This is a memoir of one field biologist's 25 years of work in the tropics (mainly Ecuador, but also Costa Rica, Brazil, Argentina, and Chile). Marty Crump works with amphibians, particularly frogs, so there is definitely an under-current of the declining amphibian problem and conservation, as well as a lot of juicy natural history (and quite a few pictures, although mostly B&W). Those are really undertones, though, and people looking for a deep political message or clearly-organized science will be disappointed. This is a memoir, a diary, a collection of vignettes, a love note to field work, frogs, the tropics, and biology in general. This book resonated with me for a lot - I've been to some (although not many) of the sites she mentions, and seen many (although not most) of the species she talks about. While I marvel at how accurately she captures the feeling of the forests and field stations, I also marvel at how different things are now from when she first stepped foot in the tropics over 30 years ago, in both biological and social terms. I also really appreciated the talk of having and raising kids while in the field. It's not a subject that gets mentioned a lot, and it's certainly rare to hear someone admit to not only feeling guilty about leaving their kids to go to the field, but also feeling guilty about leaving their fieldwork to spend time with their kids. My enjoyment of this book is probably colored quite a bit by my similar interests and career path, but it's clearly and engagingly written, and does provide an accurate and interesting picture of tropical fieldwork for the layperson. ( )