The immediate reaction to this book, yet another physiological treatise on drought, was a sinking feeling. On the positive side, and there is a lot, there are two opening scene/issue setting chapters: one biological, one economic by authors of unquestionable authority. Also of merit are the individual chapters on barley, maize, rice, sorghum and wheat improvement. Drought physiology is over-emphasised, repetitive, contradictory and a failing. While there is a need to discuss physiological traits, it is not necessary in every chapter; the relevance of gene expression in Arabidopsis (a diploid species with no endosperm, the main target for yield in cereals) is questionable and ‘What can we learn from resurrection plants?’ – not a lot, at best an academic chapter with relevance to cereal production suffering its own drought. However, among the dross are some jewels, e.g. wheat breeding for drought using a physiological screen. The book arrives in an era when genomics and physiology are primed for joint analysis. The integration of these disciplines is weak, e.g. physiological ventures into QTL analysis (a very imprecise form of genetics) and geneticists venturing into comparative and functional genomic with little field relevance. Instead of embracing each other, the sparks of friction highlight the persisting gulf. Physiologists and geneticists need to be dragged into the field with breeders and agronomists to work collectively on relevant germplasm; ironically, this was a rallying call of the Prologue. In conclusion, selective reading is advised.