The Tarantula

The book tells a good deal of general information such as care, housing, substrate, feeding, handling, and conservation. However, it doesn't talk about breeding and has little information on spiderling care. There are descriptions of 20 species of tarantulas. While they do help you decide which tarantula to choose and its basic description, it lacks details on taking care of some specific species (i.e., temperature). It gives a nice background on the evolution of spiders and tarantula anatomy. I especially like the author's style of writing, which is casual and comfortable, never boring. The book has good notes on spider behavior and psychology. The pictures are nice, but nothing extraordinary. I like how the book gave recommended books and internet resources as well as breeders. The book is overall useful and a good guide for novices, however experienced hobbyists may find it lacking when they want to know the details of a certain species of tarantula. I recommend it for beginners, but experienced owners will probably know most of the information in the book and should find a book with more detail in it.