Mango production ranks fifth among all fruits (33 445 979 t in 2007 for mango, mangosteen and guava, source FAOSTAT), which is over a quarter of bananas and plantains or all types of Citrus. It is the most important fruit of Asia and becoming increasingly important in countries that have the quality and seasonality of production that allows them to find niche export markets. It is a minor crop in the USA, with 2950 t produced in 2007.

The book has 18 chapters, adequately covering botany, production, processing, trade and uses of the crop. The one on ‘World Mango Trade and the Economics of Mango Production’ would have been even more useful had it included the unit inputs behind the production costs. There are 29 authors, 12 from Florida, and the others from Australia (3), Brazil (1), France (2), India (4), Mexico (4), Philippines (1), Spain (1) and Taiwan (1). Twelve chapters have one or more authors from Florida, which sometimes leads to emphasis on more sophisticated approaches to the science and cultivation of the crop than might be chosen in countries with less a well-developed farming or research system. Most of the bibliographies end in 2006; the largest has 484 citations. The index is useful rather than comprehensive. The book is well edited with limited repetition over chapters.

The 1997 first edition of this book was reprinted in 1998. This second edition will be the definitive English language work on the crop for the foreseeable future, invaluable to growers, researchers, students and investors in the crop alike.