Cichlid fishes have personality. Every home aquarist knows this. However, this book, long on fact and science is short on explaining why these fish do the things they do. In the last chapter, the author editorializes about how if bad things can happen to fishes then bad things can perhaps happen to mankind. But, I've always viewed cichlid fishes as one of the happy things about life and not as a metaphor for our doom. Perhaps the author would be better served with a tankful of guppies.

The first thing that needs to be said about this book is that it is NOT a book about keeping cichlids in aquariums. I think that is a misconception some people may get since cichlids are such popular aquarium subjects. If you're looking for information on cichlids in the aquarium, you need to hunt down books by Paul Loiselle or Ad Konings. This is a book about evolutionary science.

The cichlids are really the animal darlings of the evolution field in the same sense that the Galapagos Islands are the geographical Mecca. This book focuses on cichlids from the African Great Lakes: Malawi., Victoria, and Tanganyika. The populations in these lakes have been isolated and thus present a wonderful living experiment in evolution and speciation. The New World members of Cichlidae aren't forgotten - there's plenty of examples from them too.

The text doesn't delve too deeply into scientific theory. It's still a relatively easy read for the layperson. Its aim is to explain why the cichlids fascinate biologists and evolutionists - without getting overly technical. It achieves that goal admirably.

The bibliography is worth the cover price. There are 23 pages of small-print references and a numerical guide to citations by chapter.

If you're an aquarist with an interest in the science behind the fish, a scientist with little experience with fish or evolution, or a "normal" person wondering what all the fuss is about, this is a good choice.

Clear, understandable and enjoyable, Mr Barlow's book helped me gain much insight about the evolutionary aspects of cichlid behaviours. Some of the cited examples for behavioral patterns are really spectacular! Male C. nicaraguense cichlids protecting the young of a foreign species, C. dovi, a large predatory cichlid species in Lake Nicaragua... I have never heard of something like that among fish. And the reasoning behind this behavior in the evolutionary sense... Or catfish raising the babies of cichlids in Malawi lake... It is always a new surprise to me to see once again how inventive the evolution is.

This is the kind of book I like most; based on scientific facts but written in a reader friendly manner, fully understandable and enjoyable. Thanks to spectacular examples and their clear explanations, very interesting too...

Finding first rate translations can be a hit and miss affair. However, this it definitely a "hit". Merwin's translation of Euripides' tragedy is masterful and deserves the glowing reviews it has received here as elsewhere. Readers of this review might be interested to know that it is part of a series called "The Greek Tragedy in New Translations". And while it is out of print, good used copies are freely available in the Amazon marketplace -- which is where I secured mine.

Merwin has rendered a taut, readable version in modern English. And the volume is supplemented with an extremely interesting introduction by George Dimock -- with which I am not sure I entirely agree -- though he does a fine job of fitting the play within the context of the Peloponnesian War.

For me, the riveting aspect of this work is the treatment that Achilles gets (Agamemnon, of course, gets a good drubbing, which is satisfying -- but hardly unexpected!). We see him at Aulis, a young man as yet unbowed and unbloodied by the years of warfare at Troy. Dimock makes a rather startling remark when he asseverates, "The one thing that his [Achilles] speeches do not contain is simple human feeling such as Paris might entertain: it does not seem to have occurred to him that a young girl is about to die." And he is rather critical of Achilles for this (I might even say that his introduction is suffused with "pro-Trojan" sympathies). But for me, isn't this rather the whole point? Of course Achilles is like this, it took TEN years of warfare and the death of Patroclus for him to learn (and recall that he ALONE among the Greeks appears to have absorbed the lesson) how to be "human" -- on this see Bernard Knox's introduction to Robert Fagles' brilliant translation of the Iliad. I prefer the General Editor's view on this when he says, "the play enacts the heroic education of Achilles." Well, at least it enacts the very early stages of it!

