Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia, Volume 3: Insects

Gale proudly presents the first completely revised and updated version of this acclaimed set in 30 years. Some reviewers call Grzimeks Animal Life Encyclopedia the best reference work on animals ever published. Others call it the legacy left to us by famed zoologist and animal lover, Bernhard Grzimek. The accolades and praise go on for the newest addition to Gales line of reference titles. The original 13-vol. set, published in Germany in the late 1960s, is internationally renowned for its scientific reporting, coverage and illustrations, and serves as a major point of reference for researchers and students studying the animal kingdom. Thorough articles familiarize readers with animals found everywhere on the globe, detailing their life cycles, predators, food systems, overall ecology and much more. Staying true to the original scientific pedigree, Gale enlisted prominent advisors and contributors from the international scientific community to incorporate recent developments in the animal world. Our new editions of Grzimeks Animal Life Encyclopedia are sure to serve the needs of students at every academic level.

H. C. Bernhard Grzimek hoped his original encyclopedia would "disseminate knowledge of the animals and love for them." This is also a goal of the revised edition; it does not disappoint. All volumes follow a similar organization. Introductory chapters, written in a narrative style, are usually followed by taxonomic chapters and species accounts, which follow a prescribed format. There are no page references from the main account of the species to the illustrations; the index at the end of each volume must be consulted. Color photographs, illustrations, and distribution maps supplement the text. Additional resources include references to books, periodical articles, organizations, and Web sites.

Volume 1, Lower Metazoans and Lesser Deuterostomes (e.g., sea anemones, sponges, jellyfish, flukes, tapeworms, nematodes), and volume 2, Protostomes (e.g., mollusks, gastropods, annelids), represent animals often not well known to nonspecialists. The authors do an excellent job of presenting current research and scientific facts in combination with interesting sidelights. Volume 3, Insects, is written in an engaging style and provides a good overview of more than 1.5 million known species. Volumes 12-16, Mammals, are a rich source of information on this popular group, from platypuses to moles to bats to wildebeests to whales to humans. The illustrations are of mixed appeal; some look like strained imitations of reality, while others seem as if the animals could walk off the page. A less current revision is McGraw-Hill's 1990 Grzimek's Encyclopedia of Mammals, distinguished by exceptional large-format action photographs.

Authoritative writing in a style accessible to the general reader, comprehensive coverage, a taxonomic arrangement to facilitate comparison between species, consistent organization, ample color illustrations and photographs, incorporation of current research, and the inclusion of conservation status and the significance of the animal to humans make Grzimek's an excellent choice for academic, large public, and special libraries. RBB
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