On the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the Division of Plasma Physics (DPP) of the American Physical Society (APS), the Executive Committee of the DPP approved a plan to publish a book on plasma physics for the popular audience. We imagined a book that told the story of plasma physics through both text and visual images. The story is worth telling. In the last 50 years, the field has grown and matured in several directions, with very broad impact. The pursuit of controlled thermonuclear fusion by magnetic and inertial confinement has progressed to the point where the multinational International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor in France and the National Ignition Facility in the USA is expected to demonstrate self-sustaining fusion reactions for the first time. Application of the fundamental principles of plasma physics has provided models for a rich variety of phenomena in solar-terrestrial plasmas, and is providing crucial insights into longstanding mysteries of the cosmos. Tabletop accelerators based on laser-plasma interactions have demonstrated the potential to achieve remarkable particle acceleration over short distances, and are among the most promising ideas for future particle accelerators that will probe the fundamental structure of matter.