«'This is a large, comprehensive reference book … best treated as an encyclopedia, providing a thorough, basic summary of the essential components of basin and hydrocarbon development, and as an extensive reference list that provides access to more detailed information if required. The author's breadth of knowledge is shown by the variety of examples drawn from rifts and passive margins around the world. The material includes sufficient descriptions, examples, and mathematical equations to convey the fundamentals of the concepts without bogging the reader down in unnecessary details. The text is dense, but well organized and comprehensible … I usually donate my review copies of books to the library immediately, but there is so much information in this book that it will reside on my shelf for a while yet.' Ray Wood, The Leading Edge»