Book excerpt: 'Churchfield . . . has provided a comprehensive volume that synthesizes a wealth of information about shrew ecology and life history.'--Choice In this book, Sara Churchfield offers an encyclopedic coverage of shrews, describing in great detail their life cycle and breeding biology. Her comprehensive treatment of these ubiquitous animals examines their life history, social organization, communication and orientation, food and foraging, energetics, community structure and habitat, and relationship to humans.