A beautiful and informative book about how animals, birds, insects build their ‘nests’ in incredibly innovative and unique ways to create an extended phenotype—-a set of behavioral characteristics that contribute to their natural and sexual selection processeses for evolutionary purposes.  Arndt is a gifted photographer both in the natural setting and in the studio, but he should have partnered with a similarly gifted writer.  The text is a bit stilted and dull, but still informative.  By using bower birds, weaver birds, red wood and weaver ants, termites, wasps, honeybees, caddis flies, bark beetles, snails (>100,000 species!!!!), bivalves, corals, harvest mice and beavers, Arndt demonstrates the amazing diversity and immense specialization that life has used to continue to evolve and adapt to a changing environment.  Protection, access to food, temperature control, air ‘conditioning’ are all drivers in this process.  A beautiful paeon to nature and its adaptability.