The Giraffe: Biology, Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour by Bryan Shorrocks 
My rating: 4 of 5 stars (5/5 on Amazon as the reviewing rating differs slightly).
Customer review from the Amazon Vine Programme
I am reviewing the book, The Giraffe: Biology, Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour by Bryan Shorrocks. Giraffes are such unusual looking, yet elegant and placid animals. I have always admired them, which is why I was delighted to review this book. Here are my thoughts:
^^ The Giraffe: Biology, Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour, is very much an informative text book with black and white photos, about, yes, you’ve guessed it – giraffes. Giraffes have been with us for a very long time, since prehistory, recorded on cave walls as rock art, yet little is really known about them.
^^ Covering fossil history, taxonomy, genetics, physiology, biomechanics, behavior, ecology, and conservation, this book provides an in depth study of facts and data.
^^ The cover has a certain style to it, that is very sensible and schoolbook looking. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, you just know from the design that it’s a text book, as opposed to a book of pictures for the coffee table.
^^ As you can tell by my description this book is suitable for senior undergraduate and graduate students and researchers in zoology, wildlife management, population genetics, behavioural ecology and conservation, as well as amateur naturalists and conservationists.
^^ I found it fascinating to read (and learn) about the genetic analysis of the subspecies of modern giraffes. Like zebras, giraffes also have individual patterns, but these are extremely hard to decode. A chapter in this book explains what to look for, and how photo-identification software can be of help.
^^ I particularly liked the chapter on conservation status and wildlife reserves, which look at the main dangers to giraffe survival as a species, in the wild. An interesting eye-opener!
Overall: Now, I’m going to stick my neck out and admit I’m more of an amateur naturalist myself and this book is very “full on” text wise. However, The Giraffe: Biology, Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour would make the perfect gift for anyone studying these beautiful animals, or giraffe enthusiasts wanting in depth research and data analysis.
Bryan Shorrocks bio:
University of York honorary professor.
https://www.york.ac.uk/environment/our-staff/bryan-shorrocks/
Ohhh a Non Fiction! I love giraffes! Thanks for linking this up to the British Books Challenge x
Thanks! I’ve got more to add… I must do it today! Does Paula Hawkins count?