With a new prologue and two new chapters, The Material World, 2nd Edition, is a beautifully illustrated, full color, expanded account of the highly praised Cambridge Guide to the Material World. Using the cosmos as a backdrop, this volume delivers a fascinating journey of Nature's materials, transitioning from the atom to the living organism to consciousness itself. Rodney Cotterill seamlessly blends the physics, chemistry, astronomy and biology of Nature to portray matter with all its elegance and flaws. He connects concepts and pinpoints commonalities between the inorganic and organic domains. Written with the non-specialist in mind, end of chapter summaries provide succinct overviews of individual topics. Through the breadth of topics and engaging prose, this book is a superb introduction to those intrigued by the material world we live in.