BOOK REVIEWS 265 Trace Elements in the Environment : Biogeochemistry, Biotechnology and Bioremediation. Edited by M. N. V. Prasad, K. S. Sajwan and R. Naidu. Boca Raton, FL, USA: CRC/Taylor and Francis (2006), pp. 726, £92.00. ISBN 1-566-70-685-8. doi:10.1017/S0014479706414903 The subject matter of this edited book has a wide appeal, tackling the serious problems encountered in many ecosystems from trace element pollution. While the book’s contents live up to the title, individual chapters vary greatly in depth and style. Some chapters are very site-specific studies, while others are generic reviews. I looked through the preface to find clues to the origin or rational for this construction, expecting the book to be a compendium of conference papers, but it left me none the wiser. While I found many of the individual chapters dealing with site-specific problems interesting and well written, I would not want to purchase the book for them, but rather request chapters through the library. Subjects covered include arsenic in Florida soils, fluoride contamination of groundwater, chemicals in biosolids, lead accumulation in plants, trace elements in Portuguese mine plants, trace elements in Russian weeds, etc. This list illustrates the idiosyncratic nature of the subject matter. I had more difficulties with the review-type chapters as the subject matter they cover has been reviewed many times previously in the literature, leaving a feeling of deja vu. Chapters also overlap strongly as in Chapters 12 and 13 – ‘Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and heavy metals: tolerance and potential use in bioremediation’ and ‘Role of arbuscular mycorrhiza and associated microorganisms in phytoremediation of heavy metal polluted sites’, respectively. The editor M. N. V. Prasad has written 10 out of the 33 chapters in the book, seven of which are either solo authored or first authored. This adds a further unusual balance to this book. Andy A. Meharg Environmental Risk Assessment of Genetically Modified Organisms Volume 2. Methodologies for Assessing Bt cotton in Brazil. Edited by A. Hilbeck, D. A. Andow and E. M. G. Fontes. Wallingford, UK: CABI Publishing (2006), pp. 373. £75.00. ISBN 1-84593-000-2. doi:10.1017/S001447970642490X This volume is the second in the series arising out of the IOBC’s GMO Guidelines Project – Development of International Biosafety Testing Methodologies for Transgenic Plants, using the proposed introduction of Bt cotton as a case study. The very knowledgeable author group has written 13 chapters comprehensively covering these methods. In addition to an excellent summary of the cotton situation in Brazil and of the details of the GM cotton proposed for introduction (the now widely used Cry1Ac and Cry1Ac/2Ab cottons), this volume covers assessment of gene flow risks, risks of evolved resistance by insect pests, impacts on non-target pests, pollinators, predators and soil organisms using a Problem Formulation and Options Assessment methodology. The tables are particularly valuable, walking the reader through all the steps which would be necessary for a complete pre-release assessment of the biological risks (not human or animal health or economic risks), adopting a tiered approach to the determination of which impacts to look at and in what level of detail, as earlier proposed by Romeis et al. Three-quarters of Brazil’s cotton grows in the mid-west where Bt cotton will reduce insecticide use by about two sprays annually (or around 10%) but will not affect the key pests, boll weevils and aphids which spread blue disease. However, as happened in India in 2002, in 2005 Brazil bowed to pressure from farmers who have been growing unapproved Bt cotton over large areas for years, and commercialized Bt cotton without satisfactorily addressing almost all the questions posed in this book. New and robust catches have been laboriously designed for stable doors, but this particular horse has bolted! Derek Russell Environment and Livelihoods in Tropical Coastal Zones. Managing Agriculture-Fishery-Aquaculture Conflicts. Edited by C. T. Hoanh, T. P. Tuong, J. W. Gowing and B. Hardy. Wallingford, UK: CAB International (2006), pp. 309, £65.00. ISBN 978-1-84593-107-0. doi:10.1017/S0014479706434906 This edited volume of 22 chapters is the second in a series on the Comprehensive Assessment of Water Management in Agriculture Series, an output of a cross-disciplinary initiative to bring together existing knowledge and stimulating new approaches to water use. The resulting outputs are a diverse collection of often disciplinary perspectives aimed at helping planners, resource managers and donors to improve their investment in coastal zone development.