Why do conservationists need a field guide to economics on their shelves alongside the well-loved bird and plant guides?

Two reasons, really. First, the economic decisions people make every day are at the core of the world s conservation issues: climate change, Amazonian deforestation, tiger poaching, vulture declines in Asia, and countless others. Second, and more importantly, an understanding of the economic forces behind these decisions can help conservationists safeguard biodiversity in a more sophisticated and effective way.

The authors use simple illustrations, examples...