Volcanoes are inseparable from the history of the Earth and all life on it. Volcanologist and science journalist Robin Andrews reveals the scientific and historical significance of volcanoes and volcanic regions and shows how they influence the formation of the sea, land and air composition. “Volcanoes allow us to gain insight into secrets that no other natural process can reveal. Peaks, craters and chasms are formed, shaped and erupted because, and only because, the planetary engines located deep below the surface of the planet work in a special way. Eruptions give us the gold of scientific discoveries. They suggest why one planet has water and an atmosphere, but another does not; where continents are torn apart, creating a new ocean; whether the surface of the planet consists of puzzle pieces, the movement of which gives shape to everything that happens on the surface. They take us billions of years into the past so we can learn how planets are born and give us a glimpse into the future that may await them. Volcanoes exemplify the extraordinary resilience of life that far surpasses that of humans. They also show how entire worlds can and cannot die." (Robin George Andrews)