These two books represent a most useful addition to the literature on infections of non-human primates. Primate Parasite Ecology comprises a series of 25 essays by many authors on various topics on primate infection. Part I deals with methods ranging from collection of material from wild species, such as faeces of apes, via molecular detection methods to mathematical models. Part II deals with the natural history and Part III with the ecology of primate-parasite interactions. Part IV concludes with a forward look, and a brief diagnostic reference of images of helminths, nematodes and protozoans. I particularly liked the chapters on jumping between host species, on primate behaviour for disease avoidance, and ecological factors in disease emergence. I have been following the studies carried out by Natalie Leo, David Reed and colleagues on lice (the vectors of typhus) which are retold in this volume: how human head and body lice have co-evolved with hominids ever since we diverged from chimpanzees, whereas pubic lice represent a horizontal transfer from gorillas about three million years ago.

Simian Virology is more like a classical textbook, dealing systematically with viruses of monkeys and apes. Retroviruses and herpesviruses get the lion's share of the chapters because they have been studied so intensively. After all, HIV-1 came from the African great apes while HIV-2 came from West African sooty mangabey monkeys. But there are also informative chapters on picornaviruses, arteriviruses, and the major families of DNA viruses.

Both books are well illustrated with images of hosts and parasites alike. They will have a long shelf-life and make rewarding reading on the infections of our closest cousins.