Though he focuses on bacteria that cause diseases in plants, Janse (bacteriology, Plant Protection Service, the Netherlands) begins with an outline of the history and science of bacteriology as a whole and the difficulty of characterizing, identifying, and naming bacteria. Then he looks at how bacteria cause disease and how plants react, the epidemiology of bacterial plant diseases, their economic impact, and strategies for controlling and reducing crop losses. He concludes with a guide to 50 plant pathogenic bacteria and the diseases they cause. Nearly every page contains color graphics. Distributed in the US by Oxford University Press. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)