"There is [a] very practical reason why host-parasitoid interactions are central to ecology and why this book should be broadly read. The specialization of these species makes them prime candidates for use as biological control agents. . . . It would be hard to think of anyone better suited than Michael Hassell to review this field. His new book is a well-organized compendium of the myriad features that make or detract from stability in these tight interactions. . . . Hassell details the important role spatial heterogeneity plays in coexistence and control. Also new is a growing list of theoretical studies that include webs of interactions among several host-parasite combinations. He is careful throughout to point out current deficiencies in both our theoretical and empirical understanding of these systems. This book is a must-have for anyone interested in the theory of host-parasite interactions, and for those who just want to know more about ecological dynamics."--Nature