A fun and fact-filled A–Z treasury for the insect lover in all of us Insectpedia introduces you to the wonders of the insect world while inviting you to make discoveries of your own. Featuring dozens of entries on topics ranging from murder hornets and the “insect apocalypse” to pioneering entomologists such as Margaret James Strickland Collins and Douglas Tallamy, this beautifully illustrated, pocket-friendly encyclopedia dispels many common myths about insects while offering new perspectives on the vital relationships we share with these incredible creatures. This entertaining collection celebrates the long and storied history of entomology, highlights our dependence on insects for food and ecosystem services, and explains the meaning behind various entomological terms. With Eric Eaton as your guide, you will circle the globe in search of African Toktokkies and Australian beer bottle beetles, and witness the peculiar spectacle of cricket fighting in Asia. Profiles of influential figures in entomology provide insights into the curious minds that animate this extraordinarily broad field of scientific inquiry, while the book’s portable size makes it the perfect travel companion no matter where your own entomological adventures may lead you. With captivating illustrations by Amy Jean Porter, Insectpedia is an engaging blend of insect facts and folklore that will inspire anyone who delights in the marvels of nature. Features a real cloth cover with an elaborate foil-stamped design

A fun and fact-filled A–Z treasury for the insect lover in all of us Insectpedia introduces you to the wonders of the insect world while inviting you to make discoveries of your own. Featuring dozens of entries on topics ranging from murder hornets and the “insect apocalypse” to pioneering entomologists such as Margaret James Strickland Collins and Douglas Tallamy, this beautifully illustrated, pocket-friendly encyclopedia dispels many common myths about insects while offering new perspectives on the vital relationships we share with these incredible creatures. This entertaining collection celebrates the long and storied history of entomology, highlights our dependence on insects for food and ecosystem services, and explains the meaning behind various entomological terms. With Eric Eaton as your guide, you will circle the globe in search of African Toktokkies and Australian beer bottle beetles, and witness the peculiar spectacle of cricket fighting in Asia. Profiles of influential figures in entomology provide insights into the curious minds that animate this extraordinarily broad field of scientific inquiry, while the book’s portable size makes it the perfect travel companion no matter where your own entomological adventures may lead you. With captivating illustrations by Amy Jean Porter, Insectpedia is an engaging blend of insect facts and folklore that will inspire anyone who delights in the marvels of nature. Features a cloth cover with an elaborate foil-stamped design

A comprehensive guide to the insects of North America contains information--including life histories, behaviors, and habitats--on every major group of insects found north of Mexico.

A New York Times Notable Book A stunningly original exploration of the ties that bind us to the beautiful, ancient, astoundingly accomplished, largely unknown, and unfathomably different species with whom we share the world. For as long as humans have existed, insects have been our constant companions. Yet we hardly know them, not even the ones we’re closest to: those that eat our food, share our beds, and live in our homes. Organizing his book alphabetically, Hugh Raffles weaves together brief vignettes, meditations, and extended essays, taking the reader on a mesmerizing exploration of history and science, anthropology and travel, economics, philosophy, and popular culture. Insectopedia shows us how insects have triggered our obsessions, stirred our passions, and beguiled our imaginations.

A delightful illustrated treasury of botanical facts and fancy Florapedia is an eclectic A–Z compendium of botanical lore. With more than 100 enticing entries—on topics ranging from achlorophyllous plants that use a fungus as an intermediary to obtain nutrients from other plants to zygomorphic flowers that admit only the most select pollinators—this collection is a captivating journey into the realm of botany. Writing in her incomparably engaging style, Carol Gracie discusses remarkable plants from around the globe, botanical art and artists, early botanical explorers, ethnobotanical uses of plants, botanical classification and terminology, the role of plants in history, and more. She shares illuminating facts about van Gogh's sunflowers and reveals how a hallucinogenic weed left its enduring mark on the early history of the Jamestown colony. Gracie describes the travels of John and William Bartram—father and son botanists and explorers who roamed widely in early America in search of plants—and delves into the miniature ecosystems entangled in Spanish moss. The book's convenient size allows for it to be tucked into a pocket or bag, making it the perfect companion on your own travels. With charming drawings by Amy Jean Porter, Florapedia is the ideal gift book for the plant enthusiast in your life and a rare pleasure for anyone interested in botanical art, history, medicine, or exploration. Features a real cloth cover with an elaborate foil-stamped design

"A personal selection of circa 180 topics from dinosaur biology, including classification, fossil finds, biographies, and much more"--

A garden of geologic delights for all Earthlings Geopedia is a trove of geologic wonders and the evocative terms that humans have devised to describe them. Featuring dozens of entries—from Acasta gneiss to Zircon—this illustrated compendium is brimming with lapidary and lexical insights that will delight rockhounds and word lovers alike. Geoscientists are magpies for words, and with good reason. The sheer profusion of minerals, landforms, and geologic events produced by our creative planet demands an immense vocabulary to match. Marcia Bjornerud shows how this lexicon reflects not only the diversity of rocks and geologic processes but also the long history of human interactions with them. With wit and warmth, she invites all readers to celebrate the geologic glossary—a gallimaufry of allusions to mythology, imports from diverse languages, embarrassing anachronisms, and recent neologisms. This captivating book includes cross-references at the end of each entry, inviting you to leave the alphabetic trail and meander through it like a river. Its pocket-friendly size makes it the perfect travel companion no matter where your own geologic forays may lead you. With whimsical illustrations by Haley Hagerman, Geopedia is a mix of engaging and entertaining facts about how the earth works, how it has coevolved with life over billions of years, and how our understanding of the planet has deepened over time. Features a cloth cover with an elaborate foil-stamped design