Yu SJ. 2015. The Toxicology and Biochemistry of Insects, 2nd edition. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida, USA. 358 pp. ISBN 978-1-4822-1060-6, US$ 89.96 (hardback)

Authors

  • John L. Capinera Entomology & Nematology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA

Keywords:

toxicology, pesticides

Abstract

Book reviews normally are written by authorities in the subject matter treated by the book. The perspectives of subject-matter authorities are valuable in discerning whether or not the subject is treated accurately, and if the treatment is up to date. But when the book is designed to be used as a textbook, perhaps a different perspective is equally valuable: the perspective of a novice. After all, most of the readership likely would consist of students who need some fundamental knowledge of the subject matter. Well, I’m not qualified as a toxicologist, or as a student, but my knowledge of toxicology is superficial, so I believe that my perspective is closer to that of novices (students) than to authorities (toxicologists). So this review will assess how understandable the material is to a novice who lacks a strong background in organic chemistry, but who needs to know something about the chemistry, mode of action, usefulness, and hazards associated with insecticides. In case you are wondering about the perspective of authorities on the topic, you should know that the 1st edition of this text was reviewed favorably by experts in the field (Siegfried 2009; Peterson 2011), so there is every reason to believe that the 2nd edition is also an authoritative treatment.

 

View this article in BioOne

Downloads

Issue

Section

Book Reviews