Sydney Cannings and Richard Cannings tell the story of the province's geology and the history of its living creatures. Starting 200 million years ago, when there was no British Columbia west of the present Rocky Mountains, the authors take us on a journey through time, describing the collisions of island chains called terranes, the sliding of plates, the erupting of volcanos, and the movement of glaciers that created British Columbia as we know it today. They also describe the rich legacy of fossils left behind as a result of all this geological activity.

This updated edition has been extensively revised to reflect the current thinking about plate tectonics and the geological history of British Columbia. There are also seven new maps and a number of new photographs. An appendix lists the various types of rock in British Columbia.