This book was initiated in 1989 and went into incubation for 11 long years. Over all, the book is good but has its share of imperfections. It successfully highlights the important relationship of birds and plants, but has many flaws. These, I hope will be removed in the next edition. I know Tara Gandhi very well so I can take the liberty, as a friend and well-wisher, to be critical. But first I would like to highlight the good points: Tara is well read, meticulous and a very fine naturalist, which is adequately reflected in her work. She has traveled far and wide, in India and abroad. Tara has been fortunate enough, to be in close proximity with nature and her observations of birds ratifies this. I had the opportunity of visiting Andaman islands with her and I learnt from her vast knowledge of forests and birds of these famous tropical islands. Her dissertation, under Salim Ali, was on