This internationally authored book is concerned with the principles of plant nutrition from a historical perspective to the current day and provides an excellent source of references to knowledge of the nutrient element requirements of major crop plants. The book has one chapter for each element and these are grouped together into sections: i) the macronutrients N, P, K, Ca, Mg and S; ii) the micronutrients B, Cl, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni and Zn; and iii) the so-called beneficial elements Al, Co, Se, Si, Na and V, i.e. those elements which may stimulate growth or are required only by certain plants. Each chapter has its own style, tailored to the element in question, but the nutrient element chapters generally follow the pattern of a historical perspective, descriptions of metabolism and function, diagnostic testing of plants and soil, and fertilizer composition and use. Because of the controversy surrounding the classification of elements as ‘beneficial’ the section on these elements makes interesting reading and widens the appeal of the book. Described on its rear cover as having ‘great value to growers, agricultural consultants, agronomists and plant scientists’ the book has more relevance to theory than to practice and as noted in the preface will also be useful to soil scientists. The visible effects of nutrient stress on plant are illustrated by monochrome photographs, some of which fail to impress. However, a CD-ROM, with full colour photographs and pdf files of each printed chapter, is included with the book.