Forest of dreams: a foreword by E.O. Wilson -- Flower for a day -- Roots of diversity: the origins of tropical variety -- Guanacaste: forest reborn -- Frogs: life history strategies in rainforest amphibians -- Rarity: why rare species are common in the tropics -- The essence of snake: the foraging tactics of serpents -- Monteverde: higher & drier -- Fruits of reason: interpreting the meaning of tropical fruit -- Tails of glory: the ecology of prehensile tails -- Salts of the Earth: nutrient cycles in tropical forests -- Hermits & heliconias: the microcosm of plant & animal coevolution -- Termites & tamanduas: The role of wood eating in tropical ecology -- The hidden: the adaptive coloration of prey & predators -- Osa: where wilderness remains -- The virtues of sloth: adaptation to life in the canopy -- Beetlejuice: chemical defense by insects & other arthropods -- El tigre: why jaguars are the ultimate predator -- Beyond the gun: a journey into the virgin Amazonia.