Customer Reviews

Ecology and Field Biology (5th Edition)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I have used this book for several years as a text for my general ecology course. Although simple errors may plague this book, it is one of the most comprehensive for a course involving field investigations. The appendix sections on sampling plant and animal populations and life table construction are very helpful for students and instructors. The book is strong on physiological ecology, plant interactions, and case history presentations.

I "inherited" Smith's book from my predecessor as the text for a general ecology course (junior-level). I found it to be a poor choice. The fifth edition appears to have undergone recent and massive revision; the text had far more than its fair share of typos, literature citations that were not listed in the bibliography, and perhaps most damningly, colorful figures that were often inadequately explained and sometimes incorrectly labeled. While I understand the presence of factual errors - a text with a subject as diverse as ecology would be difficult for one person to write - there is no excuse for them. All in all, this book was a disappointment.

For a book that attempts to survey such a vast field, this does a good job. I find myself picking it up for reference purposes at least once every few months. Clear, concise explanations of ecological concepts and plentiful illustrations make this a useful volume.

If you are actually interested in ecology (rather than just getting a textbook for a required course), this is one of those textbooks that you will probably end up keeping on the bookshelf rather than selling at the end of the semester.

The text itself is fine and wonderful for class but unfortunately as soon as I opened the book half the table of contents and preface can apart from the spine and the rest are just as easy to pull out.

I ordered this textbook for a class that requires it and this was the only one that I could find online. I saw that it had the hands-on field package with it and I never received that part of the order. I contacted the seller more than once about it and never got a response. Now the buyback value of my textbook decreases by about 40% because I don't have the pieces from the field package part. The seller is greedy and I would never recommend them.

Textbook in great condition. Was here in a timely manner. Needed for a college course and will come in handy.

I did not receive my book because it was out of stock. Some weeks later, I got my money back.

Fast delivery. Book was in great shape for a great price. Thanx!