There is a small tear at the tail of the front cover; the covers ar rubbed and there is a short dedication on the front end paper; the spine, cracked on page 189, has been reinforced with caft glue. Overall a very good second hand copy: the binding is good and there are no internal markings . From the preface: "This book arose as a result of a series of lectures offered to postgraduate scientists sponsored by Unesco Microbiology Network in South East Asia....."