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Bugs In The System (Helix Book) Paperback – June 18, 1996

by May R. Berenbaum (Author)

4.4 68 ratings

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An introduction to insect physiology, genetics and behaviour which looks at the interaction between humans and insects, and explores both the positive and negative aspects of the relationship.

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From the Back Cover

The vast majority of people consider it a high priority to minimize the extent of their interaction with the insect world. Homes are sealed, sprayed, and kept meticulously clean so as to reduce the probability that they will be invaded by insects; similarly, bodies are bathed, hair is shampooed, and clothing regularly washed in order to eliminate any unwanted contact with six-legged life forms. In the overwhelmingly vast majority of daily conversations, insects are conspicuous in their absence; those rare conversations in which insects feature prominently are generally carried out in guarded tones, often with a touch of embarrassment.

About the Author

May Berenbaum is professor of entomology at the University of Illinois. She's the author of 99 Gnats, Nits and Nibblers and More Maggots, Mites, and Munchers.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Basic Books; F First Paperback Edition Used (June 18, 1996)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 395 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0201408244
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0201408249
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 18 years and up
Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 1380L
Grade level ‏ : ‎ 12 and up
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.25 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9.23 x 6.12 x 1.09 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,229,446 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #404 in Entomology (Books)
- #609 in Biology of Insects & Spiders

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4.4 68 ratings

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Customers find the book an engaging introduction to insects. They find it informative and well-written, providing an excellent overview of major topics in entomology. Readers appreciate the pacing and understandability of the content for non-specialists.

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Enjoyment Introduction to insects Pacing

9 customers mention "Enjoyment"9 positive0 negative

Customers find the book entertaining and interesting. They say it's well-written and stimulating.

"...I bought it for $15 and the book is brand spanking new with no tear or evidence of being used." Read more

"...brings entomology to the non-specialist in an understandable and enjoyable way...." Read more

"...the world of insects is so varied and vast, it alone provides for fascinating exploration. Dr. Berenbaum is an able and entertaining guide...." Read more

"A fairly good textbook, yet one thing almost vital to the subject: pictures...." Read more

7 customers mention "Introduction to insects"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging and informative. It provides an excellent overview of major topics in entomology, giving them a better understanding of the huge variety of bugs and how they interact with the world. The book covers everything from basic anatomy and physiology to art and films about insects.

"Book about insects and with a soft cover which is cheaper than hard cover...." Read more

"...Combining humor and interesting stories, May R. Berenbaum brings entomology to the non-specialist in an understandable and enjoyable way...." Read more

"...and perhaps broader coverage of that course, interweaving much accurate history into entomology at a level that could be understood by non-biologists..." Read more

"...There's actually a surprising amount of history and politics involved in the telling of the role insects have had on earth...." Read more

3 customers mention "Pacing"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging and well-written. They appreciate its pacing and find it readable throughout. The writing style is understandable for non-specialists.

"...May R. Berenbaum brings entomology to the non-specialist in an understandable and enjoyable way...." Read more

"...there is a 'wow' fact- and still make it stimulating and readable throughout...." Read more

"We're using this in my insect class. It's fun and interesting. Well written. I learned a lot. It is not a typical textbook...." Read more

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Sleeper
Bought it for college class
Reviewed in the United States on September 29, 2024
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Book about insects and with a soft cover which is cheaper than hard cover. I bought it for $15 and the book is brand spanking new with no tear or evidence of being used.

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Sleeper

Bought it for college class

Reviewed in the United States on September 29, 2024
Book about insects and with a soft cover which is cheaper than hard cover. I bought it for $15 and the book is brand spanking new with no tear or evidence of being used.

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LMarc
An Interesting and Engaging Book on Insects...who would have thought this was possible?
Reviewed in the United States on November 3, 2013
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I bet you didn’t think an insect book could be very interesting. That was my opinion before I picked this up at the library (and later purchased it from Amazon). Combining humor and interesting stories, May R. Berenbaum brings entomology to the non-specialist in an understandable and enjoyable way. Some refer to this book as an insect trivia book, however, to me it’s more of an insect story/history book. I like the description in the subtitle: “Insects and Their Impact on Human Affairs”. That basically sums it up. Others have refer to this book as a textbook which seemed odd to me. I don’t recall any school textbook being this interesting.

As the preface states, “the vast majority of people consider it a high priority to minimize the extent of their interaction with the insect world”. She goes on to say how improbable this is since there are (estimated) 10 quintillion individual insects alive on earth at any given moment, and they make up 80% of the world’s species. She further explains that insects live (1) in Antarctica (2) in hot springs in Yellowstone (3) in horse intestines (4) pools of petroleum (5) in jars of formaldehyde in morgues (6) in baptismal fonts in churches. However, about 1/3 of a typical human diet is only possible due to insect pollination. And, without insects there would be no cotton. We’re reminded that insects have determined the outcome of wars more than bullets or bombs. These facts and more are good reasons to read this book.

