Heavy Oils: Reservoir Characterization and Production Monitoring, edited by Chopra, Lines, Schmitt, and Batzle, presents an integrated and general description of the development and production of heavy oil fields throughout the world, with particular emphasis on geophysical characterization of heavy oil fields. The book (SEG Geophysical Developments Series No. 13) introduces the important economic impact of heavy oil as a major world energy resource, with reserves being roughly equivalent to the world's conventional oil reserves. The origin of heavy oil sands, its phase behavior, and unique physical properties are described in the context of the world's major heavy oil fields. Particular attention is paid to the unique rock physics of heavy oil sands, which offers challenges to the conventional theories that describe fluid-saturated sandstones. Given the high viscosity and density of this oil, there are distinct challenges to production. This book edited by Chopra et al. describes a wide range of enhanced oil recovery methods (EOR) including steam injection, solvent injection, cold production, and combustion. In all these EOR methods, it is imperative to accurately describe the reservoir before and after production. As pointed out by the book, this reservoir characterization requires integration of engineering, geology, and geophysics, with rock physics supplying a key link. The book emphasizes geophysical methods, especially time-lapse 3D seismic methods, while providing numerous case histories from the 2007 SEG Development and Production Workshop at the University of Alberta. The heavy oil geology and production from major heavy oil reservoirs is compared and contrasted. Given the economic importance and need for detailed information about heavy oil production, this book should prove interesting to all reservoir engineers, geologists, and geophysicists in this field.