Merwin is a wonderful poet -- and I would also recommend his translation of Dante's Purgatorio and Paradiso. For readers in search of other top notch modern translations, see Stanley Lombardo's truly astonishing translations of the Iliad and the Odyssey. See also Nicholas Pevear's translation of Aias.

Here is a sample of Merwin's translation (from the Chorus's reaction to a speech of Agamemnon's):

"O Cyprian,
most beautiful of the goddesses, keep
such wild flights from me.
Let me know love
within reason and desire within
marraige, and feel your presence
not your rage.
The natures of humans
are various, and human ways of acting
are different,
but everyone knows what is right,
and teaching
inclines them at last to virtue."

Of the half dozen or so plays I've read in Oxford University Press's "Greek Tragedy in New Translations" series, this is the best.

An excellent synopsis and analysis of the play precedes a beautiful translation, smoothing the way for students. The play is one of the keys to understanding the Trojan War -- in addition to recapping the beef the Greeks have with Troy, there is much foreshadowing of what will happen ten years down the road.

After reading Iphigeneia at Aulis, it's difficult to cut any of those Greek heroes any slack. If the situation weren't so horrible and tragic, the interactions and reactions of some of the characters would be funny: Achilles, for example, extremely annoyed that Agamemnon would take his name in vain when tricking Iphigeneia into coming to Aulis; if Agamemnon had asked him for his help first, then tricking the girl into coming to be sacrificed would have been okay. Or Menelaos, coming around to Agamemnon's way of thinking (that it would, after all, be wrong to kill Iphigeneia), and suggesting that only he, Agamemnon and Kalchas the priest know about the need for a sacrifice to get a fair wind to Troy, and that Kalchas won't tell: "Not if he's dead."

This play, and this translation, are probably one of the best introductions a student could have to Greek tragedy.

"Iphigenia at Aulis" was the last play written by Euripides and represents his most cynical depiction of the mythological heroes. The subject is the sacrifice of Iphigenia, daughter of King Agamemnon, is order to appease the goddess Artemis, so that the Achaen fleet can have fair winds to sail to Troy and bring back Helen. I have used this play as part of large unit on the Trojan War right before proceding to Homer's epic poem the "Iliad." Not only does the play come at that point in terms of the chronology of the war, but it clearly foreshadows the initial confrontation in the "Iliad" between Agamemnon and Achilles over Briseis of the lovely arms. Euripides invests the beginning of Homer's saga with painful irony as Agamemnon rejects the pleas of Briseis's father; after all, has the Achean leader really forgotten the pain of sacrificing his daughter ten years earlier? In Euripides's play it becomes clear that Agamemnon does not care for his daughter; she is but a bargaining chip in his ploy for power. As her father and ruler Agamemnon could simply order his daughter to come to Aulis, but instead he concocts a fake marriage to Achilles, the most eligible of the young Achean heroes. Of course this brings not only Iphigenia, but her mother Clytemnestra, which allows Euripides to bring into play the murder of Agamemnon by his wife when he returns from the Trojan War. When Achilles finds out he has been a pawn in this deadly little game he is incensed, but in the end he turns out to be as foolish and as wicked as the rest of the characters. All of the sympathy goes towards Iphigenia, the only true hero in the drama since she alone acts selflessly. Any one teaching the "Iliad" should at least provide the gist of "Iphigenia at Aulis" as background material, along with the story of the judgment of Paris. The supplementary material talks about the play's meaning in the context of the Peloponnesian War, so there are other contexts in which Euripides's play is of interest.

I found this volume satisfying and very well done. I have ordered the James Cameron book too, but really this volume stands well on its own. As I probably won't get to see the traveling exhibit, I especially appreciated seeing the actual artifacts "strewn" throughout the book, much as they appeared on the ocean floor.

As a graphic designer, I thought the design was admirable--contemporary, not overdone, yet sensitive of the period. I have several Titanic books, and consider this to be the most comprehensive visual assortment of information I have seen. To me, what was really special about this book were the computer illustrations mixed in --the opening sequence has a beautiful illustration of the bow coming into contact with the berg. The computer recreations of the ship's interior are also of high artistic quality and give the volume a dreamlike feeling. This together with informative charts and graphs give the reader a sensitive, nicely balanced account of the event--a true keepsake volume.

