Planet Earth and the New Geoscience

AGU has embarked on a new kind of activity by becoming involved in an ambitious project called “Planet Earth,” the core of which consists of a series of television programs to be seen in the United States on PBS, starting in January of this year (see box). I here review a course text designed to be used in combination with these television specials. Although there is an element of self‐interest in reviewing in Eos a book that forms part of a project to which AGU is heavily committed. I have been able to quiet my conscience by convincing myself that there are special reasons for such a review: the concerted text and television approach is novel in our field, the subject matter is of general interest to members of the Union, and (most important) I was not myself involved. The more than 75 people cited in the credits include the current AGU president and several of his distinguished predecessors, as well as numerous geophysicists, with a sprinkling of science journalists, educators, administrators, and television experts.