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Amy Stewart
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Wicked Bugs: The Louse That Conquered Napoleon's Army & Other Diabolical Insects Kindle Edition

by Amy Stewart (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 633 ratings
See all formats and editions
In this darkly comical look at the sinister side of our relationship with the natural world, Stewart has tracked down over one hundred of our worst entomological foes—creatures that infest, infect, and generally wreak havoc on human affairs. From the world’s most painful hornet, to the flies that transmit deadly diseases, to millipedes that stop traffic, to the “bookworms” that devour libraries, to the Japanese beetles munching on your roses, Wicked Bugs delves into the extraordinary powers of six- and eight-legged creatures.

With wit, style, and exacting research, Stewart has uncovered the most terrifying and titillating stories of bugs gone wild. It’s an A to Z of insect enemies, interspersed with sections that explore bugs with kinky sex lives (“She’s Just Not That Into You”), creatures lurking in the cupboard (“Fear No Weevil”), insects eating your tomatoes (“Gardener’s Dirty Dozen”), and phobias that feed our (sometimes) irrational responses to bugs (“Have No Fear”).

Intricate and strangely beautiful etchings and drawings by Briony Morrow-Cribbs capture diabolical bugs of all shapes and sizes in this mixture of history, science, murder, and intrigue that begins—but doesn’t end—in your own backyard.
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  1. Print length
    289 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Algonquin Books
  4. Publication date
    May 3, 2011
  5. File size
    7.1 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Not Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“A fascinatingly dark look at the world of wonders that buzzes, burrows and reproduces all around us... Stewart's research is prodigious and her writing precise, whether she's telling the tale of a caterpillar that looks like a tiny Persian cat or more about fleas than you ever wanted to know. Read this book and you'll always keep your gardening gloves on...Stewart concentrates on scarily diabolical bugs, to great effect.”―Seattle Times
―Entertainment Weekly

“If you’ve got an insect phobia, this probably isn’t the book for you. But if not, dig in, as Stewart gleefully archives more than 100 of earth’s creepiest crawlies.”―Entertainment Weekly
―Smithsonian.com

“There is a ton of well-researched, fascinating information with terrific and terrifying stories from history ... As Stewart writes, ‘we are seriously outnumbered.’ It’s best we know our enemies.”―Smithsonian.com


―NPR's "Weekend Edition"

“There are a number of interesting tidbits in this book, you know, things that you might want to work into a conversation.”―Linda Wertheimer, NPR’s “Weekend Edition”
―NPR's "Fresh Air"

“From bat bugs ― yes, bat bugs ― to banana slugs to the pork tapeworm, [Stewart] details the most infectious, most terrifying insects on the planet.”―NPR’s “Fresh Air”

“I read your book, and I'm all itchy.”―Dave Davies,NPR’s “Fresh Air”

“A word of warning: Some of the descriptions ahead might trigger your gag reflex.”―Terry Gross, NPR’s “Fresh Air”

―Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

“Stewart offers witty capsule biographies of dozens of chitin horrors, from the African bat bug to the tsetse fly, with plenty of shout-out for the spiders who haunt our nightmares, including such familiars as black widows and brown recluses.” - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
―The New York Times

"Wicked Bugsdefines bug in the amateur sense ― that is, anything creepy-crawly, including worms, snails, slugs and other insects that are not, technically speaking, bugs. A true bug, Ms. Stewart acknowledges, has six legs and wings, like all insects, as well as piercing and sucking mouthparts. And wicked, she makes clear, lies in the eye of the beholder, whether you’re a Roman with scorpions falling into your eyes or a Marylander with stink bugs falling into your hair... Wicked Bugs has some good tips for gardeners, like putting out rolled-up newspaper or cardboard tubes at night to trap earwigs and dumping them into soapy water in the morning... In fact, no bug is truly wicked. It is just eating.”―New York Times
―Kirkus Reviews

“[Wicked Bugs] is not a comprehensive field guide but a smorgasbord of facts―ranging from horrible, painful or otherwise discomfiting―about bugs... Stewart’s prose is simple and to the point. She lets the little horrors she describes work in the reader’s imagination without any hyperbolic help from her. Guaranteed to cause sympathy itching and other discomfort.”―Kirkus Reviews
―Washington Post

