Non-Fiction Book Reviews

Book Review: The Curious World of Bugs

By Sandy Amazeen Sep 25, 2010, 20:14 GMT

If you\'ve ever wondered what that leggy, buzzing creature was in your bathroom (or backyard, bed, or pantry), perhaps you\'ve come across WhatsThatBug.com, where people around the world go to ask "What\'s that bug?" From mating African beetles to the tiniest of bedbugs, Daniel Marlos (The Bugman) has identified them all. The Curious World of Bugs is a miscellany of illuminating facts, curiosities, helpful hints, and remarkable science about ...more

If denizens of the insect world send you screaming “Yuck” and grabbing the nearest can of Raid then this engrossing book will serve to enlighten and though it might not change your mind, should provide a greater appreciation for bugs. Learn about suicidal potato bugs, the parasitic reproductive habits of cicada killers and tarantula hawks as well as the protein found in snow fleas that holds promising applications for organ transplant patients. Delight in discovering the many myths and their origins for the variety of common bugs like dragonflies.

Learn about the historical records that date beekeeping back fifteen thousand years ago and how bees continue to pollinate the world’s valuable fruit crops. While you are discovering the not so secret lives of these intriguing if sometimes repulsive insects, be sure to mix up a batch of Grandma’s Cough Syrup from the recipe included, it's good even if you don’t have a cough. Fun, fact filled and fascinating, this will appeal to readers from preteen to adult, with an interest in the world around them.