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The field of evolution is diverse, spanning all levels of biological organisation. Whilst such diversity makes for a fascinating area of research, it makes the challenge of writing a general evolution textbook a daunting one. In the ten years since it first appeared, Evolution has attempted to rise to this challenge. Ten years on, we have a third edition, so how has Evolution evolved? Users of the previous editions will find no great surprises. In fact, on the surface little has changed. The book is based around the same tried and trusted sections: Introduction; Evolutionary Genetics ; Adaptation and Natural selection; Evolution and Diversity ; andMacroevolution. The content of the book is also much as you would expect, with large sections devoted to population genetics, species and speciation. Indeed, this is very much an evolution textbook in the traditional mould with no real attempt to present the subject in a novel or unexpected way. That said, the traditional mould is filled rather well. The writing style is clear and straightforward and the text is liberally illustrated with figures. An improvement on previous editions is the inclusion of margin annotations, highlighting the main point being made in each section. Some may feel this goes too far towards the spoon-feeding of undergraduates, or smacks of ‘soundbite science’. I think they will be invaluable in helping students navigate the text and digest the, occasionally, complex material. Any book attempting to encompass the breadth of evolution will face the significant challenge of balancing generality and detail. Too much detail, and there is a danger of overwhelming the student, but too little and the text becomes superficial and will soon be outgrown. Evolution treads this line reasonably well, helped in part by the use of supplementary boxes to elaborate on the main text. Boxes on subjects such as the coalescent, and, genetic loads and Kimura’s original case for the neutral theory provide detail for advanced readers without the main text becoming too bulky. This idea is extended to a new series of boxes dealing with applications and issues in evolutionary biology such as the ethics of human cloning and the effect of vaccines and the virulence of human diseases. These ‘current topics ’ boxes will encourage students to think about Evolution as an important and relevant science, rather than a dry academic exercise involving finches and fossils. The CD ROM from the 2nd edition is replaced by a web site containing resources to complement the book. Here we find virtual experiments to examine, among other things, the advantages of sex, video clips of famous biologists explaining aspects of evolution and also reprints of classic evolution texts. The site also holds downloadable versions of the figures from the book, which will be a welcome aid to busy lecturers. Of course, it would be a sad indictment of our field if it has not moved on in the seven years since the last edition was published. Fortunately this is not the case, and Ridley has worked hard to update the book in the light of new research. In some cases this simply involves updating examples, but in others whole sections and chapters have been rewritten and rearranged. For example, the chapter discussing sexual selection now includes a new section outlining the possibility of sexual conflict, a field that has risen in prominence in this time. Similarly, the increasing use of sequence data to test evolutionary theories is also covered in several places. Two new chapters, Evolutionary Genomics (which despite its similarity in name to the Genome Evolution chapter in the second edition, bares little resemblance) and Evolutionary Developmental Biology, reflect the unprecedented advances that have been made in these areas. Unfortunately, even amongst professional biologists these fields can appear somewhat amorphous and difficult to pin down, and these chapters reflect this, reading more as a series of linked examples rather than clear overviews. In fairness, Ridley admits as much at the end of the Evo Devo chapter, where he states his aim, ‘to illustrate the promise – and the interest – of the two fields’. From a marketing point of view, the inclusion of these Genet. Res., Camb. (2004), 83, pp. 65–68. f 2004 Cambridge University Press 65 Printed in the United Kingdom

Evolution. 3rd Edition. MARK RIDLEY. Blackwell Publishing. 2003. 751 pages. ISBN 1 4051 0345 0. Price £27.50.