Weedy rices (including red rices) constitute a diverse group of plants of the genus Oryza that infest and compete with crops, causing yield reduction and product depreciation. This publication, containing nine chapters with ample illustrative photos, tables and figures, clearly describes the essence of the problem. Chapters on population diversity and traits rendering weedy rices so problematic in rice ecosystems (e.g. seed shattering and dormancy, vigorous and competitive growth and resemblance to the crop) are followed by discussions on management options and case studies on successful national control programmes. Despite the complexity of the subject in terms of biology, ecology, genetic variability and the diversity of farming systems affected, the authors have produced a comprehensible and useful review. This compilation is particularly interesting as it builds on a wide array of sources, including some hardly accessible historic (as early as 1846) and unpublished documents. Conversely, a number of relevant peer-reviewed journal articles on partly unsolved (dormancy and germination) and controversial (gene flow from herbicide-resistant varieties to weedy rices) topics were not discussed. The compilation also missed some discussion on the potential of competitive rice varieties as a control option, the use of weedy or wild rice genotypes in breeding programmes, and the role that weedy, red or wild rices play in ceremonies and food security in many traditional societies of subsistence farmers. Notwithstanding these minor shortcomings, I recommend this book to professionals and students working on rice, as it provides a clear understanding of the problem and ways to manage it.