A pictorial record of the astonishing features - natural and man-made - of our planet on the eve of the new millennium. In Yann Arthus-Bertrand's full-page colour photographs, we find fish markets on the beaches of Senegal, beautiful islands in French Polynesia, rice fields in Bali, glaciers in Argentina and the spire of the Chrysler building in New York, among many more. Bertrand has travelled to more than 60 countries for this project. The 170 photographs, along with texts written by specialists in their fields, seek to paint a portrait of our planet, with all its contrasts, dangers and transformations, and its outlook for the future.