This is an excellent book, written to help biology students write good reports and scientific papers. There is useful advice on such diverse related topics as how to read papers and textbooks, how to make good use of the computer to prepare graphs, and common grammar problems in scientific writing. The book starts with an introduction to the scientific method, including how to formulate an appropriate question, turn this question into a hypothesis, test it with experimental data, and reformulate the hypothesis for further testing. Learning how to read and criticize scientific writing is a key skill for any student or researcher, and good strategies are provided in this handbook. A chapter on revision and a revision checklist help guide the reader to good critical reading habits and how to objectively improve scientific writing. Many of the posters presented in scientific meetings would be greatly improved by the guidelines and advice in the chapter on this subject, which includes poster esthetics, organization and presentation strategies. There are also numerous useful recommendations on how to use the computer for scientific writing. A strong point of this book is the extensive use of examples. Much of what is presented here is directed towards experienced researchers as well as students. If the authors who submit articles to scientific journals follow the advice given in "A Student Handbook for Writing in Biology" it will certainly make the editor's job easier.
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