With so many new animal behaviour textbooks coming onto the market, we seem
to be spoilt for choice. I really enjoyed reading this one, however. Unlike
all the other ethology textbooks that I know of, this one is edited, so you
dont just get one particular point of view. Despite this, there are no
great differences in style between the different chapters, which makes this
book very readable. On the one hand, there is some kind of historical
continuity, as the book is firmly based on Tinbergens `four whys. On the
other hand, this book has a very modern feel to it, with plenty of space
given to topics such as neuroscience, cognition, animal welfare and
conservation biology. The reference list is up to date and there is plenty
of cross-referencing within the book. Also, the book has a very useful
glossary. This is an excellent book for undergraduate animal behaviour
courses, but it is also a very good read for lecturers and researchers in
this field.

This is the textbook that the field of animal behavior has been waiting for. Because this is an edited volume, with experts in the various disciplines having written the chapters, there is no bias towards e.g. an evolutionary or mechanistic approach. There is a remarkable unity of style, despite the diverse collection of authors. The chapters are very accessible and convey an enormous enthusiasm for the study of animal behavior. This is the most comprehensive animal behavior textbook that I know, with topics ranging from neuroscience and biological rhythms to sexual selection and animal welfare. This is likely to be the leading textbook for some time to come.