Book excerpt: This volume presents a collection of papers on techniques and case studies in land surface evaluation for engineering practice written by specialist practitioners in the field. The volume arose out of deliberations by the Second Working Party on Land Surface Evaluation set up by the engineering group of the Geological Society in January 1997 and chaired by Dr J.S. Griffiths. The book provides examples of cost-effective methods for collecting land surface and near surface data prior to carrying further detailed ground investigations of engineering sites.