Book excerpt: Advances in Near-surface Seismology and Ground-penetrating Radar (SEG Geophysical Developments Series No. 15) is a collection of original papers by renowned and respected authors from around the world. Technologies used in the application of near-surface seismology and ground-penetrating radar have seen significant advances in the last several years. Both methods have benefited from new processing tools, increased computer speeds, and an expanded variety of applications. This book, divided into four sections--"Reviews," "Methodology," "Integrative Approaches," and "Case Studies"--Captures the most significant cutting-edge issues in active areas of research, unveiling truly pertinent studies that address fundamental applied problems. This collection of manuscripts grew from a core group of papers presented at a post-convention workshop, "Advances in Near-surface Seismology and Ground-penetrating Radar," held during the 2009 SEG Annual Meeting in Houston, Texas. This is the first cooperative publication effort between the near-surface communities of SEG, AGU, and EEGS. It will appeal to a large and diverse audience that includes researchers and practitioners inside and outside the near-surface geophysics community. --Publisher description.