New Title

1) Arlott, Norman. Birds of South-East Asia (Collins Field Guide). 2017. William Collins. Hardbound: 432 pages. Price: about $40.00 U.S.
PUBLISHER'S SUMMARY: This comprehensive new field guide is an excellent addition to the world-renowned series – the ultimate reference book for travelling birdwatchers.

     Every species of bird you might encounter in the region is featured, apart from non-established introductions. This includes coverage of China (south of the line used to define the Palearctic), Hainan (treated separately from SE China), Taiwan, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore and the Coco Islands. As many of the major subspecies as possible are also included.
     Beautiful artwork depicts their breeding plumage, and non-breeding plumage when it differs significantly. The accompanying text concentrates on the specific characteristics and appearance of each species that allow identification in the field, including voice and distribution maps.
RECOMMENDATION: A good introduction to the birds of the region.

New Title

1) MacNeal, David. Bugged: The Insects Who Rule the World and the People Obsessed with Them. 2017. St. Martin's Press. Hardbound: 308 pages. Price: $25.99 U.S.
PUBLISHER'S SUMMARY: Insects have been shaping our ecological world and plant life for over 400 million years. In fact, our world is essentially run by bugs―there are 1.4 billion for every human on the planet. In Bugged, journalist David MacNeal takes us on an off-beat scientific journey that weaves together history, travel, and culture in order to define our relationship with these mini-monsters.
      MacNeal introduces a cast of bug-lovers―from a woman facilitating tarantula sex and an exterminator nursing bedbugs (on his own blood), to a kingpin of the black market insect trade and a “maggotologist”―who obsess over the crucial role insects play in our everyday lives.
      Just like bugs, this book is global in its scope, diversity, and intrigue. Hands-on with pet beetles in Japan, releasing lab-raised mosquitoes in Brazil, beekeeping on a Greek island, or using urine and antlers as means of ancient pest control, MacNeal’s quest appeals to the squeamish and brave alike. Demonstrating insects’ amazingly complex mechanics, he strings together varied interactions we humans have with them, like extermination, epidemics, and biomimicry. And, when the journey comes to an end, MacNeal examines their commercial role in our world in an effort to help us ultimately cherish (and maybe even eat) bugs.
RECOMMENDATION: For those with an interest in entomology.

New Title

1) Carruthers, Vincent (editor). Wildlife of Southern Africa: A field guide to the animals and plants of the region. 2017. Struik Nature. Paperback: 336 pages. Price: $23.00 U.S.
PUBLISHER'S SUMMARY: A field guide to the wildlife of southern Africa, describing over 2,000 plants and animals, with clear illustrations in full colour. This book has been a trusted field companion for many years. Comprehensively updated, it now features range maps for most groups. The chapters are colour-coded for easy reference, and diagnostic features appear in bold type within the descriptions. Each chapter is written by a leading expert in the field: • Lower invertebrates Mike Musgrave • Spiders and other arachnids Astri Leroy • Insects Mike Musgrave • Freshwater fishes Paul Skelton • Frogs Vincent Carruthers • Reptiles Bill Branch • Birds Ken Newman and Christine Read • Mammals Peter Apps • Grasses, sedges, ferns and fungi Elsa Pooley • Wild flowers Elsa Pooley • Trees Elsa Pooley.
RECOMMENDATION: A good introduction to the wildlife of the region.