This book, part of a 10-volume series covering all major crops, is concerned with the potential utility of wild germplasm in temperate fruit crop improvement. It contains 11 chapters written by established researchers across a considerable range of crops, including major species such as apple, grape (two separate chapters for Euvitis and muscadine types) and strawberry, but also smaller crops such as quince. There are some surprising inclusions, notably chapters on olive and pistachio, neither of which would meet most people's definition of a temperate fruit, and it is to be hoped that as a result researchers in these crops do not overlook these excellent chapters. The chapters differ in emphasis, but the general layout considers geographical distribution of related species, origins and evolution (some of the most interesting parts of the book), conservation strategies and availability of molecular tools. The summary of genomic resources for each crop is useful, although since the book's publication the genomes for both Malus and Fragaria have been published, such is the pace of progress in this field.

The use of wild relatives in breeding is an area of great interest and activity for many fruit breeders, especially with the assistance of molecular tools. It is therefore rather depressing to read how many germplasm collections, species and natural habitats are at risk, often due to lack of resources. However, this volume provides an excellent source of information about the relevant species and how they might be utilised by breeders in the future. The production is of a high standard, with an extensive bibliography in each chapter. However, its high price will probably restrict availability to libraries rather than individual purchasers.