Book excerpt: This book focuses mainly on the chemical composition of interstitial waters of sediments. Chapter 2 presents the basic theory used throughout the rest of the book in terms of a general diagenetic equation. Chapters 3,4,and 5 provides detailed discussion of each of the terms in general diagenetic equation as well as presentations of data. Chapters 6,7 and 8 gives examples of diagenetic calculation using the theory developed earlier.