For Love of Insects

Thomas Eisner is J. G. Schurman Professor of Chemical Ecology at Cornell University and his life long fascination of the insect world has blessed us with an extraordinary, in-depth knowledge of bugs and their awesome capabilities, esp., in chemical defenses which have led to the discovery of many helpful medicines, etc.Eisner's many beautiful color photos and micro-photography turn this book into a coffee-table txt book on insect ecology and this is worth the price of admission on just that aspect alone.The famous sociobiologist/entomologist, friend and research collaborator of Eisner, E. O. Wilson, "Diversity of Life", et al., wrote the Foreword to this book and gives a good summation on the focus of this book: "The many behaviors he [Eisner] has discovered and explained, and their implementation by life around us, amazing in a variety and precision, are the worthy focus of this book." Well put.After the Foreword is a great quote about insects in general: "What makes things baffling is their degree of complexity, not their sheer size... a star is simpler than an insect." From: [Martin Rees, "Exploring Our Universe and Others," Scientific American, December 1999]In the Prologue, Eisner has given a great appraisal of the insect world in: "They have succeeded in one major respect where humans have failed. They are practitioners of sustainable development. Although they are the primary consumers of plants, they do not merely exploit plants. They also pollinate them, thereby providing a secure future, both for themselves and for their plant partners." Indeed, symbiosis, harmony......And, Eisner on his hopes for this fine book: "If this book contributes in any way toward bolstering the preservationist spirit, as I hope it might, it will have fulfilled it's purpose."It has certainly "edified" my preservationist spirit and will no doubt do the same for others!

Imagine beetles ejecting defensive sprays as hot as boiling water; female moths holding their mates for ransom; caterpillars disguising themselves as flowers by fastening petals to their bodies; termites emitting a viscous glue to rally fellow soldiers--and you will have entered an insect world once beyond imagining, a world observed and described down to its tiniest astonishing detail by Thomas Eisner. The story of a lifetime of such minute explorations, For Love of Insects celebrates the small creatures that have emerged triumphant on the planet, the beneficiaries of extraordinary evolutionary inventiveness and unparalleled reproductive capacity.To understand the success of insects is to appreciate our own shortcomings, Eisner tells us, but never has a reckoning been such a pleasure. Recounting exploits and discoveries in his lab at Cornell and in the field in Uruguay, Australia, Panama, Europe, and North America, Eisner time and again demonstrates how inquiry into the survival strategies of an insect leads to clarifications beyond the expected; insects are revealed as masters of achievement, forms of life worthy of study and respect from even the most recalcitrant entomophobe. Filled with descriptions of his ingenious experiments and illustrated with photographs unmatched for their combination of scientific content and delicate beauty, Eisner's book makes readers participants in the grand adventure of discovery on a scale infinitesimally small, and infinitely surprising.NOT ALL WORDS. PICTURES TOO !!!!!!!

Anyone paging through this charming book will be captivated by the stellar quality of the photos and by what they show: the essence of discovery. In my case, as a field biologist, they range from fascinating closeups of a group of animals about which I know least, to visual demonstrations of the truth of Eisner's lifelong findings. And what stays with you after reading his often humorous (always engaging and yet self-effacing) accounts of genuine discovery, are those very discoveries: the findings. I can recall, as a grad student in the 1960's, receiving "Science" from my mailbox, and hearing friends call out: "Eisner's got another one". We would then flip through the magazine to the richly illustrated article and devour it with our eyes and curiosity. His reports were thrilling - that anyone could take the mystery of nature and repeatedly send us monthly supplements of such an array of utterly-convincing revelations of evolution's torturous path! Now in color and vivid retrospect, Tom lets us revisit these discoveries, and adds the anecdotal credits of his many friends and collaborators to remind us that no worthy endeavor takes place without the open cooperation of ideas and efforts. Brilliant!

This is a very good book with tons of fascinating information about the defenses of insects. Well written and fun to read. A good book for the amateur or professional. At this price this book should be in every naturalist's library.As the father of chemical ecology, Eisner has brought together the fields of ecology, insect behavior, and chemistry. In this book he describes how he and his collaborators view the world of insects with the observant and questioning minds of naturalists and scientists and how they concocted experiments to uncover the purpose of smells, secretions, characteristics, and behaviors of bugs. His enthusiasm comes through in his writing and kept me hooked, reading eagerly to find out what the next discovery would be.Eisner has added a new dimension to my view of nature. My daily walks in the woods will never be the same as I now sniff each bug, watch each creature for signs of chemical defense, and consider how each predator has circumvented the defenses of their prey.

This book is a wonderful narrative about the discovery of the complexities of bug life. Besides the high quality photos and illustrations, what makes this book a true marvel is the down-to-earth narrative of how discoveries were made, how ideas were born and facts established. If you are intrigued by these little creatures that surround us, you can't miss this one. If you are not, you risk becoming an adept. All in all an endearing, rigorous description of the messy process of discovery.

Too much autobiographical info about Eisner

Thomas Eisner è stato uno dei più grandi entomologi del 20° secolo. In questa sua opera ci racconta la storia di come è arrivato a molte delle sue scoperte. A volte grazie a colpi i fortuna, a volte grazie ad attente analisi, a volte grazie a semplice intuito. Ma sempre grazie a una grande passione con un grande rispetto per la scienza e le sue regole. Per un appassionato di entomologia non esiste libro migliore. Vi appassionerete alla vita di quest'uomo ma soprattutto alle bizzarrie da lui scoperte nel mondo degli insetti. La divisione in capitoli del libro segue infatti gli insetti a seconda delle diverse bizzarrie che caratterizzano singole specie di questo mondo in miniatura. Imparerete moltissimo sia sugli insetti che sul modo di studiarli.

So good. Well written

book was wrecked up and separating from it's hard cover jacket. there was writing in it and it was yellowed. horrible condition. i don't know how it was advertised as "good condition". complete misrepresentation. luckily, i'm handy with repairs for books.