by Jennifer A. Grier, Andrew S. Rivkin

This volume in the Greenwood Guides to the Universe series covers the inner planets.
Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. Thematic chapters discuss all of the many areas of
astronomical research surrounding each subject, providing readers with the most up-
to-date understanding of current knowledge and the ways in which it has been obtained.

Intended for use in secondary education, this volume eschews the conventional listing
of the numerical data associated with astrophysical texts. Instead, the focus is on
explaining processes of planetary formation and change. Grier (research associate,
Planetary Science Inst.) and Rivkin (Asteroids, Comets, and Dwarf Planets in this
series) break these processes down into 13 thematic chapters, devoting each to a
major concept like plate tectonics, magnetospheres, or atmospheres. Made up largely
of engaging text arranged logically with subheadings, chapters are occasionally
punctuated by monochromatic illustrations or informational sidebars. Each is followed
by further reading lists. A suitable subject primer for high schoolers and lay readers.

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