Bugs in the System: Insects and Their Impact on Human Affairs (Helix Books)

Rating:
Summary: I Didn't Know That
Review: So you've been asked to make a presentation on pest control to your local school,Elk Lodge , or Chamber of Commerce. You want to make a good knowledgeable presentation but where can you go to get good yet digestible information with a bit of humor? I recommend "Bugs In The System" from Perseus Publishing by May R. Berenbaum. This book time and time again has proved an invaluable resource for many projects. May Berenbaum is head of the Entomology Department at the University of Illinois so the scientific aspects are quite sound. What makes this book unique is the portrayal of various insects and their march through time along with us. Classification or "A Rose-chaffer by any other name...." is the first chapter which is then followed by sex , bugs and rock and roll. Each chapter is scientifically accurate but is written with the intelligent general populace in mind. The book is further enlivened with insect quotes , such as "More courtship lives in carrion flies than Romeo" William Shakespeare Romeo & Juliet and interesting as well as humorous photos. As the book progresses the chapters on Parasites and Hosts as well as History of Pest Control offer a real sense of purpose and perspective to our mission in the management of those insects which society has deemed pests. On insects such as mosquitoes a wonderful historical perspective is given on these vectors effect on history and disease. On the other hand we are reminded of the majesty and importance of insects throughout the book especially in the final chapters , Appreciating Insects and Equal Time. Upon concluding the book one truly gains some insight into the various systems that make up our environment as well as the evolution of knowledge in the field of Entomology and Pest Control. The book is excellently laid out in terms of progression from biology to human interaction to pest potential finally concluding with a sound and ecologically balanced view. Each chapter carries plenty of references and the appendix is an excellent key to insect orders. As a resource as well as a requirement I heartily recommend this book.

Rating:
Summary: Great Source of Insect Facts
Review: This book is the best source of insect trivia that I have ever seen! I have used it as a source for questions for the Entomological Society of America Linnaean Games for several years, while I served on one of the ESA branch Linnaean Games committees. It is simply great!

May Berenbaum has a very informal and humorous style that appeals to both the public and students. If, after reading her book, you still think insects are icky or uninteresting you are certainly made of stone. The number of little known facts in this book is simply huge. If you use just one book for reference on insects, Dr. Berenbaum's book would be a very good candidate. She treats everything from the invasion of the cotton boll weevil and the mysterious extinction of the Rocky Mountain locust to insects in movies and as human food.

If you do not like insects or are afraid of them, you really should read this book. It will go a long way toward desensitizing you and make you fascinated with insects instead.

I recommend this book highly to everybody from elementary school to retirement.

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic bug book w/ bit of humor
Review: This book was so good! It provided me with everything I wanted to know about the insect world. It also included some humor (i.e. Reproduction chaper intitled "Sex, Bugs, and Rock & Roll). I recommend this to everyone who wants to know about how precious insects are to our life.

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic bug book w/ bit of humor
Review: This book was so good! It provided me with everything I wanted to know about the insect world. It also included some humor (i.e. Reproduction chaper intitled "Sex, Bugs, and Rock & Roll). I recommend this to everyone who wants to know about how precious insects are to our life.