A symposium dealing with the plate-tectonic origin, geochemical evolution, and environmental impact of serpentinites was held 6–7 December 2003 at Stanford University, in honor of Professor Emeritus Robert G. Coleman. The technical sessions to some extent reflected his broadly diversified research thrusts. The up-to-date scientific contributions that resulted from the symposium were published in issues of International Geology Review and are collected in this International Book Series volume. The volume represents a unique collection of research subjects spanning an unusually broad spectrum of disciplines that overlap chiefly in their focus on hydrated mantle material. The book is divided into topical areas, mirroring some of Coleman’s scientific contributions in mineralogy; petrology, regional geology, and plate tectonics; geochemistry; geophysics; and environmental geobotany. In aggregate, it constitutes a scholarly attempt of the scientific community to recognize some of Coleman’s lifetime of extraordinary scientific achievements—especially those concerning a fuller understanding of serpentine and serpentinites.