Why are books written? Since I have read many works by my colleagues with admiration, this question has always intrigued me. Further, writing a book takes a good deal of time and effort, and I had imagined that I would never undertake such a demanding task. A few unexpected events and circumstances have changed my mind. The first was the pleasant experience of editing Environmental Toxicology of Pesticides with Drs. Mallory Boush and Tomomasa Misato...