This book is a really good book for people like me that want to learn more about the Titanic and maybe see it with there own eyes one day. It has really good facts ,pictures, facinating articles,and memorabilia of the people who survived and were killed by the R.M.S.TITANIC on April,1912. I don't have the book,but I intend to get it before Christmas 1998.

This book is an extraodinary look at the Titanic. It has wonderful pictures, and text. It even has a list of all the passengers who were on it's Maiden voyage. You definately should read this book!

This collection of essays is nothing less than superb.

A great collection of articles by recognised authorities. I got it as a bargain book but would be more than happy to pay full price - or more!

We have heavyweight authors such as William Manchester, Stephen Ambrose, Caleb Carr, John Keegan, and others write essays covering all aspects of World War II in this heavyweight volume of 688 pages. The essays are fairly short so you can put the book down and come back to it later without feeling you have to pick up where you left off. From familiar stories such as the invasion of Normandy to an interesting story on Germany's Black Knight, Field Marshal von Rundstedt and another on General Curtis LeMay will provide you, the reader, with additional information whatever your background on World War II. As mentioned, the book is long, but the essays enable you to break the book up into managable parts so you are able to pioneer your way through it successfully. Don't be intimidated by the length. It is worth the time to wade through it.

a good read, but can be confusing for kids. It takes a while to comprehend all of the Shakespearian langauge, but is very interesting. It is boring at parts.

The Winter's Tale contains some of the most technically difficult solutions to telling a story that have ever appeared in a play. If you think you know all about how a play must be constructed, read The Winter's Tale. It will greatly expand your mind.

The play opens near the end of a long visit by Polixenes, the king of Bohemia, to the court of his childhood friend, Leontes, the king of Sicily. Leontes wants his friend to stay one more day. His friend declines. Leontes prevails upon his wife, Hermione, to persuade Polixenes. Hermione does her husband's bidding, having been silent before then. Rather than be pleased that she has succeeded, Leontes goes into a jealous rage in which he doubts her faithfulness. As his jealousy grows, he takes actions to defend his misconceptions of his "abused" honor that in fact abuse all those who have loved him. Unable to control himself, Leontes continues to pursue his folly even when evidence grows that he is wrong. To his great regret, these impulsive acts cost him dearly.

Three particular aspects of the play deserve special mention. The first is the way that Shakespeare ties together actions set 16 years apart in time. Although that sounds like crossing the Grand Canyon in a motorcycle jump, Shakespeare pulls off the jump rather well so that it is not so big a leap. The second is that Shakespeare captures entirely different moods from hilarious good humor to deep depression and remorse closely adjacent to one another. As a result, the audience is able to experience many more emotions than normally are evoked in a single play. Third, the play's final scene is as remarkable a bit of writing as you can imagine. Read it, and marvel!

After you finish reading this play, think about where your own loss of temper has had bad consequences. How can you give yourself time to get under control before acting rashly? How can you learn to be more open to positive interpretations of events, rather than dark and disturbing ones?

Love first, second, and always!

The Winter's Tale is a lot of things: heart-breaking, exhilerating, funny, beautiful, romantic, profound, etc. Yeah, it's all here. This is one of the bard's best plays, and I can't believe they don't teach this in schools. Of course, the ones they teach are excellent, but I can see high school kids enjoying this one a lot more than some of those others (Othello, King Lear).

The story is, of course, brilliant. King Leontes goes into a jealous rage at the beginning against his wife Hermione. Leontes is very mistaken in his actions, and the result is tragic. Shakespeare picks the story back up sixteen years later with the children, and the story works to a really, really surprising end of bittersweet redemption.

This is one of Shakespeare's bests. The first half is a penetrating and devestating, but the second half shows a capacity for salvation from the depths of despair. Also, this being Shakespeare, the blank verse is gorgeous and the characters are well drawn, and the ending is a surprise unparalleled in the rest of his plays. The Winter's Tale is a truly profound and entertaining read.

