This work was designed as a text for final year earth sciences, geology and biology students following a course in geomicrobiology. It will also provide a valuable text for postgraduates and other researchers in the field. Micro-organisms have become increasingly recognised as important agents in the formation and diagenesis of rocks, especially the finer-grained sediments, including some important mineral deposits. Applied topics of increasing significance such as bioremediation are also well covered. There are few competing books and most of these are unsuitable for undergraduate courses, as they are largely in the form of conference proceedings. The recent advances in microbial biochemistry and genetics provide a wealth of new information on microbial activity with many new opportunities to understand the influence of microbes on geological processes. Kurt Konhauser's new book goes a long way in providing a concise review of this expanding topic. The first two chapters provide a well-illustrated introduction to microbial structure and metabolism. Students with some basic knowledge of chemistry and biology will have no problem understanding the principles involved. Processes such as membrane ion transport and redox reactions, so important to geomicrobiology, are particularly well explained and references to more detailed work are provided. I find his approach to the subject uncluttered. It is presented as a logical progression from the basic biology to the processes of sediment microbial ecology and biomineralization.

The book is well written for the most part, allowing newcomers to the subject to quickly grasp the relevant geomicrobial concepts. Although some of the diagrams have typographic errors, and in the tables and formulae there are occasional mistakes in the chemical symbols, they are for the most part clear and directly relevant to the text. Konhauser concludes with a chapter on Early Microbial Life. While it contains many references to geomicrobial processes, it is slightly at odds with the rest of the book and is a topic which is perhaps best considered in a wider context. Nevertheless, with its extensive references and lucid writing, this book is certainly one for the library shelf.