Mastering Change: The Key to Business Success

Many of us equate ecology with environmental issues, but the subject is far more complex. Ehrlich (The Population Bomb has here written a lucid introduction to this wide-ranging science, which he considers the most important aspect of human culture. Defining ecology as the study of the relationships of plants and animals to each other and to their environments, he guides us through its component parts: physiology, populations, behavior, survival strategies; biogeography, community and ecosystem ecology. Ehrlich discusses species diversity, predation, mutualism and competition among organisms, and each topic is illustrated by examples from his own studies. If ecology is perceived as the basis of the other life sciences, one can comprehend the importance of understanding how nature works; Ehrlich's book is an excellent tool for that understanding. Illustrations not seen by PW. Macmillan Book Clubs alternate. (April)