Fireflies, Honey, and Silk / Edition 1

by Gilbert Waldbauer, James Nardi

Overview

The ink our ancestors wrote with, the beeswax in altar candles, the honey on our toast, the silk we wear. This enchanting book is a highly entertaining exploration of the myriad ways insects have enriched our lives–culturally, economically, and aesthetically. Entomologist and writer Gilbert Waldbauer describes in loving, colorful detail how many of the valuable products insects have given us are made, how they were discovered, and how they have been used through time and across cultures. Along the way, he takes us on a captivating ramble through many far-flung corners of history, mythology, poetry, literature, medicine, ecology, forensics, and more. Enlivened with personal anecdotes from Waldbauer's distinguished career as an entomologist, the book also describes surprising everyday encounters we all experience that were made possible by insects. From butterfly gardens and fly-fishing to insects as jewelry and sex pheromones, this is an eye-opening ode to the wonder of insects that illuminates our extraordinary and essential relationship with the natural world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780520268074
Publisher:	University of California Press
Publication date:	10/06/2009
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	248
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 7.80(h) x 0.63(d)

About the Author

Gilbert Waldbauer is Emeritus Professor of Entomology at the University of Illinois. He is the author of many books on insects including Insights from Insects, What Bad Bugs Can Teach Us, The Handy Bug Answer Book, and A Walk Around the Pond: Insects in and over the Water.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations
Note
Introduction

I. Insects People Like
II. The Silk We Wear
III. Dyeing the Cloth
IV. Baubles, Bracelets, and Anklets
V. Candles, Shellac, and Sealing Wax
VI. Paper and Ink
VII. Butterflies in Your Tummy
VIII. Satisfying the Sweet Tooth
IX. Cures and Nostrums
X. Insect Pets and Performers

Epilogue. The Ecological Context
Selected References
Acknowledgments
Index

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"Abuzz with obscure lore about a host of bugs that are as accommodating to humans as bedbugs, fleas, and mosquitoes are annoying."—Natural History

"Accessible, easy prose ready-made for a broad, curious audience."—Publishers Weekly

"Reading this book is like sitting at the feet of a favourite uncle on a winter evening beside a crackling fire."—New Scientist

"An easy-to-read book that is interesting and entertaining."—Foreword

Editorial Reviews

An easy-to-read book that is interesting and entertaining.

Foreword

Abuzz with obscure lore about a host of bugs that are as accommodating to humans as bedbugs, fleas, and mosquitoes are annoying.

Natural History

Professional yet conversational, Waldbauer’s essays are an homage to a world that first fascinated him as a child.

Audubon Magazine

Reading this book is like sitting at the feet of a favourite uncle on a winter evening beside a crackling fire.

New Scientist

“Reading this book is like sitting at the feet of a favourite uncle on a winter evening beside a crackling fire.

New Scientist

“Abuzz with obscure lore about a host of bugs that are as accommodating to humans as bedbugs, fleas, and mosquitoes are annoying.

Natural History

"Abuzz with obscure lore about a host of bugs that are as accommodating to humans as bedbugs, fleas, and mosquitoes are annoying."--Natural History

"Accessible, easy prose ready-made for a broad, curious audience."--Publishers Weekly

"Reading this book is like sitting at the feet of a favourite uncle on a winter evening beside a crackling fire."--New Scientist

"An easy-to-read book that is interesting and entertaining."--Foreword

From the Publisher

Univ. of Illinois entomologist Waldbauer (A Walk around the Pond) explores the interactions between humans and insects, particularly human uses of insects, in accessible, easy prose ready-made for a broad, curious audience. From silk moth caterpillars, which have produced fine threads used in fabric for thousands of years, to the cochineal insects used to dye fabrics, to bees' honey and wax, insects have been cultivated by humans for a wide range of purposes-including internal use, " both rationally and superstitiously as cures and palliatives for almost any human ailment that you can think of." The strong mandibles of leaf-cutter ants, for instance, make them a functional substitute for sutures, and "maggot therapy" is used for biodebridement-the clearing away of dead tissue. Adventurous readers will be especially intrigued by Waldbauer's section on edible insects. With interesting anecdotes and plenty of trivia, this scientific overview should suit casual science fans.
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Publishers Weekly