This book is a concise yet comprehensive modern introduction to soil science. It describes the development of soils, their characteristics, material composition, and their functions in terrestrial and aquatic environments. Soil functions include the delivery of goods and services for human society, such as food, clean water, and the maintenance of biodiversity. The book is profusely illustrated with many colored figures and tables to accompany the text and enhance understanding. Particularly, the chapter on soil classification, based on the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB), features numerous color pictures of typical soil profiles to facilitate understanding of the characteristics of particular soil types. Chapters on soil protection and remediation, soil monitoring, and the history of soil sciences conclude the book, along with a very comprehensive appendix.