The Study of Plant Disease Epidemics. Laurence V. Madden, Gareth Hughes, and Frank van den Bosch. 2007. APS Press, St. Paul, MN. 432 pages. $89.00 Hardcover. ISBN 978-0-89054-354-2.
This book is essentially a second edition of Introduction to Plant Disease Epidemiology by the late C. Lee Campbell and Laurence V. Madden (1990, John Wiley and Sons, New York, 532 p.). Larry Madden has taken on two outstanding epidemiologists as co-authors for the latest book. The book follows an organizational pattern similar to the earlier one, but is extensively updated and expanded. Nearly half of the references cited were published subsequent to the earlier book and a significant number of topics have been added, e.g., a nice treatment of epidemic models originating in human epidemiology and their application to plant disease systems. The typeface, page layout, and 8.5 x 11-inch page size provide for a large amount of information per printed page.
The first three chapters cover an introduction to and history of plant disease epidemiology, disease measurement, and introduction to modeling. These are followed by three chapters on temporal analysis of epidemics and three chapters on spatial analysis of epidemics. The book then concludes with three chapters on sampling, decision-making, and yield–loss relationships. In addition to the section of main references cited at the end of the book, several key references are provided at the end of each chapter. The authors chose to focus on epidemiology sensu stricto and not to venture significantly into related areas such as specific disease management tactics or genetic analyses. This focus allowed for the significant depth of coverage and completeness that are hallmarks of this book, and represents a very wise decision in my opinion.
This book is largely organized around mathematical models. It also contains a wealth of information on modern statistical approaches to data analysis. Thus, the publication provides a comprehensive reference for those analyzing epidemiological data for plant diseases. Though focused on models, the chapters also contain much useful information on biological concepts and research approaches; it is not a book just about modeling for its own sake.
This book is remarkably thorough and well written. Essentially every published model used in the plant disease epidemiology literature (as well as some not previously published) appears to be included. The authors have made an effort to provide multiple mathematical forms of the models as well as to use mathematical notation that is clear, consistent, and logical. They cite approximately 800 references; there are over 1000 entries in the index, and numerous illustrations and tables are included in each chapter. The illustrations are most often graphs of empirical data (published or unpublished) or model outputs and do an excellent job of demonstrating major concepts and models addressed in the book. The introductory chapters and initial text of subsequent chapters set the stage well for the beginner. However, the chapters advance from topics of substantial basic value to those requiring much experience in the field. As someone who has analyzed epidemiological data for decades, I find this book to be an essential reference.
The Study of Plant Disease Epidemics should be in all biological libraries and on the shelf of any researcher who has occasion to analyze epidemiological data. It would serve as an excellent text for graduate courses in plant disease epidemiology, especially those organized around models. Though heavily oriented toward agricultural examples, the approaches and techniques covered also should be highly useful to those who study plant disease in natural ecosystems and to those who work with human and animal epidemiology. The book is very reasonably priced, and the amount of information provided per dollar make it a true bargain. The authors and APS Press are to be commended for the tremendous effort that must have been required to bring this outstanding book to fruition.