This stunning insight into the micro world of the minibeasts reveals the critical roles they play in our past, present and future survival. These true rulers of our world are complex, highly advanced creatures which are integral to our ecology. Simply put, without the invertebrates (insects) and other tiny critters, humans would not survive. While outlining the importance of the minibeast world, this book is also a visual feast of detail and colour, capturing form and behaviour that the naked eye isn't able to see when encountering these small creatures. The result is a book that captivates the reader while inspiring a new appreciation for these magnificent animals. Each chapter focuses on a specific aspect of minibeasts and includes introductory text, images and informative captions. Topics covered include the jobs minibeasts perform that enable species' to exist, and the ways in which they have evolved to suit their environments. From medical drugs to hi-tech robotics, minibeasts provide a wealth of material for humans to draw on to help solve our 21st-century problems. We borrow ideas from them in the fields of biotechnology, engineering and design, and they are essential to our continued evolution. Lavishly illustrated with breath-taking macro photography, the awe-inspiring lives and physiologies of minibeasts are presented in an engaging, fascinating take on life on earth.
I received a copy of Minibeasts through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Minibeasts is a fascinating study on the commonly overlooked (or feared) parts of our world. I’m talking of course, about insects, arachnids, and all the other little critters out there. The photographs alone make this book worth checking out. What makes it even better though has to be the intense amount of information provided. There are thirteen chapters in total in this book. It starts off with an introduction of course, but then it covers so much more beyond that. Some of the chapters are whimsically titled, and thus not immediately clear on their focus. Others are immediately obvious. Both are full of details, data, and photographs. I’ll be honest with you: Sometimes the pictures alone were enough to make my skin crawl. While I do not suffer from Entomophobia, I do have a healthy fear of millipedes (and an associated fear of centipedes). That made those parts a bit more difficult for me…but I’m glad I made the effort to read those parts anyway. And I have to begrudgingly admit that one of their photos was probably the most striking image in the entire book. So please take that for the praise it should be.
