The book on deposition, diagenesis, and weathering of organic matter-rich sediments is a summary of seven years of research work of the author at the Institute of Petroleum and Organic Geochemistry in J}lich. It contains a comparision of various depositional environments (lakes, deltas, seas)with respect to organic matter characteristics, a special chapter on the deposition of the Posidonia shale, a summary of organic matter maturation and related petroleum generation, and a chapter on the use of maturationparameters as calibration tools for numerical modelling of temperature histories of sedimentary basins. Also, microscopic effects of petroleum generation and oil to gas cracking are treated. The final chapters deal withcoals as source rocks for oil and gas and with the effects of weatheringon sediments which are rich in organic matter.