This book shows features of rocks and tells their life stories. It is a sequel to a 2018-publication of similar nature. The current version with a different subtitle compiles over 250 new pictures of specimens and outcrops, spread into six chapters:

Silica, 1; Carbonate, 29; Hard Rock, 51;

Soft Rock, 81; Fantasy, 111; Miscellany, 141.

How does one cultivate appreciation of rocks beyond their beauty? The author describes what readers may see in rocks with the naked eye; and for each specimen, he tells an evolutionary story anchored on familiar basic principles in biology, chemistry, physics, and geology; and he offers ways to connect dots. Rightly or wrongly, some narratives are original and thought-provoking. The author wishes to inspire readers to think and render opinions for themselves. The author, Tien C. Lee, is an Emeritus Professor of Geophysics/Hydrogeology at the University of California, Riverside.