I just finished reading this biography of Mr. Williams, and came away feeling very sad for Hank and his son Hank, Jr. Although the book chronicles the real contributions that Hank's mother and wife Audrey made in starting his career, the two women seemed to use Hank as a gravy train, with little love shown for this sad, lonely man. Particularly disgusting was the vulture like behavior exhibited immediately following his tragic death. Thank heaven he had Billie Jean, if even for a short while. She seems to be the only woman in his life that really loved him. Between his back pain and loneliness, it's no wonder he drank.

There was a lot of interesting detail in the book, sometimes too much info for my taste. Mr. Escott went into exhausting detail giving the background of practically every soul Hank ever met. It also seemed Mr. Escott disliked Roy Acuff, which I found interesting, since he has always been portrayed as a virtual saint. Also, Mr. Escott's descriptions of what would have become of Hank and his career had he lived were very interesting, and probably true.

I wish Hank, Jr. could have known his father, it was obvious that Hank loved him, but addictions and circumstance kept them apart.

I'll listen to Hank's music with a much deeper knowledge of the pain that influenced his songs.

Wonderful biography of ole Hank! Not to harsh and not to patronizing. Editors notes were great. I couldn't wait to get to the next page. Even if your not a big reader, this book will hook you, and you won't put it down until its finished, then you'll read it again. Great pictures. The history of "ole Hank's" family, really explains why he was so great and had such a tragic departure from life. Great book. FIVE STARS to the author!!! Highly recommended reading.

There are a few passages in the book where Colin Escott explains the dilemma of writing a book on Hank Williams: Even the people who were close to him said that they didn't know him very well (and a lot of people claimed to know him). And, a good majority of the people in the book have passed away, so Escott is left to interpret the facts.

The obvious problem with that is that you never feel like you know what Hank was going through or how he felt. So what happens is that there's a lot of "Hank did this" or "Hank did that." He never let anyone know what he was thinking or how he felt. He left that for his songs.

The book doesn't paint Hank as a saint, but nor does it trash him (most biographers would be tempted to go either way). Escott mostly stuck with the facts, and for the most part leaves it up to you to form your own opinion.

I enjoyed reading this book and it only took me two days. I'm a relatively new listener of Hank Williams, but when I saw that Colin Escott wrote this book, I didn't hesitate to buy it. I presumed, and correctly, that Escott would give an authoritative biography. I also knew that Escott was an avid fan of the music, so it would be loaded with the type of stuff that fans want to know, such as first recording dates, sessions, important concerts, last appearances, etc. Recommended.

This book is not quite what I thought it was - it gives me information that I already have but not the help that I need. I have been interested in homeopathy for years and have used it to some degree - I'll keep looking for more info.

It has been well said that to learn things right you must study from the Masters. This book is written on the philosophy and orthodox practice of homeopathy (h/p) by the living master of classical h/p, George Vithoulkas.
It is a complete book that puts homeopathy in the right context from the beginning. It teaches the virtue of finding the correct remedy and practicing patience and restrain rather than the "fast food" approach to h/p common today.
While it is targeted to the prescriber (or student of h/p) it is highly recommended for the educated 'patient' who wants a rounded understanding on the subject. Furthermore, Appendix B is worth the whole price of the book.
This is a book of substance. You may read it overnight like many books but what is important, this is a book to read three times and still come back to it.

Published in 1980, this book remains the best comprehensive overview of Homeopathy available to date. I am a faculty member of the Center for Health and Healing in New York City. I practice and teach homeopathy there. Our fellows are required to read this book prior to the beginning of the homeopathic curriculum.
I highly reccomend this book for any serious student of homeopathy.

