The Insect Epiphany: How Our Six-Legged Allies Shape Human Culture

by Barrett Klein

From one of America's leading entomologists comes a buzz-worthy exploration of the many ways insects have affected human society, history, and culture

Insects surround us. They fuel life on earth through their natural biological functions as pollinators, predators, and prey, but they also play an often overlooked role in our culture. Their anatomy and habitats have informed how we live, how we build, how we create art, and how we take flight. In Insect Epiphany, author Barrett Klein shares his expert insights into the outsize influence that insects have had on civilization. Our world would look very different without insects, not just because they are part of the food chain, but because they have inspired so many aspects of our cultural output.

• ISBN10: 1643261363
• ISBN13: 9781643261362
• Publish Date: 5 December 2024
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Timber Press
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 368
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

The Insect Epiphany is a well written, accurate, and fascinating look at insects and how they have interacted with and shaped human existence written by entomologist Dr. Barrett Klein. Released 15th Oct 2024 by Hachette on their Timber Press imprint, it's 368 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats.

This is a very well grounded, layman accessible monograph on insects and how they interact with and shape us from prehistory, down to the modern day. Dr. Klein manages to interpret and present often quite complex concepts in digestible & accessible bites which the average reader will have no trouble understanding. 

The material, although wide-ranging in scope, is presented in a logical order: symbiosis (products and materials - silk, honey, wax, lacquer, etc), genesis (copying design/utilizing/engineering), and metamorphosis (copying fighting, mating, dancing, dress, etc).

The book is beautifully illustrated throughout, with paintings, illustrations, photographs, and facsimiles from historical archives, literature, and the arts. The author/publisher have also included useful appendices for readers' use including comprehensive chapter citations which are likely worth the price of the book by themselves. 

It's not written in rigidly academic prose, but it is fully annotated throughout. Many (but not all) of the sources he uses in the book -are- academically demanding and will require some extra effort on the part of readers.

Five stars. This would be an excellent choice for public library acquisition, home use, and gift giving, for fans of popular science and nonfiction.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.