Softcover

ISBN 10: 0878932259 ISBN 13: 9780878932252

Publisher: Sinauer Associates, Inc., 2009

This new edition of Animal Behavior has once again been thoroughly rewritten with coverage of much recent work in animal behavior, while retaining the many successful features of previous editions. The writing style is clear and engaging; the book is well illustrated with many new photographs; and the discussion questions are embedded in the text to encourage the development of problem-solving skills of students. This now-classic text continues to offer a balanced treatment of the underlying mechanisms and evolutionary bases of behavior with a focus on the importance of evolutionary theory for the unification of the different behavioral disciplines.

About the Author:

John Alcock is Regents Professor Emeritus of Biology at Arizona State University. He received his Ph.D. from Harvard University under the direction of Ernst Mayr. His research deals with the behavioral ecology of insect mating systems, with projects that have taken him from Arizona to Costa Rica and Australia. He wrote The Triumph of Sociobiology (2001) and coauthored The Evolution of Insect Mating Systems (1983) with Randy Thornhill. Alcock has also written six other books on animal behavior and natural history for general audiences. One of these, In a Desert Garden, received the Burroughs Award for natural history writing in 1998. Dr. Alcock also received the Dean s Quality Teaching Award the first year it was given at Arizona State University.

Review:

This ninth edition is both comfortably familiar and thoroughly updated. The order and titles of the 14 chapters are the same ... Within this structure, however, the book is rewritten throughout with virtually every paragraph altered. The reference list has grown by nearly 300, and seemingly every citation has been considered for replacement. Similarly, clearly serviceable pictures and figures have often been replaced by even better ones. ... What unites all editions of this work is Alcock's ability to impart the excitement of doing science. ... this textbook remains unmatched in conveying that sense to its readers. I will use this new edition, and look forward to future versions for as long as John Alcock is excited about producing them. The excitement is contagious. --Peter A. Bednekoff, The Quarterly Review of Biology

... Alcock's Animal Behavior continues to be one of the most popular textbooks used in animal behavior courses, and for good reason. The writing is easy to read and understand, it is packed with detailed examples, figures, and illustrations (all complete with full bibliographic information), and it presents a well-balanced view of proximate and ultimate causes of behavior, both of vertebrates and invertebrates. In addition, for the professor of the course, the ancillaries are useful and diverse ... It is in general a highly enjoyable book to read, both for those who know the field well and for those just being introduced to the wonders of animal behavior. --Miles Engell, Integrative and Comparative Biology

... Alcock's Animal Behavior continues to be one of the most popular textbooks used in animal behavior courses, and for good reason. The writing is easy to read and understand, it is packed with detailed examples, figures, and illustrations (all complete with full bibliographic information), and it presents a well-balanced view of proximate and ultimate causes of behavior, both of vertebrates and invertebrates. In addition, for the professor of the course, the ancillaries are useful and diverse ... It is in general a highly enjoyable book to read, both for those who know the field well and for those just being introduced to the wonders of animal behavior. --Miles Engell, Integrative and Comparative Biology