Researchers who generously contributed their original data sets as examples: James D. Thomson, Russ Schmitt and Sally Holbrook, Mike Dodd and Jonathan Silvertown, James Vonesh, and Jackie Wilson.

My Ph.D. and postdoctoral advisors, Bryan Grenfell and Steve Pacala, for introducing me to mathematical and statistical ecology.

My parents, Joan and Ethan Bolker, for thorough and thoughtful com- ments on the manuscript and for establishing the expectation that writing books is just what people do.

And last but not least Aidan and especially Tara for their love, pa- tience and support.