways does the sun affect our planet?

Scientists have long sought answers to these and other important questions about the planet Earth. Today, with rockets and satellites and deep-sea drills, with electronic eyes and ears, scientists have the means of discovering the earth's big secrets.

In this absorbing book, Patricia Lauber tells of the great new age of exploration that began with the International Geophysical Year — in space, under the oceans, and into the depths of the earth itself.

In a previous book, All About the Planets (praised by experts as "the best book on the subject for this age group"), Miss Lauber skillfully conveyed an understanding of our solar system as a whole. Now, in this book, she shows how much and how little we know about our home — the planet Earth.

From the book