Crickets and Katydids, Concerts and Solos (Hardcover)

by Vincent G. Dethier (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
Known for his ability to present complex scientific information clearly and entertainingly, Dethier introduces crickets, katydids, and grasshoppers (locusts), whose sounds, though familiar, are largely ignored by all but specialists. He writes of his experiences in the late 1930s, when as a graduate student he served as field assistant to the late George W. Pierce, famous for his work on insect sound production and detection. Dethier takes us on an informative and entertaining summer's tour of insects in the Franklin, New Hampshire area and acquaints us with their habits and songs. Not intended as an exhaustive treatment or field guide, his book does list important references of the past century and gives keys to species and their songs. Rorer's charming black-and-white drawings adorn the text. Admirers of Dethier's previous works, e.g., To Know a Fly (1962), will welcome his latest effort.
- Annette Aiello, Smithsonian Tropical Research Inst., Panama
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
Richly written, elegantly organized, and beautifully illustrated with Abigail Rorer's graceful line drawings, this charming reminiscence succeeds on every level. It illuminates the habits of New England's 40 or so orthopteran insects and teaches us to appreciate their adaptations and variation. It reminds us to attend to the world around us; to listen to its jubilant songs, breathe in the 'winey evanescence' of fallen apples and savor the caress of cool air flowing from the fringes of a shady hardwood forest. It recalls the pleasures of being young, of finding new facts and seeing new patterns in the mosaic of nature, and captures the ineffable sensations of a fine New England summer.
--John R. Alden (Smithsonian Magazine )

This book is the product of Vincent Dethier's experiences studying the natural history and singing behavior of crickets and katydids. The book chronicles the emergence of orthopteran species over the summer season and their contributions to the chorus in fields and woods. The details of these insects' lives are fascinating, but I was even more impressed with the true theme of the book: the making of a scientist...This is a beautifully written natural history book.
--Elizabeth Braker (Ecology )

[This book] can be enjoyed by anyone with even a passing interest in crickets and their repertoires. Dethier's writing is beautiful, almost poetic.
--Jonathan Beard (New Scientist )

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Harvard University Press (October 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0674175778
• ISBN-13: 978-0674175778
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #671,335 in Books (See Bestsellers 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 wonderful book that exposes the wonders of the small., July 3, 1999

By	[e-mail] "exmirror" (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

A fantastic book very much along the lines of Sigurd Olson's brilliant nature prose and yet not far from Aldo Leopold's writings. A must if you like or have any interest in sound or insects. You'll never listen to the world outside the same way again!!

4.0 out of 5 stars Information with an interesting story, February 19, 2009

By	Ellen E. Jackson "E. Jackson" ((Boston, MA)) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Crickets and Katydids, Concerts and Solos chronicles the succession of various "singing" insects through a summer in New England. The book focuses on a young man working for a summer under a professor. Their work is to record the songs of all species of crickets, grasshoppers and katydids present in the habitat surrounding them, and to analyze their music using scientific equipment. The book is very descriptive of scenery encountered wandering through meadows, forests, and the occasional graveyard. The summer starts with a single chirp from a field cricket and crescendos throughout the summer months with the coming of the different types of crickets, the locusts and grasshoppers. The laboratory group takes field trips to Cape Cod in Massachusetts and Mt. Washington in New Hampshire. The young man's ears are always pricked to a foreign tune or pitch new to him, the new sounds usually catch him at the wrong moment, making capture and study difficult, but interesting, some times. Crickets and Katydids, Concerts and Solos is a read that even those with only an interest in etymology can pick up and enjoy.
I found this book to be an easy and enjoyable read, I especially enjoyed that it did not assume that I already knew a lot about crickets, katydids and grasshoppers or really much of anything about etymology. Even though the book was on a basic level I felt that I came away from it with a new knowledge of these loud insects and their diversity. I can appreciate how their sounds are made and differences in their sounds more now than prior to reading the book. The books appendixes were also very good, like a miniature field guide of what was talked about in less detail in the book. I thought this was a nice addition for those who wanted to use the book for more than just an interesting read or to just learn in more depth the insects being discussed through the literature.
It seems that Vincent Dethier's purpose in writing the book was to increase general knowledge and appreciation for the vast "unseen but heard" number of insects living in our backyards, such as the elusive Tree Crickets or the True Northern Katydid. He wanted to show people that these insects are not just pests, but creatures so amazing and so perfectly suited for their various habitats and time of emergence. I think that there is, of course, some bias on Dethier's part as there will always be people, no matter how much they know about insects, that will never come to see them as anything other than pests that they have to shoo out of their houses and cars.
Crickets and Katydids had its boring moments; when you grew tired of hearing the recounting of the terrain in great detail. More often than not the book was quite interesting and did well at holding my attention; the great descriptions were interwoven with the joy of finding the new insect they had not recorded, or various awkward moments relatable to any etymologist, "bug catcher" type. The book ended very nicely with a last tid-bit from a cricket lingering in the encroaching winter. It felt satisfying to be completed, all questions answered and everything pulling together perfectly in the end.
Crickets and Katydids, Concerts and Solos is a book that I would recommend to anyone looking to gain a little more knowledge on the behaviors, habitats, and songs of these insects. The reader, thankfully, does not need an extensive, or even a scientific, background to enjoy this book. The way Vincent G. Dethier weaves together facts and observances with a pleasant story of his adventures one summer makes it an enjoyable book to read. Let Crickets and Katydids, Concerts and Solos take you through a summer in New England marked not in days or months, but in the emergence of new species of singing insects.

Review By: E. Jackson, University of Massachusetts: Boston