Summaries and Customer Reviews are supplied by Amazon.com

Like previous editions, the book shows how evolutionary biologists analyze all aspects of behavior. It is distinguished by its balanced treatment of both the underlying mechanisms and evolutionary causes of behavior, and stresses the utility of evolutionary theory in unifying the different behavioral disciplines. Important concepts are explained by reference to key illustrative studies; examples are drawn evenly from studies of invertebrates and vertebrates, and are supported by nearly 1,300 reference citations. The writing style is clear and engaging: beginning students have no difficulty following the material, despite the strong conceptual orientation of the text.

Throughout, the author keeps the essence of the scientific enterprise clearly in front of the student reader. The text stresses the role of theory and hypothesis-testing in doing science. The book also emphasizes the tentative nature of scientific conclusions, and it identifies controversial and unresolved issues.

Average Customer Rating:

Not that well written

Customer Rating:

First of all, this isnt a textbook in the traditional sense, so dont get fooled. It is actually just a compilation of research done on animal behavior, plus a few bolded words and definition. Definitely a really dry read that makes it overly complicated to understand a concept. For example, i dont need to know about the experimental design of ducks and how they got them to imprint, i just need a definition and a quick example, not a 3 page long spiel that is a waste of my time to read

Perfect condition, speedy delivery	Customer Rating:
The book came shrink wrapped in perfect condition. Speedy delivery. No complaints.

Fun and Educational	Customer Rating:
This was a textbook for a class and it is as fun and easy to read as a textbook can be. Lots of good pictures and examples.

Book of examples and studies; great for animal behavior

Customer Rating:

While I expected this book (and my course) to be a book of concepts and theories, they are actually filled with examples of field studies, lab studies, etc. This makes the book actually enjoyable to read, if you have any interest in animal behavior. The writer is an evolutionary biologist himself, and he makes this clear when he explicitly compares his opinions to other biologists' opinions. The images of the author's thumb as a mating object by a bee were also amusing. Like another reviewer mentioned, this book is fun, and can -almost- be read for fun.

Great book

Customer Rating:

The reviewer that only gave this book 2 stars is dead wrong, in my opinion. It's sectioned off by topic, then it goes in depth with actual field studies and examples to explain why a particular animal behaviour is what it is, and usually from an ultimate and proximate viewpoint. Very easy to read and follow, lots of pictures and graphs, which helped keep my brain stimulated. I will be keeping this book in my personal library for future reference.