CABI Blog

World Book Day

CABI staff are celebrating World Book Day with some of their favourite books! We’re proud of our diverse range of titles, relevant for students, researchers and professionals across a range of subjects. Here are some of our top picks from 2017, and what we enjoyed about working on them. You can read sample chapters of each book here.

Caroline Makepeace – Head of Content Strategy and Commissioning Editor

Olfaction in Animal Behaviour and Welfare

It is my favourite book because it is evidence based yet entirely practical and gives a wonderful insight into the world of smell and how this affects animal behaviour. It explains the scientific basis of olfaction and odour perception and then goes on to cover pheromones and behavioural tests, before describing the role of olfaction in feeding behaviour, reproduction, disease detection, and animal housing. It is written in an easy to read style and if you are looking for a book that explains some of the behaviours that animals can exhibit then this is the book for you!  Birte Nielsen and the contributors of the book were a joy to work with and I genuinely feel that the book does add to the accumulation of fascinating literature on this important subject which also has big implications for industry in the use of pheromone-based products, for example calming collars for dogs.

 

Alex Lainsbury – Commissioning Editor

Food and Wine Tourism, 2nd Edition

This is my favourite book because it forms a really accessible and engaging introduction to the subject for students of tourism. It uses pedagogical features and colour throughout to transform theory into something students can take forward into their careers, and is written by an author team that are both sommeliers and trained in olive oil tasting! It also includes new emerging destinations, so that students really get a feel for the state of the industry they’re looking to enter as it is now. I can’t lie that the case studies and photos covering mouth-watering areas such as chocolate tourism in Belize, wine tourism in India and cheese tourism in Italy also spark my appetite!

 

Rachael Russell – Commissioning Editor

Cherries: Botany, Production and Uses

This is my favourite book that published in 2017 because it collates exceptionally high-quality research from an international team of experts who explore all aspects of cherry science and culture and include many advances in production at an applied level. Covering sweet and sour cherries (Prunus avium and Prunus cerasus) the book addresses the breeding, genetics, ecophysiology, production protection, and utilisation of cherries, providing invaluable content for research scientists, students and all professionals working in the cherry value chain. Not only are cherries one of my favourite fruits but they are hugely important worldwide and in a positive economic trend. The editors were a delight to work with throughout the process and we were also fortunate enough to collaborate with COST who supported the publication and helped us bring this reference work to the cherry community. The book is highly illustrated and printed in full colour throughout – a must have for the bookshelf of any horticulturist!

 

Ward Cooper – Commissioning Editor

Aphids as Crop Pests, 3rd Edition

I have chosen Aphids as Crop Pests edited by Helmut van Emden and Richard Harrington as my favourite book from 2017. This volume represents a major contribution to the science of pest management and entomology written as it is by a selection of eminent scientists at the very top of their game. The book also means a lot to me on a personal level. I first met the main editor, Professor Helmut van Emden (Van to his friends) nearly 30 years ago and I have been lucky enough to have been his editor for several of his books ever since. We have become good friends and his sage advice to me on all things entomological has benefited me enormously over the years. When I joined CABI in 2015 I was delighted to find that I would reconnect with my old friend on yet another major volume.

 

Tracy Head – Production Manager

The Ethology of Domestic Animal, 3rd Edition

Why do animals exhibit certain behaviours? What is genetically determined and what is learned? How much influence do humans have on animal behaviour? This book gives a fascinating glimpse into the evolutionary basis for many animal behaviours that we take for granted, such as cats purring and dogs wagging their tails, as well as exploring important issues in welfare for a variety of domestic animals. The authors have presented scientific research in an easy-to-read, engaging manner that opens the subject up to students and researchers at a variety of levels. And this edition features a new full-colour design with some really lovely photos!

 

Victoria Davies – Books Marketing Assistant

Global Climate Change and Coastal Tourism

2017 was the Year of Sustainable Tourism, but Global Climate Change and Coastal Tourism reminds us that climate change continues beyond the one year that we dedicated to raising awareness of the problems it may cause, especially when travel is increasing. As CABI remains an authoritative voice on environmental issues, several of our climate change books present strong evidence for the existence of climate change and topical debates about the impacts it is having on our present and future environment – Jones and Phillips’ book is an excellent addition to that list; the book has plenty of illustrations to emphasise the tension between our desire to travel and the environmental and economic threats that follow, making it an important read for anyone with good lifestyle intentions. Amongst the often pessimistic undercurrent that seems to surround climate change, this book stands out as a solution-focused and pragmatic addition to the literature on the topic. I recommend it to anyone interested in learning about how climate change is impacting on our popular holiday destinations that may not exist for future generations to enjoy.

 

Free chapters for each book are available to read here!

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