Customer Reviews

Insects through the Seasons

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This was the first book I'd read devoted to insects, and I was so enthralled that I've gone on to read a good many others on the subject. Still, _Insects through the Seasons_ remains my favorite "bug" book. Waldbauer's prose is clear and yet has a lyricism that surprised me. He packs an incredible amount of interesting information into the book, yet I was never overwhelmed. Best of all, his enthusiasm is infectious.

Waldbauer, Gilbert. 1996. Insects Through the Seasons. Harvard University Press. Cambridge, MA. :pgs. 262 ISBN: 067445488

Consider for one moment, what is an insect? Is it the vampire mosquito that drills into our skin and drinks our blood or maybe the bright ladybird beetle that rests momentarily on our fingertip? A giant cockroach, waiting behind the toilet to ambush us, or the living, flying display of art that is the butterfly? Whether they are considered hideous beasts or objects of admiration, insects can't seem to escape this dichotomist view in society. However, neither one is an accurate or appropriate portrayal of insect life. Waldbauer in his book, Insects Through the Seasons, tries to change the misconstrued views of insects and introduce readers to a different side of insects, one that is rarely appreciated if not well understood.

Insects are the most successful animals with a history that spans 400 million years and a contribution of almost a million named species and perhaps 10 of millions more. But their success story is not necessarily their enormity and diversity, but rather how these insects have developed intricate and vital roles in almost every terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem, including that of human society. Waldbauer uses a bug's eye view, describing the diversity of mechanisms that insects employ to deal with the unrelenting stresses of survival that have ultimately allowed them to flourish. However, he also places these insects in the ecological context, by describing examples of how their vital role affect the success of other life, including plants, animals, and humans. By exploring different aspects of insect biology, Waldbauer tries to make the reader realize that while we may believe we can't live with them, we most certainly can't live without them.

Insects Through the Seasons begins like a novel, the setting of the scene with the start of spring, and the main protagonist introduced as a cecropia moth emerging from its cocoon. The story progresses through with the seasons, all the while introducing a large cast of various insect species. In each chapter, a different aspect of insect biology is explored, from locating a mate and parental care to defense against predators and parasites, and describes how different species use very different mechanisms to solve the same problems.

As an entomologist and a professor at the University of Illinois, Waldbauer writes a factual and informative book, but avoids technical terms, writing in a language that is appropriate for a wide range of ages and biological expertise. In cases where technical/scientific terms are inevitable, analogies are made to common examples that elucidate the meaning, such that diapause is referred to as a "resting state" and the six legs as "landing gear." Other animals are also drawn on to introduce particular physical and behavioral characteristics of insects, such as the all-too-familiar stink of a skunk to demonstrate the defense mechanism of an assassin bug. The experiment on women's unconscious attraction to a chair with male body odor while men are likely to avoid it is particularly enlightening on how male insects are sensitive to minute concentrations of female pheromone and how these chemicals can alter and drive behaviors.

An important issue addressed in this book, is the effect insects have on our lives. To some, insects may be just a source of annoyance and fear, but Waldbauer reveals that insects do play a prominent role in our society, providing both crucial and beneficial contributions. We learn about the necessity of dung beetles and the sweet accessory of honeybees. However, Waldbauer delves further into the role of insects in human society and discusses the ways that human activity have directly impacted the insect system and how those changes have in turned, affected us. With a hybridization experiment gone awry in the form of a potentially fatal Africanized bee or our source of silk now completely dependent on us for survival, we are forced to realize that there is an interdependent relationship between humans and insects, and that the actions of one can significantly alter the actions of the other.

The choice of examples in this book will appeal to and interest readers. As individual components, the examples are interesting, but Waldbauer is less effective in carrying that interest across the entire book. At times, the format is disorganized, with segments that feel disconnected and lack relevance to the context. Several of the chapters are introduced by a description of a typical day in each of the seasons; what flowers are in bloom and how they look against the landscape, the different animals present and their behaviors at any one moment. Although the purpose for this introduction is clear, to act as a segue for the following behaviors and mechanism that are utilized during that particular season, it feels more like a description of a landscape painting. It feels disconnected in comparison to the rest of the text as Waldbauer quickly dives into more detailed explanations of the insect behaviors. On some occasions, it is some of his examples that feel out of context. Demonstrating the insects' relationship to other organisms is one intent of the author and draws on other animals and plants to discuss certain topics. However, there are instances when the discussions of these species feel too involved and the original topic lost. In the chapter "Recognizing food," the coevolution of plants and insects and diet specialization are discussed. Then seven pages are spent discussing the different medicinal, deadly, and mind-altering properties of substances produced by plants. Once again, the information is worth the read, learning that Taxol, made from the bark of the Yew tree, is used to treat ovarian cancer, but the connection between human usage of plants and food recognition is lost.

With its fast and easy prose with analogies and examples that would be familiar and interesting to readers, Insects Through the Seasons targets an audience that is unfamiliar with entomology, but is nonetheless drawn to insects. I recommend this book only as an introduction to general insect biology, rather than for individuals who are more familiar with entomology and biological sciences or who have a more focused interest in a particular topic. As an introduction it is well written and engaging and Waldbauer provides, relevant readings for each chapter at the end of the book, allowing individuals an entry to more advanced literature.

I don't know how this guy managed to make insects boring, but he did. Also, his prose is not at all engaging.

At first blush, this might just sound like a book with stories about insects but its so much more than tyhat! The chapters weave into each other, starting in April with the cecropia moth emerging from the cocoon and ending in the last chapter with the cecropia again in hibernation for the winter. Thhroughout the chapeters, the seasons change and life changes with it. Honey bees emerge, insects reproduce, polliation happens, colonies grow, and then fall/winter return and hibernation/preparation for the next generation ensues. Its a really neat book. Also, there's a drawing at the bottom of each page of a moth in flight so if you flick the pages fast its like cartoon moth flying throyugh the air - really neat. The writing is conversational and enjoyable, other neat authors like E.O. Wilson are referenced, there are a few poems/quotes sprinkled in. I learned a lot while ready but was also bitten by the bug to learn even more. I'm fascinated by the change in seasons and all that happens in our natural world! Definitely recommend this book for anyone interested in reading through the seasons from an insects' perspective. Lots of different insects talked about throughout.

This is one of several books by Dr. Waldbauer I've read. I thoroughly enjoy his books. The book is divided into chapters that follow insect activities through a year. Each chapter covers a type of activity that is appropriate for the time of year, such as breeding, getting enough to eat, hiding out, keeping warm (these are my paraphrases, not actual chapter titles).
The book covers a variety of different species. It's extremely readable. Only disadvantages I can see are that it is not organized well for reference, and it may not offer as much depth as you want if you are particularly intrigued with one of the dozens of subjects he discusses. You'll have to go to other sources for an all-in-one-place focus on one species. On the other hand, the book makes no pretense of being a comprehensive reference work--It is a readable overview, and never pretends to be anything else. So if that's what you are looking for, this book will serve very well.

Recommended for anyone with a non-academic interest in the subject.

with honey bees through the dancing and buzzing of a robot bee."

Five stars for that sentence all by itself.