FIREFLIES, HONEY, AND SILK *

The beauty of butterflies, the cheerful chirp of crickets, the ink our ancestors wrote with, the beeswax in altar candles, the honey on our toast, the silk we wear. This enchanting book is a highly entertaining exploration of the myriad ways insects have enriched our lives culturally, economically, and aesthetically.Entomologist and writer Gilbert Waldbauer describes in loving, colorful detail how many of the valuable products insects have given us are made, how they were discovered, and how they have been used through time and across cultures. Along the way, he takes us on a captivating ramble through many far-flung corners of history, mythology, poetry, literature, medicine, ecology, forensics, and more. Enlivened with personal anecdotes from Waldbauer´s distinguished career as an entomologist, Fireflies, Honey, and Silk also describes surprising everyday encounters we all experience that were made possible by insects.From butterfly gardens and fly-fishing to insects as jewelry and sex pheromones, this is an eye-opening ode to the wonder of insects that illuminates our extraordinary and essential relationship with the natural world.ContentsList of IllustrationsNoteIntroductionI. Insects People LikeII. The Silk We WearIII. Dyeing the ClothIV. Baubles, Bracelets, and AnkletsV. Candles, Shellac, and Sealing WaxVI. Paper and InkVII. Butterflies in Your TummyVIII. Satisfying the Sweet ToothIX. Cures and NostrumsX. Insect Pets and PerformersEpilogue. The Ecological ContextSelected ReferencesAcknowledgmentsIndex