Insects: A Guide to Familiar American Insects (Golden Guides) [Paperback]

Herbert Spencer Zim (Author), Clarence Cottam (Author), Herbert S. Zim (Author), Rudolf Freund (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Golden Guides | Publication Date: August 1987

Enjoy and Learn!
Expert Knowledge!
Easy-to-Read!

This handy guide to the most common, important and showy North American insects will help the novice begin a fascinating study. Includes:
A key to insect groups
Mature and immature forms
How insects grow and develop and what they eat
How to find and observe them

Full color pictures, nontechnical language, and up-to-date range maps make this a gem of a guide for beginners at any age.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Golden Guides first appeared in 1949 and quickly established themselves as authorities on subjects from Natural History to Science. Relaunched in 2000, Golden Guides from St. Martin's Press feature modern, new covers as part of a multi-year, million-dollar program to revise, update, and expand the complete line of guides for a new generation of students.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Golden Books Pub Co (Adult); Revised edition (August 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 030724055X
• ISBN-13: 978-0307240552
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 3.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,135,602 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #18 in Books > Science & Math > Nature & Ecology > Field Guides > Insects & Spiders

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A highly useful guide for the casual entomologist, December 25, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Insects: A Guide to Familiar American Insects (Golden Guides) (Paperback)

This title is actually one of the earliest in a very successful list of Golden Guides. It quickly brings the reader up to speed on the subject of insects in general and proceeds to lure him onward with fascinating information about each of the referenced insects in turn. When I arrived in New England, after an early childhood of city dwelling, my forays into woods and field, guidebook in hand, were some of the most educational times of my young life. I still have my original, ragged, copy of "American Insects" and treasure it.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Still a Great Introduction to Insects for Young People, March 30, 2006

By 

David B Richman (Mesilla Park, NM USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Insects: Revised and Updated (Golden Guide) (Paperback)

Almost the first book on insects that I ever acquired was a hardbound edition of this little guide in the early 1950s. Indeed, I wore out several copies before I graduated to Lutz's "Field Book of Insects" and later more up to date guides. While a bit behind in modern systematics, this guide still has enchanting pictures, mostly the same ones I poured over during my childhood. It was here I first caught the insect "bug" that eventually propelled me into a career in biological sciences. Zim's early "Golden Guide to Insects" was a magic carpet into the fantastic world of insects and I think that it must still be luring young people to at least appreciate the six-legged crowd. I know that the images in this book are still burned into my brain, especially that of the beautiful buckeye butterfly and the various horned scarab and carrion beetles.

I highly recommend this book for children as a first insect book, but I sort of wish they had kept the original yellow cover!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A tiny jewel !, May 28, 2005

By 

Jean-Pierre Malo (Kinnear's Mills, Québec, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Insects: A Guide to Familiar American Insects (Golden Guides) (Paperback)

This book is the best first step into the fascinating world of insects even after all those years. (My copy is from 1956). Written by experts but in a "familiarised" style that reach everyone. A lot of meaningful information presented in such a simple and lively way. You'll find it hard to stop reading once you'll get into it. Colorful illustrations are superbs. Many insects are illustrated beside their larva stage and typical environment wich is great. It is surprising how much amazement such a small book can generate. Recommended above any other to introduce children(from 4 to 100 years old and above!)to the world of insects. This book is a tiny jewel!