Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents follows Marty and Deb Essen on a three-and-a-half-year-long adventure to some of the wildest places on all seven continents.

The American couple began crisscrossing the globe with the simple intention of searching for rare and interesting wildlife. When their travels coincided with the U.S. invasion of Iraq, the added element made them unwitting ambassadors for peace. Their experiences--from amusing to life threatening--changed their lives forever.

This is not your average travelogue. Marty Essen has written a book that entertains, informs, and poignantly reminds us that we all share a small planet.

Locations visited include: Belize, Peru (the Amazon Rainforest), Argentina, Australia (Queensland), Canada (Alberta, British Columbia, Yukon Territory, and Northwest Territories), Antarctica, Europe (Spain, France, Switzerland, and Andorra), Malaysia (Borneo), and Africa (Zimbabwe).

Winner: Green Book Festival Award for Animals
Winner: Benjamin Franklin Award for Travel/Essay
Winner: National Indie Excellence Book Award for Travel/Essay
Winner: Best Books Book Award for Travel/Essay
Bronze: ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Award for Travel/Essay
Bronze: IPPY Award for Travel/Essay
Finalist: Nautilus Award for Animals/Nature
Minneapolis Star-Tribune Top-10 "Green" Book

"This is a wonderful book--a labor of love--that describes in soul-stirring language what it is like to live with the people, the animals, the birds, the snakes, the insects, the jungles, the treacherous rivers, the gorgeous scenery of seven continents. It is the best travel and exploratory work I have yet encountered. Marty Essen and his wife, Deb, are two highly intelligent, imaginative, and brave people."
--Senator George McGovern, 1972 Democratic nominee for president

"An exciting and adventurous read. Cool Creatures, Hot Planet by Marty Essen is a roller coaster ride through the natural world that will both entertain and enlighten readers."
--Jeff Corwin, The Jeff Corwin Experience