This magnificent book covers the impact of (a) inherent symmetry in a class of ordinary differential equations (ODEs); (b) inherent structural symmetry in the underlying graph/network; and (c) their interaction on the overall stability and bifurcation of the resulting system of coupled ODEs. This magnum opus, the result of nearly five decades of collaboration between two eminent mathematicians across two continents, brings out the ubiquity of networks. Prior to the publication of this book, they have coauthored over eight books and countless papers on these topics, with numerous collaborators across the world, and this book represents a comprehensive summary of their decades of explorations in this area. It is very rich in theory and applications to many areas, especially in biology.

This voluminous 800-plus-page book consists of 30 chapters, organized into eight parts, with a short appendix. There is an extensive bibliography of over 900 references. The index occupies over 20 pages, each with two columns of entries, and provides a quick pathway to explore the text. The 17-page preface is also a most notable and unique feature: besides providing a detailed chapter-wise summary, it traces their interaction with details on the places and dates of discovery of the important ideas and results contained in this volume. There is also a very useful guide to the main theorems covered.

Dynamics and bifurcation in networks belongs in every library and is an invaluable reference. It provides extensive scope for developing a two-level system of graduate-level courses on topics that lie at the intersection of networks, ODEs, and bifurcation theory.