Invertebrates, 2nd edition, by Richard C. Brusca and the late Gary J. Brusca. Sinauer Associates, Inc., Sunderland, Massachusetts. 2002. 936 p. ISBN 0-87893-097-3.
Twelve years elapsed between the first and second editions of ‘Brusca and Brusca’; 12 yr accompanied by a nearly exponential increase in the literature on invertebrates, making revision of such a comprehensive text a daunting task. However, even in the face of this mélange of literature, the Bruscas have succeeded admirably in crafting a highly readable, thoroughly modern, richly illustrated treatise on the animals that are the biodiversity of the planet. Those who patiently waited for a revision to appear will not be disappointed.
The challenge to the authors (unfortunately, primarily to Richard) was to find a thread by which to weave an approach to the study of invertebrates that would satisfy those seeking an enduring reference book while at the same time providing a hook to...