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Title: An Inordinate Fondness for Beetles by Arthur V. Evans, Charles L. Bellamy, Lisa Charles Watson ISBN: 0-520-22323-3 Publisher: University of California Press Pub. Date: 10 February, 2000 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.8 (5 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Gorgeous and well-written--recommended
Comment: The photographs by Lisa Watson are the first thing to catch your eye about this beautifully produced book. The majority are of museum specimens, which oddly is what makes the pictures so attractive: we're used to seeing high quality pictures of wildlife, but the displays here juxtapose many different beetles and have more impact than wildlife shots would.
The pictures are beautiful but the text is high-quality too. The authors start by reciting some statistics on the number of beetle species. Linnaeus, two hundred and fifty years ago, described 654 species; and Fabricius added another 4,112 species between 1775 and 1801. By 1876 Gemminger and von Harold's catalog contained nearly 77,000 species; and when Junk and Schenkling's catalogue was completed, in 1940, it listed nearly 221,500 species. It's now estimated that there are 350,000 described beetle species. However, recent work by Terry Erwin, extrapolating from detailed studies of a small area, suggests that there are more than eight *million* species of beetle just in the tropics!
The rest of the book is a fairly detailed survey of beetles in all their aspects. The authors are enthusiasts as well as experts, and it shows in their writing, which is crisp, clear and engaging. They cover beetle anatomy, fossilized beetles, habitats and niches, the beetle life cycle, and mimicry. There is also substantial coverage of beetles and humans: naming, appearance in mythology, use as jewels (really!), a discussion of pest control, and use in education. The book has more scientific depth than is usual for a coffee table book, without sacrificing interest value.
There is a website that appears to be maintained by one of the authors (Evans) that contains some material from the book; I recommend you take a look if you are hesitating about buying this. I found it by searching for the book title using a standard search engine; when I looked it was on the Lorquin Entomological Society's website, but it may have moved.
Recommended.
Rating: 5
Summary: Jaw-dropping beauty
Comment: This is one of the most gorgeous books I own. I look at these pictures, and I think that human beings could not dream up jewelry that touches the beauty of these creatures. It is utterly unbelievable! Every time I page through this book my jaw is open in disbelief. They are so breathtaking they almost bring tears to my eyes. Okay. Confession time. They HAVE brought tears to my eyes.
Rating: 5
Summary: This book is stunning!
Comment: Not only does this book have absolutely gorgeous photographs of many species of beatles, the factual content of the book is also very good. Not dumbed down, yet not inaccesible by the general public. Overall Excellent!
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Title: Living Jewels: The Natural Design of Beetles by Poul Beckmann, Ruth Kaspin ISBN: 3791325280 Publisher: Prestel USA Pub. Date: October, 2001 List Price(USD): $39.95 |
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Title: Beetles : A Field Guide to the Beetles of North America by Richard E. White, Roger Tory Peterson, Peterson ISBN: 0395910897 Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Co Pub. Date: 15 April, 1998 List Price(USD): $20.00 |
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Title: The Anatomy of Insects & Spiders: Over 600 Exquisite Forms by Claire Beverley, David Ponsonby ISBN: 0811839834 Publisher: Chronicle Books Pub. Date: April, 2003 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
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Title: Encyclopedia of Insects by Ring Carde, Vincent H. Resh ISBN: 0125869908 Publisher: Academic Press Pub. Date: 21 February, 2003 List Price(USD): $99.95 |
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Title: Journey to the Ants: A Story of Scientific Exploration by Bert Holldobler, Edward Osborne Wilson ISBN: 0674485262 Publisher: Belknap Pr Pub. Date: September, 1995 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
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