Insectopedia

Starred review from December 21, 2009
Though the title suggests a Latin-heavy lexicon of insects from aphids to wolf spiders , anthropologist Raffles (In Amazonia
) takes a decidedly different approach in his erudite and entertaining paean to bugs. Some chapters focus on nations: the paradox that in Niger, where crops are regularly ravaged by locusts, that very scourge—when salted and fried or boiled like shrimp—is also a protein staple; the craze in Japan for stag and rhinoceros beetles as pets; and the revival of a Chinese tradition—now televised—of crickets locking jaws with the ferocity of fighting dogs. Other sections feature individuals who have dedicated their lives to the contemplation of insects, e.g., the Austrian painter Cornelia Hesse-Honegger, who draws inspiration from radiation-deformed leaf bugs. One short chapter considers same-sex behavior (“interspecies ass play”); a longer one studies the “crush-freaks” who fetishize the close-up sight and amplified sound of bugs being crushed by women's feet. Raffles' eclectic examination of our diverse reactions to bugs, ranging from scholarly and aesthetic awe to revulsion or phobia, is an enthralling hodgepodge of historical fact, anthropological observation, and scientific insight.

February 1, 2010
Let's be clear: this volume is not an encyclopedia. It is an assemblage of 26 offbeatsome might say bizarreand highly original essays and philosophical musings by anthropology professor Raffles ("In Amazonia: A Natural History") in which insects are metaphors for the human condition. Chapters, one for each letter of the alphabet, are two to 42 pages long. From "Air," "Beauty," and "Chernobyl" through "Ex Libris, Exempla," "Yearnings," and "Zen and the Art of Zzz's," these fascinating, sometimes disturbing effusions dare us to come face-to-face with ourselves, human society, the vast complexity of insects, and our proper place in the mosaic of life on this planet. Written in a scholarly yet lyrical style, peppered with black-and-white illustrations and photographs, and backed up by 41 pages of "Notes" and annotated references arranged by chapter, this is sure to amuse, educate, raise our hackles, unveil our guilt, and leave us to ponder just who we think we are anyway. VERDICT For inquisitive adults seeking a mind trip outside the box.Annette Aiello, Smithsonian Tropical Research Inst., Ancn, Panama

Copyright 2010 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.