Shrouded by the thick clouds of a hot, dense atmosphere, the planet Venus - Earth's close neighbor in space - remained mysterious until recent decades. Today, with new data from sophisticated contemporary observatories and from Russian and American spacecraft, Venus has moved into sharper focus. This comprehensive book provides the most up-to-date and detailed analysis available of the nature of Venus. The authors, distinguished experts in planetary science from Russia and the United States, examine all the principal aspects of Venus, with particular attention paid to the planet's formation, the development of a runaway greenhouse effect, and Venus' evolution into a planet completely different from the others in our solar system.