Steve Marshall is a professor of entomology at the University of Guelph, where he developed a major insect collection and carries out research on insect systematics and biodiversity. He has discovered hundreds of new species, several new genera and even two new subfamilies.
(starred review) If fascinating isn't a word you tend to use in
conversations about canker worms...or any other arthropod with a
head, thorax, and abdomen, Marshall is determined to change your
way of thinking. He accomplished this with information about
members of the 33 insect orders that is clear and in places
absolutely riveting. This biological and ecological knowledge is
enhanced by more than 4000 photographs that he has taken of insects
in their natural habitats.... The volume's value to younger
children should not be overlooked.... Marshall's Insects is an
invaluable resource for those who want to know more about the
biology and behaviour of a particular insect and for those
interested in biodiversity, insect classification, and the impact
of insects on commerce and human health. Highly Recommended.--
(01/01/2006)
[revised ed.] This volume is big, beautiful, well written, and
informative.... I recommend this truly valuable tome very highly;
it should be in every high school, college, and municipal library
in northeastern North America.-- (10/01/2007)
[starred review] Written at a level accessible to college students
in introductory biology courses as well as motivated laypeople...
Some 4,000 detailed color photographs of individual species in
their natural environments afford the user the opportunity to view
the insects as they appear in life. More than 50 pages of
illustrated keys to the identification of insect groups are
designed to be as user-friendly as possible.... Insects: Their
Natural History and Diversity is notable for its numerous color
photographs, accessible language, and relatively simple-to-use
identification keys. It is highly recommended for public, academic,
and special libraries, particularly those in northeastern North
America.-- (10/15/2006)
[A] jam-packed colorful reference ... for serious science
libraries.-- (05/01/2007)
[Selected as one of the "Outstanding Academic Titles" for
2006]--Choice (01/01/2007)
[Selected as one of Booklist's Editors' Choice, 2006: Reference
Sources] Detailed color photographs... designed to be as
user-friendly as possible.-- (01/01/2007)
[STARRED REVIEW] This amazing six-pound volume, which offers more
than 4000 excellent color photographs and concise, accurate
information about every major insect family worldwide... Bottom
Line: This book is simply bigger, prettier, and more comprehensive
than any previous publication on insects and will be useful to
amateur and professional alike. It belongs in every public and
school library.-- (09/15/2006)
[Winner, General Competition, 2006 Science in Society Journalism
Awards, National Association of Science Writers]--National
Association of Science Writers (06/16/2007)
An impressive book.... Informative and fascinating.--
(04/01/2007)
Best Books 2007, Junior High and Young Adult, Zoological
Sciences--Science Books and Films (02/01/2008)
Clearly this represents the life work of a fine scientist.... I
urge every library to make them available.-- (03/02/2008)
Dazzling and tremendously helpful to anyone who wants to know about
insects... I'm honored to hold it in my hands.-- (09/14/2006)
For the backyard enthusiast... Marshall designed this books so that
a reader can easily identify just about any given bug by order or
family.-- (08/01/2006)
I cannot wait to try this text in my insect-biology class... This
is an outstanding contribution to entomology. It will play an
important role in the training of insect lovers for the foreseeable
future.-- (09/01/2006)
Insects: Their Natural History and Diversity isn't for the
general-interest holding so much as the college-level collection
catering to entomologists. Insects of Eastern North America are the
focus in a jam-packed colorful reference displaying insects within
their order and including notes on their introduction, habitats,
coloring and more. It's the professional's solid reference to
identification and habits, making it a top basic reference pick for
serious science libraries.-- (05/01/2007)
Magnificent ... an exceptionally large "field guide" that
laboratory workers with some background will find indispensable,
but that anyone at all interested in insects will warmly welcome.
... Countless photographs (many of rarely viewed insect
families/species) make it an unmatched resource. ... fantastic
variety of illustrated species ... This remarkable book is destined
to become a fixture in all general entomological collections.
Summing Up: Essential. All levels.-- (11/01/2006)
Magnificent... thousands of photographs that allow identification
of almost any insect to family and many to genus or species... a
delight to read due to Marshall's wry sense of humor and
idiosyncratic enthusiasms.-- (01/01/2007)
Outstanding and should be on the bookshelf of every natural
historian -- insect lover or not -- in eastern North America...
ideally suited for anyone with an interest in insects, from the
curious backyard observer to the experienced field naturalist or
professional biologist... comprehensive, easy-to-use ... a
beautiful and informative guide... loaded with 4000 stunning
photographs made by the author, thus offering a level of uniformity
between illustration and description often absent in many such
books. Indeed, the photography is so spectacular that this volume
could stand alone as a coffee table book of insects... contains a
wealth of biological facts and natural history trivia... Put
simply, not only is this book a wonderful field guide, it will
serve as a fertile source of research ideas for students of
entomology... It would not surprise me if, decades from now,
professional biologists credit Insects: Their Natural History and
Diversity with inspiring them to do what they do -- it's that
good.-- (12/01/2006)
Stunning... a powerful, "must-have" identification tool... The
strength of the work is the collection of over 4,000 color
photographs (and) well-written captions. Most of the images are of
living insects in the field, including many uncommon species I'd
wager most entomologists have never seen alive... It is hard to
describe the mix of awe, amazement, and perhaps intimidation at
Marshall's photographic and entomological accomplishment... There
is simply no book approaching the comprehensiveness of Marshall's.