“A cavalcade of terrors ... [Wicked Bugs] makes for an entertaining tour of creepy-crawly territory.”—Washington Post ―Scientific American bog

“This book covers many of the gross, frightening, disgusting, and awful things that bugs can do to you. And it’s COOL ... Bugs become less gross, and a lot more interesting, when put into the context of how they have changed human history.”—Scientific American blog ―Knoxville News-Sentinel

“I should have known it would gross me out, in a deliciously creepy kind of way. It's everything you didn't know you didn't want to know about insects…” – Knoxville News-Sentinel ―The Oregonian

“[Stewart] wrote this book to scare the bugs out of you…Stewart is not an entomologist, but she is a consummate storyteller with a curious mind.” – The Oregonian

About the Author

Amy Stewart is the award-winning author of six books on the perils and pleasures of the natural world. She is the cofounder of the popular blog Garden Rant and is a contributing editor at Fine Gardening magazine. She lives in Portland with her husband Scott Brown, a rare book dealer. When she isn't writing, she's making art, which you can see on Instagram, or teaching art and writing classes online.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00480P7VA
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Algonquin Books (May 3, 2011)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 3, 2011
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 7.1 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 289 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 633 ratings

About the author

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Amy Stewart

Amy Stewart

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Amy Stewart is the New York Times bestselling author of over a dozen books, including the new Kopp Sisters series, which began with Girl Waits With Gun. The series is based on the true story of three remarkable sisters who lived in New Jersey a hundred years ago.

Amy has also written six nonfiction books on the perils and pleasures of the natural world, including the New York Times bestsellers The Drunken Botanist, Wicked Bugs, Wicked Plants, and Flower Confidential.

She lives in Portland with her husband Scott Brown, a rare book dealer. When she isn't writing, she's making art, which you can see on Instagram, or teaching art and writing classes online.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
633 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book engaging and entertaining. They appreciate the informative content and interesting bugs described in the book. The writing style is easy to follow and the illustrations are attractive. Readers enjoy the stories and quirky details included in the book. However, some feel the humor is inappropriate for children.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

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ReadabilityInformation contentBugsWriting qualityIllustrationsStory qualityHumor
97 customers mention "Readability"93 positive4 negative

Customers find the book interesting and enjoyable. They say it's a quick, informative read that keeps their attention. The writing style is lively and conveys useful information.

"This easy to read and engaging book is chock full of history and geography of a sample of the most dangerous, destructive, painful, and economically..." Read more

"...Her writing style is bright, cheery, and fun, no where near what might be presented in your Entomology 101 textbook...." Read more

"...through all the revoltingness, though, and make the book both an entertaining and darkly fun read...." Read more

"...not written to be either pro but or con, it is a well written, and interestingly, too, book telling of many of humankind's opponents for world..." Read more

50 customers mention "Information content"50 positive0 negative

Customers find the book informative and engaging. They appreciate the depth of research and well-referenced content. The topics and writing style are described as captivating. Readers consider it a useful resource for science students and a must-read.

"...this misnomer, you should find “Wicked Bugs” a delightful and educational read." Read more

"...The facts presented in themselves are amazing and enlightening. While I was aware of some of what was written, more of it was new knowledge to me...." Read more

"...I found nothing too alarming in the book, and I thought it was well referenced as well for those who want to learn more...." Read more

"...or is interested in nature or animals we share our lives with, this is a must read!..." Read more

41 customers mention "Bugs"34 positive7 negative

Customers find the book engaging with its descriptions of bugs from all over the world. They find it informative and humorous, providing a look at bugs encountered in daily life and other oddities. The writing is described as quality and humorous, making it a delightful read.

"...facts, Amy Stewart never-the-less finds the quirky and unusual in the bug world...." Read more

"...in simple language the frightening, dangerous, harmful and disease bearing arthropods found among human habitation...." Read more

"Learned loads from this book! Love that it not only talks about the species but also historical cases involving them." Read more

"...It was good for addressing some of the well known and less commonly known bugs and what they have done...." Read more

40 customers mention "Writing quality"33 positive7 negative

Customers find the writing quality good and easy to follow. They describe the book as a quick, entertaining read with great illustrations.

