Volcanoes provide us with some of the Earth's most spectacular events, and some of its most catastrophic disasters, their tremendous power has been an elemental force on the planet ever since its very birth, some 4500 million years ago. This fascinating introduction to volcanoes discusses their physical nature, associated phenomena, why and where they exist, and how people can actually benefit from them. It also explores in detail many of the world's most famous volcanoes and their eruptions. Striking photographs and unique 3-D graphic diagrams accompany the text to complete this survey of the dynamic world of volcanoes.