Earth has been reinventing itself for more than four billion years, keeping a record of its experiments in the form of rocks. Yet most humans live their lives on the planet with no idea of its extraordinary history, unable to interpret the language of the rocks that surround them. Geologist Marcia Bjornerud believes that human lives can be enriched by understanding their heritage on this old and creative planet. Contrary to their reputation, rocks have eventful lives–and they intersect with that of humans in surprising ways. In Turning to Stone, Bjornerud reveals how rocks are the hidden infrastructure that keep the planet functioning, from sandstone aquifers that purify drinking water to basalt formations slowly regulating global climate. Bjornerud’s life as a geologist has coincided with an extraordinary period of discovery in the geosciences. From an insular girlhood in rural Wisconsin, she found her way to an unlikely career studying mountains in remote parts of the world and witnessed the emergence of a new understanding of the Earth as an animate system of rock, air, water and life. As Earthlings at the most fundamental level, readers can find existential meaning and enduring wisdom in stone.