1. Evolution of the idea : from Vernadsky to a science of the global environment
2. Life in the universe : attributes, constraints, and probabilities
3. Life's diversity and resilience : metabolisms, species, catastrophes
4. Energizing the biosphere : solar radiation and the Earth's heat
5. Water and material flows : biospheric cycles
6. The biosphere's extent : the moveable boundaries
7. The biosphere's mass and productivity : quantifying life's presence and performance
8. The biosphere's dynamics and organization : fundamental rules and grand patterns
9. Civilization and the biosphere : the Earth transformed by human action
