The Hidden World: How Insects Sustain Life on Earth Today and Will Shape Our Lives Tomorrow

Description

Insects conquered the Earth long before we did and will remain here long after we're gone. They outnumber us in the billions and are essential to many of the natural processes that keep us alive and that we take for granted. Yet, despite this, very few of us know much about the hidden world of insects. In this fascinating new book, entomologist and broadcaster George McGavin takes a deep dive to reveal the unknown truths about the most successful and enduring animal group the world has ever seen, and to show the unseen effects this vast population has on our planet, if only we care to look. McGavin explores not only the incredible traits that insects have evolved to possess, such as dragonflies that can fly across oceans without resting or beetles that lay their eggs exclusively in corpses, but also the vital lessons we have learnt from them, including how therapy using maggots can save lives and how bees can help grow rich tomato yields. The Hidden World reveals the wonderful complexity of our relationship with insects, how they have changed the course of our history and how, if we continue to learn from them, they could even be the key to our future and survival.

Dr George McGavin is an academic entomologist, television presenter and author of numerous books. With several insect species named in his honour, he is one of the UK's foremost entomologists and leading authorities on the natural world. Over the years, he has travelled from tropical forests and savannahs to caves in the pursuit of various insects. After leaving Oxford University, where he taught for 25 years, George became a broadcaster, presenting many documentaries such asOak Tree: Nature's Greatest Survivor,The Secret Life of Landfill: A Rubbish History, and the multi award-winningAfter Life: The Strange Science of Decay.