Review of the hardback: 'Algae, whether freshwater, terrestrial (soil or aerial) or marine, macro- or micro-, generally get short shrift in ecology books, even if these are liminological or oceanic slant. This volume, therefore, makes an important contribution to the field of ecology. It is an exceptionally well-documented and well-written book, the first to comprehensively combine algae from all habitats … For those who teach general courses in phycology, this book is strongly recommended as a first-rate reference; for others interested in algae and especially those who study intertidial marine ecology or lake, pond, stream or estuarine ecology, this is one of those books that you probably should not do without.' Quarterly Review of Biology