Authoritative crop husbandry science books based on firsthand knowledge and experience are rare. Here is one such volume! The four editors enlisted an additional five authors, providing a robust expert team wholly capable of encapsulating our current knowledge of the science underpinning temperate and subtropical fruit production into one volume. All are, or have been, active practical research workers involved with the fruit industries worldwide as expert consultants. Their text is simple, straightforward and interesting, and accompanied by excellent line diagrams illustrating specific points. Part 1 provides a good general digest of aspects relevant to all fruit production: distribution, climatic influences, morphology and growth, flowering and fruiting, pruning and training, production and marketing, use of bioregulators, soils, nutrition and water, crop protection, propagation and machinery. Part 2 deals, in detail, with the key crops: stone fruit, pome fruit, grapes, berry fruits, citrus, kiwifruit, warm temperate and subtropical fruit, miscellaneous types and edible nuts.

Fruit crops are of enormous world economic and medicinal significance. The dietary value of fruit consumption aiding long-term combating of diseases of affluence such as cancer and coronary ailments has gained much increased appreciation worldwide. Fruit consumption now typifies a healthy and vigorous lifestyle appealing especially to younger groups in the community. Eating fruit is socially very acceptable. As a result, production of most fruit types more than doubled in the decade 1997–2007. Consequently, books of this quality are much needed as primary guides for science-based fruit culture. It is of value to all sections of horticulture from growers and advisors to students, teachers and researchers. All serious horticulturists should have a copy on their bookshelves.