Reddit reviews Earth

So it sounds like you are looking for some thing at the pretty basic level?

For David Attenborough books, try something coffee-table-y like the Smithsonian Earth guide. It's about much more than geo, but it's got everything you listed above and lots of pretty pictures and interesting things.

For something more academic, but still introductory, try Understanding Earth. Easy to read yet descriptive. If you don't want to pay $120, try going back a couple of editions.

One more step up might be Planet Earth: Cosmology, Geology, and the Evolution of Life and Environment which has a few less pretty pictures and a few more maths (optional). Even though this book is supposedly "below" my educational level I still love it. I also wish I'd read it back when I was first starting down the scientific path - it really covers the basics of just about everything you'd every need to know.

[This book] (http://www.amazon.com/Earth-Michael-Allaby/dp/0789496437) is great for a general concept of a lot of things you'd learn in your BSc geology. It's not just geology, it also has info about the oceans and the atmosphere which you'd also encounter in your studies.

Yes I have it actually. Very good visual guide. DK books are superb, there are a couple of others of theirs I have

http://www.amazon.co.uk/World-History-Atlas/dp/1405302674/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324647974&sr=1-2

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Earth/dp/0789496437/ref=pd_sim_b_6

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Human-Definitive-Guide-Our-Species/dp/140530233X/ref=pd_sim_b_4

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Soldier-Reg-Grant/dp/1405344202/ref=pd_sim_b_21

All good

this is an overview of everything related to geology and earth science.. its and awesome book and goes into enough detail about everything and has tons of awesome pictures

http://www.amazon.com/Earth-Michael-Allaby/dp/0789496437