If there were a guide book for the intergalactic sedimentologist then this would be the heavily-read chapter on terrestrial carbonates (principally those formed in soils, lakes, streams and springs). A reviewer might say that the examples used – although spanning a huge time range – are rather Earth-focussed. This largely reflects the travel budget of the author. But they would hopefully also say that this chapter is much more widely applicable to other planets, and that it contains beautiful pictures of all types of terrestrial carbonates. Readers would agree that hot-springs are great for holidays, but even the humble calcrete nodule can be invaluable for studying the co-evolution of life and environments on a planet.