diff --git a/README.rst b/README.rst
index 7eb9ff882..ee3218392 100644
--- a/README.rst
+++ b/README.rst
@@ -1,47 +1,93 @@
 
 *******
-CANTERA
+Cantera
 *******
 
 Version 2.3.0a3 (development)
 
-License Information
-===================
+What is Cantera?
+================
 
-See the file "License.txt" for information on the terms & conditions for usage,
-and a DISCLAIMER OF ALL WARRANTIES.
+Cantera is an open-source collection of object-oriented software tools for
+problems involving chemical kinetics, thermodynamics, and transport
+processes. Among other things, it can be used to:
 
-All trademarks referenced herein are property of their respective holders.
+* Evaluate thermodynamic and transport properties of mixtures
+* Compute chemical equilibrium
+* Evaluate species chemical production rates
+* Conduct kinetics simulations with large reaction mechanisms
+* Simulate one-dimensional flames
+* Conduct reaction path analysis
+* Create process simulations using networks of stirred reactors
+* Model non-ideal fluids
 
-Web Resources
+Cantera can be used from Python and Matlab, or in applications written in C++
+and Fortran 90. A number of `examples of Cantera's capabilities
+<https://github.com/Cantera/cantera-jupyter>`_ are available in the form of
+Jupyter notebooks. These examples can be tried interactively, in the cloud by
+using the following Binder link:
+
+.. image:: http://mybinder.org/badge.svg
+    :target: http://mybinder.org:/repo/cantera/cantera-jupyter
+
+Installation
+============
+
+`Installation instructions for the current release of Cantera
+<http://cantera.github.io/docs/sphinx/html/install.html>`_ are available from
+the main `Cantera documentation site
+<http://cantera.github.io/docs/sphinx/html/index.html>`_. Installers are
+provided for Windows (MSI packages), Mac OS X (through Homebrew), and
+Ubuntu. Anaconda packages containing the Cantera Python module are also
+available for Windows, OS X, and Linux.
+
+.. image:: https://anaconda.org/cantera/cantera/badges/installer/conda.svg
+    :target: https://conda.anaconda.org/cantera
+
+For other platforms, or for users wishing to install a development version of
+Cantera, `compilation instructions
+<http://cantera.github.io/docs/sphinx/html/compiling.html>`_ are also available.
+
+Documentation
 =============
 
-1. *The Cantera Github site*
+The `documentation <http://cantera.github.io/docs/sphinx/html/index.html>`_
+offers a number of starting points:
 
-   https://github.com/Cantera/cantera
+- `Python tutorial
+  <http://cantera.github.io/docs/sphinx/html/cython/tutorial.html>`_
+- `A guide to Cantera's input file format
+  <http://cantera.github.io/docs/sphinx/html/cti/index.html>`_
+- `A list of frequently asked questions
+  <http://cantera.github.io/docs/sphinx/html/faq.html>`_
 
-   This site contains the Cantera source code, the issue tracker for bugs and
-   enhancement requests, downloads of Cantera releases and binary installers,
-   and the Cantera wiki.
+`Documentation for the development version of Cantera
+<http://cantera.github.com/dev-docs/sphinx/html/index.html>`_ is also available.
 
-2. *The Cantera SourceForge site*
+Development Site
+================
 
-   http://sourceforge.net/projects/cantera
+The `latest Cantera source code <https://github.com/Cantera/cantera>`_, the
+`issue tracker <https://github.com/Cantera/cantera/issues>`_ for bugs and
+enhancement requests, `downloads of Cantera releases and binary installers
+<https://github.com/Cantera/cantera/releases>`_ , and the `Cantera wiki
+<https://github.com/Cantera/cantera/wiki>`_ can all be found on Github.
 
-   Alternative download location for Cantera releases and binary installers.
+Users' Group
+============
 
-3. *Cantera Documentation*
+The `Cantera Users' Group <http://groups.google.com/group/cantera-users>`_ is a
+message board / mailing list for discussions amongst Cantera users.
 
-   http://cantera.github.com/docs/sphinx/html/index.html
+Continuous Integration Status
+=============================
 
-   This site contains documentation for the current stable version of Cantera.
+Travis builds (Linux & OS X):
 
-   http://cantera.github.com/dev-docs/sphinx/html/index.html
+.. image:: https://travis-ci.org/speth/cantera.svg?branch=master
+    :target: https://travis-ci.org/speth/cantera
 
-   This site contains documentation for the development version of Cantera.
+Appveyor builds (Windows):
 
-4. *The Cantera Users' Group*
-
-   http://groups.google.com/group/cantera-users
-
-   This site has a message board for discussions amongst Cantera users.
+.. image:: https://ci.appveyor.com/api/projects/status/auhd35qn9cdmkpoj?svg=true
+    :target: https://ci.appveyor.com/project/Cantera/cantera