Tiger Beetles of Alberta: Killers on the Clay, Stalkers on the Sand (Alberta Insects Series) (Paperback)

by John Acorn (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"What a book! Now we can really identify all the tiger beetles we find." -- Barb Beck

Review
"If you think you've permanently turned off your interest in bugs and beetles, Acorn's book might be the one to turn it back on." Susan Jones, St. Albert Gazette

"Once you read Acorn's book and look at his photos of these creatures, you might find yourself developing a liking for their jeweled beauty. You may begin to worry that somewhere, in your bug-hating past, you inadvertently stepped on a tiger beetle…. Something about this bug book creeps up on the reader. Read it to the end, or at least look at all the photos, and you'll find it impossible not to look at beetles in a new way." Susan Jones, St. Albert Gazette

"I suggest that every entomologist who has fond memories of entomology field trips to do things you just couldn’t explain to your grandmother will enjoy reading this book. And, for every author that wants to write for a broad public, keep an eye on this title. Clearly, I loved it as much as literature as for the entomological aspects." Michael A. Ivie, Department of Entomology, Montana State University, in American Entomologist (Full review at http://www.entsoc.org/pubs/book%20reviews/tiger_beetles_of_alberta.htm)

"I have read and reread (Acorn's) Tiger Beetles of Alberta, used it in my classes, and carried it with me in the field. It is well written and illustrated, and it packs an enormous amount of information....Tiger Beetles is the best field guide since the first Peterson's Field Guide to the Birds..." Dr. Gene Kritsky, Curator of Entomology, Cincinnati Museum Center

"Those familiar with John Acorn's PBS series will find his special brand of humor distributed throughout this book, and those not familiar with the series are in for a special treat. But this does not detract from a terrific treatment of the tiger beetle fauna of west-central Canada….This book will appeal to the novice, but will prove equally useful to anyone interested in North American tiger beetles, from undergraduates to research scientists. All levels." P.K. Lago, University of Mississippi, Choice

"This book is a work of art in the truest and nicest sense of the phrase." Dr. Felix Sperling

"What a book! Now we can really identify all the tiger beetles we find." Barb Beck

"I am a bug voyeur....So as I settled into Acorn's tiger beetles field guide, I felt only envy. Not only does he get to watch bugs for a living, he does it in some of my favourite places, like the Milk River Valley and the Drumheller badlands....I hope...that his plan to make this volume the first of a series on Alberta's insects comes to fruition." Joyce Hildebrand, Encompass Magazine

"Well known for his television series "Acorn: The Nature Nut", the author draws on his experience to give us a colorful and informative examination of tiger beetles, masterfully expelling scientific jargon along the way and replacing it with more user-friendly terminology.... Overall, "Tiger Beetles of Alberta" is an engaging, reasonably priced book aimed at non-professionals. Anyone, amateur or professional, with an interest in tiger beetles of Alberta or North America will find it useful, since many of Alberta's species also occur in other regions. If you are interested in a colorful introduction to tiger beetles, this book is a must." Stephen M. Spomer and William J. Allgeier, Great Plains Research

"John Acorn is among those rare individuals who has both unquestionable scientific credentials, and thus can write authoritatively and with scientific accuracy, and great insights into the human psyche, and thus can write engagingly for a wide and diverse audience. His consummate skill as a photographer and naturalist means these books are aesthetically as well as intellectually delightful. …he is an absolutely brilliant advocate for insects and he has the scientific and literary chops to create a highly popular and very durable series." May Berenbaum, Professor and Head, Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

"John Acorn’s books are innovative, accurate and scientific, and engaging…he has this wonderful style that both excites and interests the reader." David R. Maddison, Associate Professor, Department of Entomology, University of Arizona

"Tiger Beetles of Alberta is one of the greatest recent natural history titles: visually stunning, factually replete and reliable, altogether a user’s delight…John Acorn is unquestionably one of our finest nature communicators today: rigorous in his outlook, remarkably broad in his knowledge and interests, and of course witty, humane, and deeply considerate of both insects and those who watch, study, and enjoy them. He is a superb photographer and an excellent writer." Robert Michael Pyle, author, The National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Butterflies

"John has the rare knack of making the science of insects interesting and accessible to a wide array of people, from professional biologists, to school children. He has an uncanny ability to focus attention on those features of an organism that will engage a reader’s attention, and then induce the reader to wish to learn more about the organism." Michael Majerus, Reader in Evolution, University of Cambridge

"…opens the door to the fascinating world of tiger beetles…" New Trail Magazine

"…Acorn eschews the traditional jargon-filled approach to science writing so that language won't be a barrier to enjoyment or learning." Joyce Hildebrand, Encompass Magazine

"Let Acorn introduce you to the amazing world of the tiger beetle and you'll never look at bugs the same way again." David Beharry, Gateway

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: The University of Alberta Press (2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0888643454
• ISBN-13: 978-0888643452
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,907,464 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not at all biased...I promise!, June 2, 2001

By	Vanessa R. Block (Champaign, Illinois) - See all my reviews

If it wasn't for John, I may never have learned to take entomology both as seriously and as lightly as I take it now! This is the field guide you've been waiting for, combining great photos and drawings with distribution data and colourful anecdotes. Quite possibly the ultimate tiger beetle book! P.S., that's me with the tattoos!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tiger Beetles of Alberta, April 6, 2001

By	John J Cebula (Glen Ellyn, IL United States) - See all my reviews

John Acorn's "Tiger Beetles of Alberta" is a model of the kind of book that serves the needs of amateur naturalists and professional biologists wanting to identify the plants and animals they encounter. Since most of the literature is either arcane or (more often) unavailable, books like Acorn's fulfill a real need. The text will not only allow the reader to identify the beetle species, but it also provides information about the beetle's ecology, behavior, and related topics. Range maps also help the reader identify the species. The photographs and drawings are spectacular. Yet two "quirky" features distinguish this book: first, the haiku Acorn has composed for each species; second, the anecdotes he provides about tiger beetle people. The book is not only informative; it is entertaining. Additional features include a discussion of tiger beetle conservation. maintaining tiger beetles in captivity, observing tiger beetles, and a useful bibliography.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I Wish I Had This Book When I was Collecting Tiger Beetles!, March 22, 2004

By	David B Richman (Mesilla Park, NM USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

John Acorn's "Tiger Beetles of Alberta: Killers on the Clay, Stalkers on the Sand" is one of those rare books that incorporate accurate information and enthusiasm, plus fantastically beautiful illustrations. This is a book that ANY tiger beetler should own- even if they don't live in Alberta. Seventeen of the nineteen species that Acorn describes are also found in New Mexico and I suspect that this book will serve well for our north central tier of states. While collecting is mentioned, Acorn goes further- toward an appreciation of the living tiger beetle and its behavior.

John Acorn is in a class by himself. I was first introduced to his TV program "The Nature Nut" at a meeting of the American Arachnological Society in Tucson, Arizona. The episode "Scorpions: They're Real Cool" was the hit of our informal slide and film show. It made me search out and buy as many of his arthropod shows as I could find. Between his expertise and his dry humor he is one of the few people that I've encountered who can totally enthrall audiences from kindergarten to retirement. I later met him in person at a meeting in Rio Rico, Arizona, and found him to be as open and interesting to talk to as I thought he would be.

I could find only minor errors in his tiger beetle book (mostly nit-picking errors of omission in tiger beetle ranges for a few- like C. longilabris and C. pupurea in the New Mexico part of their ranges) and the amount of information he packs into this slim volume is astounding.

I recommend this book highly if you have any interest in tiger beetles, or just like beautiful things!