Environmental Biotechnology: Concepts and Applications. Hans-Joachim Jördening and Josef Winter, eds. 2005. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York. 488 pp. $160 cloth.

Environmental Biotechnology: Concepts and Applications, edited by Hans-Joachim Jördening and Josef Winter, is the most recent of six Wiley environmental and wastewater microbiology titles published since 1999. The Environmental Biotechnology title is strategic, differing from other entries with titles including such key phrases as Wastewater Microbiology and Environmental Microbiology. These latter phrases are clearer because they evoke accurately the content of the books, whereas the title of the book under review here suggests that cutting-edge technologies—most notably genetic engineering—are included, yet genetic engineering is virtually unrepresented in the book. In the context of five previous Wiley titles and many related titles by other publishers, the main issue facing this reviewer is not whether the book is good (it is), but whether it represents a worthy addition to alternative books in print, especially in view of its hefty price (cloth price: $160 for 488 pages).