"This easy to read and engaging book is chock full of history and geography of a sample of the most dangerous, destructive, painful, and economically..." Read more

"...Her writing style is bright, cheery, and fun, no where near what might be presented in your Entomology 101 textbook...." Read more

"...But the book is not written to be either pro but or con, it is a well written, and interestingly, too, book telling of many of humankind's opponents..." Read more

"...Also, Amy Stewart's writing is both interesting and accessible as she talks about bugs and the ways we humans overlook them to our peril...." Read more

27 customers mention "Illustrations"24 positive3 negative

Customers enjoy the illustrations in the book. They find the bugs attractive and well-illustrated with detailed pencil sketches. The book provides a quick look at weird and nasty bugs.

"...those insects she found most intriguing. This book is cleverly illustrated with detailed pencil sketches...." Read more

"...It's a very elegant book. I got this at least a year ago, after loving 2 of her other books- "Drunken Botanist" and "Wicked Plants"...." Read more

"...As before, the quality of the book is excellent. It's got very nice artwork throughout from Briony Morrow-Cribs and is printed on what feels like..." Read more

"...But this book tells us things about certain caterpillars - those cute, fuzzy, prickly-legged creatures I used to let crawl up my arm - that caused..." Read more

20 customers mention "Story quality"20 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's stories and facts. They find the content entertaining, with quirky details and interesting aspects about history and natural world topics. Readers appreciate the illustrations.

"This easy to read and engaging book is chock full of history and geography of a sample of the most dangerous, destructive, painful, and economically..." Read more

"...The details presented are far from dry--they are more of the engrossingly morbid, the macabre, the scary, and the just plain fun...." Read more

"...Love that it not only talks about the species but also historical cases involving them." Read more

"...This one was pretty good, chalked full of facts and stories...." Read more

19 customers mention "Humor"13 positive6 negative

Customers have different views on the humor in the book. Some find it funny and interesting, while others find it scary and disgusting. The book describes creepy topics in simple language.

"...It's a great book on scary. revolting, and creepy topics that are nonetheless a part of life- and it's beautifully done. Recommended- with caution!" Read more

"...I found nothing too alarming in the book, and I thought it was well referenced as well for those who want to learn more...." Read more

"This book is filled with disgusting little facts about creepy crawlers. My son can't get enough of it!..." Read more

"...This book describes in simple language the frightening, dangerous, harmful and disease bearing arthropods found among human habitation...." Read more

