Foodborne Diseases reviews a well-chosen spectrum of food-borne pathogens, toxins and other interesting related subjects. Editing an anthology such as this is a challenging task for any editor, who has to balance disparate multi-author styles and approaches if the result is to be coherent. Some chapters, such as Clostridium, are superb models of clarity and up-to-date information. Others are little more than re-hashes of old papers with out-of-date references, especially regarding detection and identification, and new insights in transmission and virulence of food-borne pathogens. On balance, there are some gems amongst the gravel, if you're prepared to look for them. I would recommend this book as an institutional purchase, but students or researchers new to the field will need some guidance to sift through the chapters.