Biogeography.

Sunderland: Sinauer Associates, (2010 fourth edition).
Quarto, laminated boards, 878 pp. colour photographs, colour illustrations, maps.

Assuming little prior knowledge, this reference explains the relationships between geographic variation in biodiversity and the geological, ecological, and evolutionary processes that shape it. This edition builds on the strengths of previous ones, illustrating ideas with examples of plants and animals across aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.