A Spider's World: Senses and Behavior [Textbook Binding]

Friedrich G. Barth (Author), M.A. Biedermann-Thorson (Translator)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 3540420460 | ISBN-13: 978-3540420460 | Publication Date: December 12, 2001 | Edition: 1

Spiders are wonderful creatures. Their varied and complex range of behavior and highly developed sensory systems are excellently adapted to the environmental conditions - as is proven by their evolutionary success. Over 400 million years, spiders have developed their sensory organs to a fascinating technical perfection and complexity.
In his intriguing book, Professor Friedrich G. Barth puts this technical perfection into the context of "biology", in which the interaction between environment and sensory organs and the selectivity of the senses as a link between environment and behavior play a major role.

Editorial Reviews

Review

From the reviews:

"Thanks to Professor Friedrich G. Barth, his numerous co-workers and students we have astonishing details about the sensorial world and behaviour of these large neotropical spiders … . even a non-arachnologist will find the text easily understandable and instructive. … The book is richly illustrated with numerous line drawings, diagrams and photographs and also contains 16 magnificent colour plates. Professor Barth’s monograph is a very useful book for all students of arthropod sensory physiology and behaviour." (J. Žd’árek, European Journal of Entomology, Vol. 99, 2002)

"This excellent book, written with authority and charm, is a scientific odyssey into the sensory world of spiders. … The book is very well produced, with a well laid-out text supported by numerous figures and photographs … . One of this great book’s many attractions is the way that the text involves the reader … . This highly readable and informative book will provide a valuable reference for researchers, students and teachers … as well as an essential addition to any arachnological bookshelf." (Mike Gray, Lab News, December/January, 2002/2003)

From the Back Cover

Spiders are wonderful creatures. Their varied and complex range of behavior and highly developed sensory systems are excellently adapted to the environmental conditions - as is proven by their evolutionary success. Over 400 million years, spiders have developed their sensory organs to a fascinating technical perfection and complexity.
In his intriguing book, Professor Friedrich G. Barth puts this technical perfection into the context of "biology", in which the interaction between environment and sensory organs and the selectivity of the senses as a link between environment and behavior play a major role. Professor Friedrich G. Barth was born in Munich, Germany, in 1940. He studied biology and human physiology in Munich and Los Angeles. In 1967, he obtained his doctorate under H. Autrum, 1970 he received his Habilitation in zoology. In 1974, he was offered a chair at the University of Frankfurt/M. Since 1987, he has been professor at the University of Vienna, Austria. His main areas of research are neurobiology, sensory systems, and biomechanics. He is a member of several scientific academies and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Comparative Physiology A.

Product Details

• Textbook Binding: 408 pages
• Publisher: Springer; 1 edition (December 12, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 3540420460
• ISBN-13: 978-3540420460
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 7.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,875,663 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A unique and valuable book on spiders, January 27, 2008

By 

D. E. Hill "follower of the art of Natural Hi... (Centennial, CO United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Spider's World: Senses and Behavior (Textbook Binding)

If you are interested in the biology of spiders, this is a terrific book. It is written at a level that makes it a useful introduction to research in spider biology (particularly sensory physiology) for scientists, but it also has much to offer the younger student who is beginning to learn about spiders. Although the focus of this book is on research related to relatively large "ctenid" spiders, the applicability is much more general. If you have a new pet "tarantula" (Theraphosidae) and want to learn more about it, this is a better starting place than most popular books on "tarantulas." Thus it has a place in both research libraries and public libraries.

I wish the price were not so high, but if you have a strong interest in really learning about spiders, this book is well worth the price. This thoughtful and comprehensive book can absorb your interest for a long time, and it will get you into the technical literature for even more information. The quality of writing, illustration, and presentation is outstanding.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A spider's world., August 31, 2004

By 

Andrew (Quebec) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Spider's World: Senses and Behavior (Textbook Binding)

This is very well written. The content is somewhat technical, but with a few exceptions it could be followed by anyone who has had some scientific education. It is not a light weight read, effort and thought are required, but for readers who are interested in spider biology, or how animals perceive their environment it is a first class book, albeit expensive.