Light reading about interesting stuff. Earth is a machine. This is a collection of essays that weave slivers of knowledge into big images of what we know and how we know about the Earth. Students explore interesting topics. They connect ideas. A few well chosen stories help. Students love it. And thrive. And learn. And become interesting conversationalists. It is about nurturing and raising interesting people. Classrooms organized to grab their attention and enthusiasm promote development of this type of person. New concepts make life interesting. We notice more things and make connections that we have not made before.