Saline and athalassic, what more do you want?

"Saline Lake Ecosystems of the World" is a very technical book, intended for advanced students of the natural sciences. I admit that I only skimmed it. However, I'm prepared to give it four stars. (I'm not being ironic this time.)

The book deals with athalassic (inland) saline lakes, which Hammer believes should be studied independently of other habitats. Apparently, it has been customary to compare the fauna of saline lakes with those of the sea or brackish waters, rather than study it in its own right. Large parts of this book deal with geology and meteorology, rather than biology. There is a section on "paleolimnology" and salt lake sediments. The biological sections cover plankton communities, the littoral community, the benthic community, vertebrates, utilization and management.

While this book is directed at a rather narrow research community, it does look comprehensive and informative on its own turf.