This book provides a concise introduction to biological rhythms, sleep, and dreams. Evie Bentley heads the psychology department at Haywards Heath College in Sussex, near London, England. She chairs the British Association for the Teaching of Psychology.

This book aims to engage its target audience, British university students. "We live in a rhythmic world. Night follows day.... Pubs open and pubs close!" The British focus offers readers in other countries interesting nuggets of information and a good reminder that we see our world through the eyes of our own culture.

In a one time isolation study, the author reports, a subject was asked to play "Amazing Grace" on her bagpipes at what she felt were the same times twice each day. Not surprisingly, her timing was off. Our perception of time often is out of sync with our sleep/wake and body temperature cycles.

Elsewhere, we learn that a man who was to be knighted in medieval times was required to spend the night before the ceremony kneeling and awake, in vigil to demonstrate his merit. The notion that going without sleep demonstrates one's valor, alas, persists today.

It's unfortunate that the title and the text use the term "biorhythms," a term most scientists avoid. The term has been co-opted by proponents of a discredited theory that alleges good days and bad days can be predicted solely on the basis of a person's date of birth.

The book's contents, however, are drawn from recent scientific literature. Beyond the basic mechanisms, the author reviews theories on why we sleep and dream. She also describes disorders of biological clocks, including seasonal depressions, also known as Seasonal Affective Disorder, and disorders associated with the menstrual cycle, jet travel, and shift work. The book contains numerous illustrations and charts to help readers understand such matters as brain activity in sleep, annual migration of swallows, how light traveling from the eyes resets the biological clock each day, and the impact of sleep deprivation.

Both students and teachers may find the book's last chapter useful: it aims to help students sharpen their essay writing skills by presenting sample test questions, student essays, and teacher evaluations. Students often provide a prepared "sleep answer," the author notes, no matter what the question is. The suggestions here may help the wise avoid that pitfall.

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