I just purchased a copy of A Biologist's Guide to Mathematical Modeling in Ecology and Evolution by Sarah P. Otto and Troy Day. My main rationale for getting this book was that I wanted a reference with the kitchen sink included, and, I was curious about mathematical ecology. This text leans a bit more toward ecology than I would have preferred, but it has a lot of good stuff and I'd recommend it if you are curious about the stiff formal side of biology. I liked the fact that there was a section on probability as well as linear algebra; Otto & Day only assume algebra and calculus, so it is totally accessible to undergraduates. It really isn't that dense in terms math and prose, the type set means that the 700+ pages throws a bit less at you than you might assume. There are a load of illustrations too if pictures are your style. (I really appreciate the tables of formulas clustered appropriately by category and separated into discrete and continuous sections; nothing new, but nice to have it all on one platter so to speak)
