This book summarizes knowledge of plant-fungal pathogen systems just before the high-throughput genomic era. It reflects their diversity from both fungal and plant view-points and makes a strong effort to bring out common themes. Its coverage of signalling, programmed cell death, cell-wall effects, pathogenesis-related proteins, secondary metabolites and disease symptoms shows their complexity. The questions at the end of each chapter include the several of the most pressing issues within molecular fungal pathogenesis. Some genomic information appears but with only hints of new insights.

The diversity of biological systems within this book means that it is more likely a library than a personal purchase. It is somewhere for researchers to seek illumination on how other plant-pathogen systems work, rather than for details of their own favourite experimental system. The book is let down by the very schematic quality of the figures.