I agree with most of the criticism on the three subjects, but with reservations.
That the Ennegram seems to work as a personality analysis tool confirms the depth of the symbol. I can not see that there is anything wrong in putting the Enneagram in use. The value of the Enneagram, or any other symbol, system or idea, can only be in its use. Looking at the Enneagram and admiring its form is one thing, but does not take us anywhere.
As to Mouravieff - I do think it is a great pity that he tried to marry up Gurdjieff and Christianity in areas where there are no chances of doing it without becoming ridiculous; "The Fifth Way" is just one of the inventions. Having not followed it I do not know where it takes you (if it does).
The Fellowship of Friends is not exactly following Gurdjieff's teaching, but that is not to say that one could not learn something from them. At least a bit of marketing...

I enjoy watching orthodoxy end up on garbage pile to be picked over by scavengers. Often more vitality grows out of the mulch of criticism than existed in the original teaching. Do we not recall how one man sitting under a tree claimed a spiritual awakening and the now countless, differing schools of Buddhism that exist as a result? Or Christian churches? Likewise, the enneagram movement could not be stopped. Why are some people whining about it now? Most critics seemed more concerned with their own RIGHTS as being esteemed Fourth Way scholars than they are with the RESULTS that even the most vulgar disemmination of "their" knowledge has brought to "ordinary people." Get over it. A new religion exists. And like all religions, some will use it, some will abuse it, but most will merely worship it and do nothing more. I gave this insightful, ranting book five stars for contributing to the fray while ignoring results. Truly, there is nothing new under the sun.

Let me start by saying I'm not involved with any 4th Way group or part of the Ennegram craze.

Mr. Patterson has dared to take on some of the spiritual cannibals that have stolen and distorted the teachings of G.I. Gurdjieff. Though this book is guaranteed to infuriate followers of Palmer, Ichazo, Burton's cultists, Amiss etc.

First he takes on the Ennegram popularizes like Ichazo, Naranjo and the voluminous Helen Palmer who dared to claim instruction by a noted 4th Way teacher and turned out to never have met the man. Patterson also exposes her as a shallow new-age type of thinker with a penchant for self-promotion through her own words.
She has no real lineage nor even formal instruction in the 4th way nor any real tradition for that matter. Of course the shadowy showman Ichazo(much like Castenada) is put in for good measure. He systematically goes about deconstructing Ichazo premises on the ennegram and his mythical and oft changing spiritual pedigree.

Patterson then goes after The Fellowship of Friends or people of the Bookmark(as known here in Calif - as his followers used to stuff burton's calling cards in 4th Way books.) A 4th way cult based on Burton's strong persona. Patterson show's Burton to be a posuer and con-artist without real instruction or lineage. Burton main claim to fame is his ability to milk money out of followers and make himself wealthy. F of F is also a considered a outright cult. Check out Steve Hassans web site for info.

Another target is Robin Amiss(...) and his long dead predecessor Boris Mouravieff who concocted the notion that Gurdjieff's teachings were fundamentally derived from Eastern Christianity. Amiss is shown to be a clever fabricator of facts in his book "A Different Christianity" and distorter of truths. Patterson does a fine job exposing Mouravieff motivations for doing what he did.

Amiss is taken to task in a systematic manner in which he compared G's teachings to Eastern Orthodox material. Replete with references he demolishes Amiss's claims. BTW all anyone needs to do is get a copy of O's "In Search of the Mircaluous" a copy of the Philokalia or Theophans works and compare them. You'l see that there is no place for a householder in serious myticism. It's for monks only. St. Theophan was a hermit and monk - hardly someone who understood the way of the householder.
Also there is no mention of 'self-observation' or 'self-remembering'. Anyone whose ever practiced the Jesus Prayer and done any sort of 'self-observation' knows they are not the same.
Amiss's hidden teachers are also shown to be fabrications without reality.

You'll also learn how Mouravieff played a in the split between Ouspensky and G. And how he conned O into delaying publication of "Tales of the Miraculous"

Overall a fine book demonstrating how self-taught self-promoters can [copy] teachings and convince people they have the real thing. So much so that their followers can longer know the real deal from the fake. If Patterson comes off shrill or a purist perhaps it's because so many people have stolen from G and peddled garbage under his name.