Surprising Information - And a Lot of Fun to Read
4 out of 5 stars
Surprising Information - And a Lot of Fun to Read
I got a kick out of Amy Stewart's Introduction, titled: "Warning: We are Seriously Outnumbered".Ain't that the truth. She goes on to write: "It is estimated that there are ten quintillion insects alive on the planet right now, which means that for each one of us, there are two hundred million of them." This book covers only the bug species who are out to get us.They are presented alphabetically, and each is put into one of five categories:.... HORRIBLE. One example in this category is the Screwworm Fly. As Stewart writes, "Any creature with a name like hominivorax – "eater of man" – is best avoided."....PAINFUL. It's no surprise that the Scorpion is in this section. A hint: "Scorpions glow under ultraviolet light, so Arizonans who wish to check under their beds for scorpions can use a blacklight flashlight."....DEADLY. Everybody has heard of the Tsetse Fly in this category. (Stewart doesn't use a hyphen.) A historical tidbit: "Henry Morton Stanley, the man who found David Livingstone in Africa, left an epidemic of sleeping sickness in his wake that wiped out as much as two-thirds of the region's population."....DANGEROUS. I've always thought of the Cockroach as creepy, not dangerous. But, these bugs shuttle "between people, food, and garbage [meaning] that roaches carry any number of pathogens around with them, including E. coli, salmonella, leprosy, typhoid, dysentery, plague, hookworm, hepatitis, staphylococcus, and streptococcus." Is that enough?....DESTRUCTIVE. Another surprising categorization for me was putting the Nightcrawler under Destructive. Now I know. Earthworms are beneficial. Nightcrawlers are a larger invasive European species that is destructive to forests.The book's pages are not totally white, and they're shaded as if they are from a well-worn field manual. The copper etching illustrations by Briony Morrow-Cribbs are very nice. Last, but not least, there is an index and an extensive bibliography."Wicked Bugs was published in 2011. I rate it 4.3 stars, rounded down to 4. I enjoyed her earlier book even more, published in 2009, Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln's Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities.Recommended reading!Happy Reader
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Pattee Fletcher
    5.0 out of 5 stars Bad Bugs
    Reviewed in the United States on October 10, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    This easy to read and engaging book is chock full of history and geography of a sample of the most dangerous, destructive, painful, and economically and environmentally debilitating insects. The author is clear to assert her book is a very limited sample of this universe and represents those insects she found most intriguing.
    This book is cleverly illustrated with detailed pencil sketches. The bugs are classified as either Horrible; Painful; Dangerous; Destructive; or Deadly. These headings alone suggest an intriguing read.
    Just a sample of the content includes the Death Watch Beetle – Destructive. This infamous insect provided the dramatic dirge of Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart.” It sits in the rafters of a house, munching at the beams as it tick-ticks the wood, calling to its mate. Its reputation goes back to 18th century when it was labeled as an omen portending death.
    A common household nuisance, the Bed Bug, is a tenacious and painful member of the Cimicidae family. Traveling at night, the bed bug gets ahold of its dinner by gently attaching its stylets into the skin as it releases an anticoagulant insuring a good feed. The bites of this night visitor can cause allergic reactions, secondary infections, anemia, swelling, and rashes. The author makes suggestions for besting the bed bug, but also makes it clear that this is no easy task.
    Stewart provides some basic facts about each of the 36 bugs mentioned in her book. Size, family, habitat, and distribution data are provided for each. A list of recommended reading and resources is also provided by the author. She further makes apologies for her misuse of the term “bug.” She bows to the distinctions between a bug and an insect, but then, proceeds to use the word “bug” throughout. If you can abide this misnomer, you should find “Wicked Bugs” a delightful and educational read.
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Johnathon K
    5.0 out of 5 stars EnGROSSing Fun
    Reviewed in the United States on December 26, 2011
    Verified Purchase
    I was listening to PBR in my car when they interviewed the author for this book. I am more apt to read fiction or books on history, but something about the author's manner and the interviewer's obvious delight in the book made me download it on my Kindle. That was one of the better decisions I have made for awhile.

    While keeping totally within biological facts, Amy Stewart never-the-less finds the quirky and unusual in the bug world. Her writing style is bright, cheery, and fun, no where near what might be presented in your Entomology 101 textbook. The details presented are far from dry--they are more of the engrossingly morbid, the macabre, the scary, and the just plain fun. While the book may be technically a book on biology, if could easily fit into the horror genre--not the Stephen King-type horrors, but more in line as an adult version of Goosebumps.

    The facts presented in themselves are amazing and enlightening. While I was aware of some of what was written, more of it was new knowledge to me. The book gave me a new take on just how diverse our world is, and it results in looking at insects and arachnids in an entirely new light.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Cissa
    5.0 out of 5 stars Informative- and really creepy!
    Reviewed in the United States on May 11, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    If you think bugs are creepy now, wait till you read this!

    "Bugs" here is used to describe a broad range of critters, from the microscopic tot he large, and from insects and spiders etc. through various kinds of worms. The tags range from "deadly" to "horrible", with stops at "painful", "dangerous", and "destructive". It's a horror show!

    The writing and the wonderful production values in the book help to ease one through all the revoltingness, though, and make the book both an entertaining and darkly fun read. Each pest, or category of pest, gets its own short essay, complete with lurid details about what's so icky about them.

    The artwork by Briony Morrow-Cribbs adds much to the enjoyment. Even the most skin-crawly of critters somehow looks better in her wonderful illustrations (and somehow less likely to give one nightmares), especially combined with the excellent layout and the 2-color printing. It's a very elegant book.

    I got this at least a year ago, after loving 2 of her other books- "Drunken Botanist" and "Wicked Plants". I'd recommend these too. I'd put of reading this one, though, because bugs do make my skin crawl in general. I would not recommend it to the currently phobic!

    It's a great book on scary. revolting, and creepy topics that are nonetheless a part of life- and it's beautifully done. Recommended- with caution!
    One person found this helpful
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