Choice Review

The backgrounds and scholarly profiles of the 17 contributors and the editor of this collection encompass disciplines as diverse as political science and zoology, with many stops between including digital services design, ecology, human/animal geography, and tourism management. Bertella's introduction states the central thesis of the volume as follows: "The point of departure for this book is that it might be time to rethink wildlife tourism and adopt a new approach in order to respond to the numerous challenges that the sector faces" (p. 1). The 11 essays are organized into three parts: part 1 ("Paths towards the Futures of Wildlife Tourism") raises central questions of ethics and sustainability, for example in a scenario involving visitor encounters with rabbits in a Japanese ecotourist venue. Part 2 ("Human-Animal Encounters") continues to problematize issues of sustainability with essays on "selfie safaris," deceptive practices found in zoos and other captive animal venues, and tours providing "encounters with orcas." Part 3 ("Technology Advancements") moves to more theory-driven discussions, questioning, e.g., distinctions between "wild" and "domesticated" and focusing on animal agency in a sled-dog safari scenario. The editor's conclusion reflects on the themes and possibilities suggested by the collection as a whole. Separate bibliographies, one for each chapter, support the individual discussions. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates. Graduate students, faculty, and professionals. General readers. --Brian Stuart Osborne, emeritus, Queen's University at Kingston