Overall a fine book on that belongs estoricist reader's bookshelf.

I found this book to be totally riveting and interesting to the point that Frank hated the modernization of the entertainment business but is apparently guilty of everything he hated in today's entertainers with the exception of drugs. George Jacobs rats on Frank but in a loving way. It is clear that Jacobs loved the man and his style but hated what the 60's and future were and did do to his boss.

I find the contents of the book to be open and honest. There's enough written here about the usual incidents, lots of confirmation of events but from a totally different perspective. It looks like Jacobs saw the world in a similar vain to Frank. And while I cannot imagine his children enjoying this book, at least the author is alligned with them on his feelings about Frank's 4th wife.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves Frank Sinatra, the whole person. I am a true fan. This book made me revere him more, although the womanizing would have killed a mere mortal long before Frank passed on. What a life! If it all weren't so true, it would be a great fairytale.

I am reading this book now and cannot seem to put it down. I saw George Jacobs on "The Today Show" and he was fascinating. I immediately went out and bought this book which has had me shocked, intrigued and laughing out loud at some points. The way in which this book is written is downright hilarious sometimes as are the descriptions Jacobs uses to describe certain people in Sinatra's life. Aside from being funny, it also let's the reader in on the different side of Frank Sinatra. The human side.

My wife recommended that I read this book. She saw an interview with Mr. Jacobs on "The Today Show" on NBC, and said he was fascinating to listen to. He was in fact actually part of Frank Sinatra's life on a daily basis, unlike many of the books written about him. This made it all that more appealling. I started to read the book, and before I even knew it, I was 50 pages in to it. The read was overwhelmingly fantastic. I gulped down the words and paragraphs. Mr. Jacobs and Mr. Stadiem have a way with words, and the information about Hollywood in the 1950's and 1960's was incredible! I could not wait for what I would read next. I acutally laughed out loud in many parts of the book, and had my mouth agape with astonishment at other times. To be able to get not only a glimpse, but an actual wide open door view of how Frank Sinatra lived, and the intimate details of who he knew, was just so great. The beginning chapter on Frank and Mia Farrow was worth every bit the price of the book, every cent. Beyond belief! I advise those who are thinking of buying the book to do so. Anyone with more than a passing interest in Hollywood and the celebrity of that era will be more than happy for the purchase.

This is a very readable book and an excellent introduction to a subject that has hitherto been sorely neglected. The main argument presented by Nesse and Williams is that disease must be understood from the perspective of evolutionary biology.

The authors begin by asking, "Why, in a body of such exquisite design, are there a thousand flaws and frailties that make us vulnerable to disease?" Through evidence and insights from evolutionary biology, the authors carefully give a detailed answer to this question, which might be summed up thus: The mechanism of evolution fits our bodies for reproduction, not for optimum health. Furthermore the mechanism is imperfect and subject to mutation. Additionally we are in competition with other organisms, e.g, viruses, bacteria, etc., that work toward their fitness, sometimes at our expensive (the parasite-prey "arms race"). Noteworthy is the idea that natural selection cares little for the maintenance of the organism after the age of reproduction, and that sexual reproduction actually fosters mechanisms that increase the fitness of youth while neglecting the aged, leading to the phenomena of senescence and death.

Seeing disease from the viewpoint of evolution, the authors argue, helps us to understand disease and the mechanisms involved, which in turn can help us to fight disease. Allergy, for example, is a disease characterized by an over active immune system. Copious amounts of histamine are produced to fight off a few molecules of pollen. Why? The authors make the point that our immune systems operate on the principle that better an overreaction to something harmless than an under reaction to a real threat. It's like jumping at the sight of a piece of rope lying on the ground. It's not a snake, but better this little harmless error than being too slow to get back from the real thing.