It is in a league of its own.-- (03/01/2008)
The perfect reference book even for those of us with a limited
interest in bugs. The book is perfect for birders... To spend an
afternoon comparing bugs and pictures, learning about what is in
the backyard and having this intimate glimpse into a bird's life is
heavenly to me.-- (08/03/2006)
This is not a coffee table book. Do not be fooled by its large
format or lavish colour photo spreads. It is actually more like
attending a series of third year entomology lectures, complete with
visuals, given by the best lecturer you have ever seen. Based on
author Stephen A. Marshall's experience teaching such a course, the
book provides information on every insect order and family found in
North America (i.e. west of the Mississippi and north of Georgia).
Included with each are details on things like taxonomy, ecological
relationships, predators and predator defenses, and relationships
to people, from economics to disease vectors. Marshall presents
this information in such a fascinating and idiosyncratic fashion
that you get no sense of the routine approach to classification
typical of many field guides. Nature nuggets abound, and this book
should become the interpretive naturalist's best friend. It is also
a field guide, with well-illustrated and constructed keys and
photos which go from 'where should I start with this bug?' to the
family/sub-family level for all of North American insects. This is
a book for the serious amateur or student who wishes to be immersed
in the insect world, and would be well-placed on the bookshelf of
biology teachers and outdoor centres. But don't take my word, take
E. O. Wilson's (the father of modern biodiversity studies): I wish
I'd had Stephen Marshall's book when I started out in entomology.--
(04/01/2014)
This volume is an incredibly important, masterfully written, and
profusely illustrated work that belongs in the library of every
field biologist, educator, student and naturalist who professes
more than just a passing interest in insects. It is also an
essential reference work for city, school, and university
libraries.... I heartily applaud Stephen Marshall's efforts and
skill in crafting such a beautiful, useful, and engaging book that
is destined to become a natural history classic.-- (01/01/2007)
This volume is big, beautiful, well written, and informative....
Very few insect books describe or show as many insects as this
author has... Each family is introduced in several pages of
excellent text and is followed by hundreds of photographs with
fact-filled captions.... The material is up to date, the text
remarkably free of typographical errors, and the book is printed on
fine-quality paper. In addition to describing the diversity,
natural history, and behavior of insects, the author provides many
examples of insects being used for biological control. The final
chapter offers suggestions for collecting, preserving, and
photographing insects. A very well illustrated key to insect
families and to some common insect larvae is included. I recommend
this truly valuable tome very highly; it should be in every high
school, college, and municipal library in northeastern North
America.-- (06/01/2010)
When this book first crossed my desk, to say that I was instantly
enamored would be an understatement. It was beautiful, the cover
adorned with a stunning jewel-toned dogbane beetle... I almost
didn't want to crack the binding [but] once I started reading, I
couldn't put the book down. Visually stunning... Insects: Their
Natural History and Diversity has the look and feel of a glossy
coffee table book while still being full of accurate,
well-researched information... Priced so as not to be cost
prohibitive ... clearly written in plain language, it will be
highly accessible to a broad audience, including naturalists,
amateur entomologists as well as seasoned professionals. The author
has also included a dollop of humour and wit throughout.... This
book would make a great textbook for a natural history or general
entomology course... With its depth of scope and true to life
photographs Insects: Their Natural History and Diversity would be
indispensable in the field. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and
would recommend it whole-heartedly to anyone who has an interest in
entomology, natural history or a simple curiosity about the
six-legged world that surrounds us-- (01/01/2006)
Whether one is seeking mastery of an understanding of insects or is
content with occasionally satisfying his or her curiosity about a
particular encounter with an insect, this volume is an excellent
resource. The book has coffee-table quality combined with
practitioner-level relevance.-- (07/01/2006)
Winner of the 2006 Science In Society Journalism Award in the
General Book competition--Canadian Science Writers' Association
With over 4000 color photographs taken virtually all in the wild,
this book is the most comprehensive photographic overview of
insects ever published... The breadth of this book, covering all
the insect diversity in eastern North America, including a
tremendous amount of biological information that is explained and
captured with wonderful photographs, will ensure that the book is a
landmark reference in entomology for years to come.--
(06/01/2006)
[Selected as one of the "Best Reference Books of 2006"]--Brian E.
Coutts and Cheryl LaGuardia"Library Journal" (04/15/2007)
[Selected as one of 2007's Outstanding Reference Sources] Some
4,000 detailed color photographs of individual species in their
natural environments afford the user the opportunity to view the
insects as they appear in life.--Reference Sources Committee, ALA
Reference and Use"Booklist" (05/15/2007)
[Selection, 2007 RUSA Outstanding Reference Source, Reference and
User Services Association [RUSA] Committee] "A wealth of
information is provided for the work's less-than-$100 price."--Jeff
Schwartz, 2007 Chair, RUSA Reference Sources"American Libraries"
(05/01/2007)
Groundbreaking.--J.B. MacKinnon"Explore" (10/01/2007)
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