System is an overused buzzword in textbooks covering geological sciences. Describing the Earth as a system of component parts is a reasonable concept, but providing a comprehensive framework for detailing the system is a more formidable task. Kent Condie lays out the systems approach in an easy-to-read introductory chapter in Earth as an Evolving Planetary System. In the book, Condie makes a valiant attempt at taking the m¿lange of diverse subjects in the solid Earth sciences and weaving them into a coherent tapestry.