Some other interesting ideas: Fever has a purpose. It raises body temperature enough to interfere with the chemistry of some pathogens, thereby killing them. If we take medicines that reduce fever, are we prolonging our illness? In some cases, the authors answer, yes. If we take medicines that suppress coughs and sneezing can that also prolong our illness? Again the answer is in some cases, yes. The point is that in treating the symptoms of disease we need to make a distinction between which are defensive mechanism of our bodies and which are not. Some pathogens, for example, make us sneeze or cause diarrhea in order to better spread themselves to the next victim. The rabies virus makes a dog bite other animals in order to spread itself. But our bodies cause us to cough and sneeze primarily to expel pathogens.

The authors see some of our health problems as the result of genetic "quirks," or evolutionary hangovers. Dyslexia as an example. In the Environment of Evolutionary Adaptation back in the Stone Age, dyslexia was no problem because there were no books to read. Indeed, it might be that the dyslexic approach to some perception problems, is better than the "normal" one, allowing a quicker, better understanding of the objects being viewed. Other genetic quirks include our predisposition to eat too much fat when available because in the EEA there was precious little fat to be had so it made sense to eat as much as possible when it was available. Something similar can be said of alcohol. Before agriculture, and especially before the process of distillation, a predisposition to alcoholism was no danger because there was very little alcohol to be had. These "quirks" are examples of disease caused by "novel environments," much of the modern world being a novel environment to our Stone Age bodies.

Nesse and Williams show that the modern environment, which requires a lot of close work from all of us, especially the reading of books, is the cause of the epidemic of myopia that modern humans experience. I would like to add that it is possible that myopia under some conditions could be adaptive. In the rainforest it would probably be better to see well close at hand than far away (the opposite of what would be valuable on the savannah). Also those people who concentrated on things small and up close might well identify and process food sources overlooked by others.

While this is an excellent book, gracefully written and full of valuable information and insight, it is now a little dated (copyright 1994), and some of the ideas need reworking in light of recent discoveries. For example, while the authors discuss the ill effects of too much fat and sugar in our diets, they say nothing about the carbohydrate intolerance that leads to obesity. This too can be seen as an evolutionary quirk since there were no cultivated fields of amber grain in the prehistory, and the grains that were available were small and required a lot of hand processing so that it was very difficult to overindulge. Consequently there was no need for natural selection to evolve a protection against eating too much. Also their discussion of heart disease and how it is the result of genetic factors and faulty diet fails to mention the idea that heart disease might be caused by a bacteria. (See for example, Plague Time: How Stealth Infections Cause Cancers, Heart Disease, and other Deadly Ailments (2000) by Paul W. Ewald.)

All things considered, though, this is a classic of evolutionary literature, nicely presented to a nonspecialist, but educated public. Now if we can only get the doctors to read it!

This book offers a stimulating challenge to medicine and a thoughtful discussion of how (Darwin) evolution theory applies to us. Mr. Nesse and Mr. Williams provide a careful survey about how evolutionary factors can shape and affect human health - the causes and effects are being discussed in a plain-language manner. Have you ever thought about how the sneezing, the fever, and the coughing are all front-line responses of our immune system? Why do you think the once-eradicated TB come back with a more potent strand? The book provides a refreshing yet convincing view that bacterial resistance to antibiotics is an everlasting arm race.

Slightly modifying an oft-quoted line by the famous biologist Dobzhansky, Nesse and Williams conclude, "After all, nothing in medicine makes sense except in the light of evolution." In this lucidly written book, the authors make this assertion throughout. They lay out principles for interpreting aspects of human health from an evolutionary perspective. For example, some of the body's responses can be viewed as adaptive defenses (e.g. fever), others the products of novel environments (e.g. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS). The authors raise intriguing examples, from adaptive withholding of the body's iron stores to pregnancy sickness, that put flesh on the bones of these principles. This book does a fine job of overviewing the ways in which an evolutionary perspective can contribute to a richer understanding of medicine than the more proximate (e.g. what are the chemical and genetic bases to schizophrenia?) focus alone can provide. For this reason, it may long be seen as a seminal contribution.