6 options
Fireflies, honey, and silk / Gilbert Waldbauer ; with illustrations by James Nardi.
De Gruyter University of California Press Backlist eBook-Package 2000-2013 Available online
View online- Format:
- Book
- Author/Creator:
- Waldbauer, Gilbert.
- Language:
- English
- Subjects (All):
- Beneficial insects.
- Physical Description:
- 1 online resource (247 p.)
- Edition:
- 1st ed.
- Place of Publication:
- University of California Press 2009
- Language Note:
- English
- Summary:
- The ink our ancestors wrote with, the beeswax in altar candles, the honey on our toast, the silk we wear. This enchanting book is a highly entertaining exploration of the myriad ways insects have enriched our lives-culturally, economically, and aesthetically. Entomologist and writer Gilbert Waldbauer describes in loving, colorful detail how many of the valuable products insects have given us are made, how they were discovered, and how they have been used through time and across cultures. Along the way, he takes us on a captivating ramble through many far-flung corners of history, mythology, poetry, literature, medicine, ecology, forensics, and more. Enlivened with personal anecdotes from Waldbauer's distinguished career as an entomologist, the book also describes surprising everyday encounters we all experience that were made possible by insects. From butterfly gardens and fly-fishing to insects as jewelry and sex pheromones, this is an eye-opening ode to the wonder of insects that illuminates our extraordinary and essential relationship with the natural world.
- Contents:
- Insects people like
- The silk we wear
- Dyeing the cloth
- Baubles, bracelets, and anklets
- Candles, shellac, and sealing wax
- Paper and ink
- Butterflies in your tummy
- Satisfying the sweet tooth
- Cures and nostrums
- Insect pets and performers
- Epilogue : the ecological context.
- Notes:
- Description based upon print version of record.
- Includes bibliographical references and index.
- Description based on print version record and CIP data provided by publisher; resource not viewed.
- ISBN:
- 9786612772672
- 9781282772670
- 1282772678
- 9780520944954
- 052094495X
- OCLC:
- 646846853
The Penn Libraries is committed to describing library materials using current, accurate, and responsible language. If you discover outdated or inaccurate language, please fill out this feedback form to report it and suggest alternative language.