Bugs In The System: Insects And Their Impact On Human Affairs (Helix Books) - Hardcover

Berenbaum, May

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0201624990 ISBN 13: 9780201624991

Publisher: Addison-Wesley, 1995

Synopsis

Insects play such an integral role in the efficient functioning of nature that it is impossible to envision the world without them. Yet we attempt to keep as far away from most insects as possible and are vaguely embarrassed as well as sometimes discomforted when they come too close. Berenbaum, head of the Entomology Dept. at the U. of Illinois, writes with wit and humor about insects, noting the harmful aspects of our interactions with them as well as the obvious benefits we derive from such creatures as honeybees and silkworms, and including the hidden benefits, probably the most important of which is the pollination of plants. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.

About this title

From the Back Cover

The vast majority of people consider it a high priority to minimize the extent of their interaction with the insect world. Homes are sealed, sprayed, and kept meticulously clean so as to reduce the probability that they will be invaded by insects; similarly, bodies are bathed, hair is shampooed, and clothing regularly washed in order to eliminate any unwanted contact with six-legged life forms. In the overwhelmingly vast majority of daily conversations, insects are conspicuous in their absence; those rare conversations in which insects feature prominently are generally carried out in guarded tones, often with a touch of embarrassment.

About the Author

May Berenbaum is professor of entomology at the University of Illinois. She’s the author of 99 Gnats, Nits and Nibblers and More Maggots, Mites, and Munchers.

Edition details

• Publisher: Addison-Wesley
• Publication date: 1995
• ISBN 10: 0201624990
• ISBN 13: 9780201624991
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 377