The maps have been moved in-line with the species accounts, which was the most notable improvement to the text. For the beginner, it will aid in their basic identification and an inexpensive way to build a working document of local distributions of species with sticky tabs etc. For the advanced reader, it serves as an invaluable synthesis our current understanding of species distributions (I finally have my head somewhat around Catonotus!). Through technology, they've been able to make the maps in multiple colors as well, which is much more "easy on the eyes".
There's not much of a change in the plates except additions among groups which have been described in the last 10 years - which of course, for the cost is again, invaluable. To have the plate of the spectabile complex, the ability to flip to the accounts and maps to demonstrate speciation across the whole of the complex's distribution is priceless - I will hopefully be able to get permission to make this a part of any lesson I teach on evolution.
My singular beef is that many of the "Similar Species" are allopatric (so what's the point?), but don't let me get you hung up on that... This book is awesome.
Let's put it this way.... The next time I am at a public aquarium or conservation-based book store and they have copies, I'm buying at least two more - so I have one for the car, one for the lab, and one for next to my bed.
Edited by farmertodd, 07 April 2011 - 02:36 PM.