Hawaiian Coral Reef Ecology (ISBN 1566472342)

jam-packed with knowledge hard to find elsewhere:
This is an unusual work because of its partly textbook, partly "comic book" format, but don't let that fool you. The author presents a wealth of information on the extremely complex, multi-faceted animal and plant interrelationships of Hawaii's coral reef ecosystem. He has pulled together an enormous amount of data from the scientific journal literature (where it is widely scattered and basically unavailable to lay readers) and has organized and presented this knowledge in his own unique, original and easy-to-assimilate style. From some of the comments below, it is clear that some people don't take to his style, but I found it refreshing, amusing at times, and certainly easier to read than a standard textbook. He has simplified, but not dumbed down the information, and illustrated it with numerous photographs and drawings. This book is really jam packed with illustrative material. (If you are looking for a lot of gorgeous underwater photographs, however, this book will disappoint. These are working photos, not pretty pictures for the most part.) For solid information on how a reef ecosystem works this is as good an introduction as you are likely to get. In fact, it's pretty much unique. I know of nothing else like it and I learned a tremendous amount by reading it. I should mention that, as the title indicates, the book is limited pretty much to Hawaiian reefs, which have fewer species and are probably less complex than reefs in the Caribbean or western Pacific. But the basic relationships and ideas hold true for all coral reefs. Yes, perhaps the author could be seen as a bit preachy, but he is devoted to protecting Hawaii's reefs and shouldn't be faulted for that. I give this book high marks for its originality and for the sheer amount of complex information the author has managed to present. If you are deeply interested in the subject of coral reef ecology, definitely get this book. If you are only marginally interested in coral reefs, well--you may find the book only marginally interesting. That's my take.

Recommend:
A dr. friend loaned me this book - but I liked it so much I am buying a copy for future reference. I found the reference material presented in an unusual but interesting way. Complex concepts on coral life cycles were simplified (and nicely illustrated) so that laymen could understand the topic without insulting the minds of the more advanced / trained biologist. It may not be perfect in every way - but I liked it, I learned from it and I am buying a personal copy even after reading a loaned one. It has a wealth of information that taught me things that over 20 years of scuba diving, spending over 2 weeks of my life underwater and many years of being a scuba instructor have not. Testimony enough?

Coral Reef Review:
This book's format does not fit in any "box", hence the wide range of reviews. Though an unorthodox presentation in a paperback comic book style, it's a well thought out and clear presentation. The author has distilled much into an easily comprehended book, suitable for adults to teens. I am a diver and have a zoology degree, and view this from a different and more favorable light than perhaps another. It makes it easy to get one "up to speed" on a watery world. I shall be getting another copy as a gift for a new diver..as a shortcut to explaining the unique creatures of the sea, and how they interact.

Pretty good.:
I am in love with tropical marine life, but this is the first book about reef ecology I've read so I'm not exactly sure how to judge it. I've read the whole book, cover to cover, in about two weeks for offhand studies, maybe 10-15 pages a day, on average, all week. The first part of the book is a little interesting, talking about the structure of jellyfish, or more correctly 'sea jellies', but not much for me to give the book rapt attention. Some parts are just plain boring to be honest.The pictures are good, but not a lot of text, most of the time just a third or a half of the page is text. I think the most interesting part is the last half where it talks about coral reef predators and the impact of human life on the Hawaiian reefs. It's not exactly a book that you can't put down, but it has some fascinating information that I think any marine life lover should know, so all in all I think it's a pretty good book.

Not a good buy:
I don't think this book is quite as bad as the one star the first reviewer gave it, but the second reviewer must be kidding. Five stars?! Terrific graphic design?! Fun to read?! I give it two stars, and that's being on the generous side. I would not recommend it.