Critical View features ask students to use what they have learned in the chapters to analyze potential hazards in photographs of real situations. * Critical Thinking Questions at the end of each chapter. These questions help students apply concepts from the chapter to difficult real-life situations such as zoning and development issues, the balance between personal freedoms and government protections, or the cost and benefits of hazard mitigation. * The extensive art program enhances visual learning. Figure titles show students the relevance of the piece at first glance. Photos are labeled to indicate key features. Photos are paired photos with diagrams to encourage students to relate real-world and scientific views. Multi-part figures set up constructive comparisons between related figures. * By the Numbers boxes present more-quantitative aspects of the concepts explained in the book, offering instructors the flexibility to incorporate more or less of this material according to their preferences. * A Geologic Time Scale and a brief discussion on the nature of rocks and minerals in the online Appendix help students understand the background of some natural hazards.