This is essentially a picture book with beautiful and exciting images that provide a visual tour of Mars. All the major regions and topographical features are shown and supplemented with chapter introductions and extended captions. In a way, think of it as a visual tourist guide. Other topics covered are Martian uplands on the order of the elevation of Mt. Everest, Giant volcanoes and a rift system, the Grand Canyon of Mars, craters and the absence of craters over large regions (erosion), and wind shadows around craters, sand dunes, and dust devils.

The introduction includes a general description of Mars and features images of the full disk of the planet. The second chapter deals with the history of Mars, from early observations and imaginings to robotic explorers to the planet.

The book concludes with the search for water (braided channels, seepage, sedimentary layering, etc.) as well as discussions on the Viking mission search for life, Mars meteorite fossil bacteria controversy, and planetary protection in future missions. Also, at the end of the book is an exciting gallery of the best 3D images of Mars making the book a perfect tool for understanding Mars and its place in the solar system.