If, like me, you have spent many a late night sitting by a pond or pool watching the comings and goings of these fascinating creatures, you probably want a little more information than that offered by general pondlife books. This book gives one exactly that. The style of writing is easy to read and it is not a difficult academic book, despite being written by a university herpetologist. The information given is excellent and the illustrations quite amusing. It does however only cover in detail the species native to the UK so may not be what you are after if you live elsewhere in Europe. That said, a great addition to any naturalist's library, and written by a man who has a genuine fascination by these lovely creatures.