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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 The 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.
Barrett Klein studied entomology at Cornell University and the University of Arizona and received a PhD at the University of Texas at Austin. He has fabricated natural history exhibits at the American Museum of Natural History and joined the University of Wisconsin La Crosse faculty in 2012.
"Now, this is the way to write a conservation book. Klein, an entomologist, illustrates not just how the planet needs its bugs but how much humans have appreciated their very insect-ness over the millennia and expressed that in art, industry, technology, fashion, and our core cultural systems. Along the way he delivers a vital history that paves the way for the future."
– The Good Men Project
"For other folks who have spent their careers studying insects, every patch of green on Earth is a kind of secret garden filled with entomological wonders. Klein shares this garden with the world with his titular Insect Epiphany."
– Science Magazine
"Adorned with vivid illustrations and artwork, this distinctive work of cultural entomology will likely leave readers itching to learn more."
– Booklist
"The Insect Epiphany has substantially broadened my appreciation of insects, with a fascinating dive into the services – beyond the ecological ones – that they perform. Indeed, this book has given me my own unexpected epiphany that insects have impacted human cultures and molded our lives in myriad ways I hadn't imagined."
– Douglas W. Tallamy, author of Nature's Best Hope
"A personal – and personable – guide to cultural entomology. 'Tour de force' doesn't do The Insect Epiphany justice. It's a triumph!"
– May Berenbaum, National Medal of Science award-winning entomologist
"The Insect Epiphany is exceptionally beautiful, deeply enlightening, and just a little bizarre. If you're a stranger to Barrett Klein, entomologist and artist extraordinaire, then this book is an ideal way to make his acquaintance and enjoy his special knowledge."
– Thomas D. Seeley, author of Honeybee Democracy
"Playful, erudite, endlessly imaginative, and written with exacting clarity, The Insect Epiphany is overflowing with fascinating information and deep scholarly knowledge. An enthralling ride, it will change how you think about insects and, perhaps more importantly, it will also change how you think about yourself."
– Hugh Raffles, author of Insectopedia