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John Richard Schrock
Stories of Unique Biology...Easy to Learn
Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2020
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“Bugs in the System: Insects and Their Impact on Human Affairs” by May R. Berenbaum; Basic Books; © 1995; 377 pages, softcover.

While entomology departments served mainly graduate students, they often also offered an “Insects and People” course (sometimes called “Bugs and Boys” in early days). This book is a summary and perhaps broader coverage of that course, interweaving much accurate history into entomology at a level that could be understood by non-biologists. Thus there is some generalization but no pathway to error. Dr. Berenbaum’s story-filled narrative makes many parts a good supplement even to a major’s entomology class. Unfortunately, the number of entomology departments at U.S. universities is now one-fourth the number in the 1970s, as biology research funding has shifted to all things DNA. And far fewer students have a youth with field experience.

Berenbaum clusters her stories into major chunks of biology (and sometimes social) concepts. She intersperses unique persons and personalities involved in the discovery of these concepts.

Chapter 1 deals with classification and nomenclature at the most general level. But her overview of how arthropods (joint-legged critters) were arranged and rearranged over time is unique.

Chapter 2 dives into insect physiology, including the limitations of size, and the uniqueness of metamorphosis, reproduction, and special insect genetics. –And again more relevant stories.

Chapter 3 addresses behavior, with an attempt to help us (who are accustomed to thinking all critters see and smell, etc. like we do) to realize the uniquely different way insects hear, see, taste and smell.

Chapter 4 gets social, but it is a different group living. The personalities involved here are among our best biologists. This leads to bees, pollination, and finally the “killer bee” episode. I am particularly aware of that episode insofar as Dr. Taylor and his students worked out the failure of hybridization to “stick” and thus “Africanized” is a misnomer. Berenbaum gets it right, using African honeybee unless having to cite the other in published title.

We do not often think of insects as involved in plants except as pests we think we could do without. In Chapter 5, she explains the interactions with plants in evolution, on farms, in locust plagues, gall-making, silk and stored-grain. She clearly describes the Rocky Mountain locust but does not mention that it went extinct. Her hints at pesticides as a cause are one of the few weaknesses in her many strong stories.

Chapter 6 moves to eating of insects by predators, parasitoids, in biological controls, use as medicine, and finally possible use as human food.

Parasites and hosts are in Chapter 7, including history-changing louse typhus (World War I), plague fleas, and many pages on mosquitoes. If a reader becomes enchanted with mosquitoes, they can continue the stories in further depth in Desowitz’s “Malaria Capers.”

Chapter 8 is a chapter I would not anticipate, dealing with coprophagy, carrion, and the specialization of soil and water insects.

Chapter 9 centers on U.S. entomology history, our changes in pest control methods, the politics arising from fire ants, fear of insects and finally insects and the law.

Chapter 10 is the last big chapter and deals with insects as symbols, art and movies. Collecting insects for fun and profit reflects 1995 more than today.

But she also gives insects “equal time” in a short chapter 11, briefly discussing the insect perspective, including human habitat destruction.

A lot has happened in the 25 years since her notes were expanded into this book, and her brief run through of major insect orders finds the termites she places in Isoptera have been relegated to a variety of cockroach, and homopterans have been made a major portion of the Order Hemiptera.

The text is in smaller print and there are fewer illustrations than modern readers have come to expect. Consider that 1995 was barely into the computer and internet age. Today, readers have become addicted to large color pictures for every paragraph of text. This is therefore not her problem. I pride myself in being a very good veteran teacher of entomology; I suspect her classes were even better.

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Ip
Enjoyable read
Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2008
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Who knew that you could pack in a book SO MUCH information- in nearly every paragraph there is a 'wow' fact- and still make it stimulating and readable throughout. This book is great for professional entomologist and curious, broadly-educated layperson alike. There's actually a surprising amount of history and politics involved in the telling of the role insects have had on earth. Of course, the world of insects is so varied and vast, it alone provides for fascinating exploration. Dr. Berenbaum is an able and entertaining guide. I heartily recommend!

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Passy the Elephant
Missing something
Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2011
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A fairly good textbook, yet one thing almost vital to the subject: pictures. When describing some of the anatomical parts of insects, it becomes very easy to get jumbled up. A simple diagram could fix that. Overall, a good textbook.

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Robert
Interesting, but lacks depth.
Reviewed in the United States on April 25, 2015
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An interesting and informative book but did not go into sufficient detail for me to get the depth that I wanted. What was lacking in depth was made up for in the breadth of the material explained.

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Katie Mclane
interesting
Reviewed in the United States on November 27, 2012
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We're using this in my insect class. It's fun and interesting. Well written. I learned a lot. It is not a typical textbook. It's a great book for a general introduction to insects for non majors. It contains many sections from basic anatomy and physiology to art and films about insects. I really liked the book.

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Ashley Kennedy
Excellent overview of major topics in entomology
Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2017
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Excellent overview of major topics in entomology; would be equally enjoyable, I think, for both a lay person or a trained entomologist. Generally a fun/light read with lots of interesting trivia thrown in.

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