2020 Ringo Award Nominee It has been untold years since the Giants-That-Were disappeared, leaving behind the animals forever changed by their strange science. Now, granted the gifts of intelligence and self-awareness, the valiant Hamster Aquatic Mercenaries struggle to keep their horde alive in the dangerous new world. In The Underfoot: The Mighty Deep, H.A.M. has been hired to save their badger allies from dangerous flooding, but first they’ll need new recruits. Only the best of the best can join the ranks of H.A.M., and the colony’s most ambitious young hamster pups compete for their chance at glory and prestige. Those who succeed, however, soon discover that life outside their burrow is not the grand adventure they imagined, but instead find a world of deadly threats and conflicting stories about their species’ origins. Combining heroic battles, dark mysteries, and heartfelt friendships, The Underfoot: The Mighty Deep is the beginning of an epic sci-fi trilogy chronicling the animal kingdoms left to rise and fall in the absence of the Giants-That-Were. When the hamsters learn the truth about their past, will they find the strength to overcome the forces aligning against them, or will their tiny horde be wiped from the earth?

Twenty vignettes focus on particular geologic scenes, relationships, and features of southern California's active landscape.

An informed and heartfelt tribute to commonly unappreciated plants, insects, and other tiny creatures that reconsiders humanity’s relationship to nature Fruit flies, silverfish, dandelions, and crabgrass are the bane of many people and the target of numerous chemical and physical eradication efforts. In this compelling reassessment of the relationship between humans and the natural world, John Hainze—an entomologist and former pesticide developer—considers the fascinating and bizarre history of how these so-called invasive or unwanted pests and weeds have coevolved with humanity and highlights the benefits of a greater respect and moral consideration toward these organisms. With deep insight into the lives of the underappreciated and often reviled creatures that surround us, Hainze’s accessible and engaging natural history draws on ethics, religion, and philosophy as he passionately argues that creepy crawlies and unwanted plants deserve both empathy and accommodation as partners dwelling with us on earth.

Copious illustrations and witty, page-turning prose guide readers on geologic walking or driving tours of 37 sites in Illinois.

In Geology Underfoot in Western Washington, the most recent addition to the Geology Underfoot series, author and geoscientist Dave Tucker narrates western Washington�s geologic tales, covering sites from it�s low-lying shorelines to its rugged mountaintops. The book�s 22 chapters, or vignettes, lead you to easily accessible stops along Washington�s highways�and some trails, too.

Into the Sun, the second volume in the epic sci-fi series, The Underfoot, is a fast-paced graphic novel full of daring escapes, heroic rescues, and devious cunning. It presents a world in which the tiniest creatures demonstrate the greatest feats of strength, courage, and friendship, leaving you fully invested in their furry fate… It has been untold years since the Giants-That-Were disappeared, leaving behind the animals forever changed by their strange science. Now, granted the gifts of intelligence and self-awareness, the valiant Hamster Aquatic Mercenaries and their new allies, the Hamster Airborne Paratroopers, struggle to keep their hordes alive in a dangerous world. In The Underfoot: Into the Sun, H.A.M. has joined forces with H.A.P., using their differing gifts and combined knowledge to explore new territory and aid “clients” with problems both on land and in the Great Wide above. After priceless Giants-That-Were artifacts vanish from storage and one of their allies is double-crossed by deadly “stingers,” H.A.M. and H.A.P. find themselves at the center of a plot far more sinister than anything they’ve faced before. But it’s not just supplies that have gone missing; hamsters have begun disappearing, too. The mysterious dots are finally connected when a third hamster colony arrives, bringing clues that reveal an insidious plan of annihilation by Hashak, leader of the “scales” and sworn enemy of the “fur.” Soon, Hashak will use the Giants’ deadly technology and the labor of kidnapped hamsters to complete her secret weapon. Will the three allied hamster hordes succeed in their most dangerous mission yet, or will everything — and everyone — they know succumb to Hashak’s terrible scheme?

Eastern California boasts the greatest dryland relief in the contiguous United States, offering a rich variety of environments and spectacular geology. Illustrated with photographs, maps, and diagrams, Geology Underfoot in Death Valley and Owens Valley provides an on-the-ground look at the processes sculpting the terrain in this land of extremes for everyone interested in how the earth works.