Assigned: Aug. 24, 2009 (you remember, the first day of class!)
Due: Oct. 12, 2009
30 points
The objective of the book review is to have you explore some writing on entomology and science in more depth. The optional reference for the course, The Malaria Capers, is an acceptable choice. Similarly, even some novels that feature insects may be appropriate. I'll list a few choices below, and offer an example report for an entomologically related book I've recently read (to give you some idea of what I'm looking for). If you are in doubt about a title's appropriateness, please check with me.
Here are a few choices.
Fiction
Why oh why don't we have more choices here? Is it that literature's purpose is to "reveal the human heart" (a quote from Faulkner's Nobel Prize speech) and insects are too alien to aid in that exploration? Is it that the human mind cannot properly comprehend the essence of the Insecta? Is it that people just want to step on bugs?
The Metamorphosis -
Franz Kafka
More of a long story than a novel, but I'll let it count. Beyond the obvious
theme of alienation, a small point of contention among literary critics is the
question of what insect Gregor Samsa became. Is he a cockroach or is he a beetle
(presumably stag beetle)? If he's a beetle, is this intentional religious
symbolism (it has to do with a pre-Christian association of stag beetles with
the Norse god Thor and a subsequent association with Christ -- aren't you glad
you asked)?
Insect Dreams: The Half Life of Gregor Samsa
- Marc
Estrin
A gutsy move to write a "sequel" to a classic. I've not read it yet, so your
reviews will be completely fresh to me.
Pest Control
- Bill Fitzhugh
An amusing novel, based on the premise that all exterminators are not
exterminators. The protagnoist, Bob Dillon's quest to breed insect
predators for cockroach control is a key entomological theme of the book. I had
an e-mail from Bill Fitzhugh some time after this book came out, and I believe
he indicated there was a movie deal in the works.
Empire of the Ants - Bernard Werber
I read the English translation of this book, which was written in French. It is
a fascinating story of a scientist who communicates with ants. The best part of
the book (in my view) are the insect scenes. Strangely, I found the insect
characters more realistic than most of the humans in the book.
Nor Crystal Tears - Alan Dean Foster
Foster writes lots of novels spun off from movies, which may seem like a
low, derivative form of writing. Maybe so, but I think Foster's a fine science
fiction writer, and I love his original novels and stories. Strictly speaking,
this novel may not be about insects: it's about insect-like aliens. But it
merits inclusion on the list because it presents insects in a humanistic light.
Moreover, it has perhaps the greatest first sentence of any entomological novel:
"It's hard to be a larva." So true...
The Plague -
Albert Camus
Camus's now classic novel of the plague coming to post war Algeria (specifically
Oran). Part of the existentialist search for hoping in a life without meaning...
or something like that.
A Journal of the Plague Year - Daniel Defoe
Yes, the author of Robinson Crusoe did write a book on the Great Plague
of London. And the book does read as if Defoe experienced the plague -- but it
all happened well before he was born. For my money, Defoe anticipates the
"non-fiction novel" (a big deal when Truman Capote wrote
In Cold Blood)
by a couple of centuries. Terrific book.
Non-fiction
There are dozens, if not hundreds, of fine books about insects and insect-borne disease. Here are only a few you might consider.
Life On a Little-Known Planet - Howard Ensign Evans
This is a wonderful little book that explores many of the unique features
of insects. It offers a survey of why insects are so important to the ecology of
the Earth.
To Know a Fly - Vincent Dethier
It may be hard to believe a book about physiological research on flies could be
entertaining, but this book certainly is. My copy has wonderful cartoons to
illustrate the text, which adds to the slightly whimsical nature of the text.
Beyond it's entertainment value, Dethier does a superb job illustrating what
scientists do and what draws people to science.
Rats, Lice, and History - Hans Zinsser
Zinsser's book is something of a classic about the role of biology in human
history. It is short, amusing, and thought provoking.
New Guinea Tapeworms and Jewish Grandmothers: Tales of
Parsites and People (1981)
Who Gave the Pinta to the Santa Maria?
(1998 reprint)
The Malaria Capers (1991)
Federal Bodysnatchers and the New Guinea Virus: Tales of Parasites, People,
and Politics (2003) - S. Desowitz
These books all focus on tropical disease and parasitology, with an
extraordinary sense of humanity. Desowitz writes as someone who has been in the
trenches, and he's not afraid to loudly voice his opinion. I've had
The
Malaria Capers as a recommended reading for this course almost as long as
I've been teaching Ent108, because it puts a human face on disease in a way I've
rarely seen before. These books are well-written, engaging, moving, and
thought-provoking. Highly recommended.
The Great Mortality: An Intimate History of the Black
Death, the Most Devastating Plague of All Time - John Kelly
A superb treatment of plague and it's impact on western history. Currently, my
favorite of the dozens/hundreds of plague books.
Mosquito: A Natural History of Our Most Persistent and
Deadly Foe - Andrew Spielman and Michael D'Antonio
A well-written survey of mosquito biology and medical importance. Not a
technical book, but an accessible short read. Very good.
Yellow Fever, Black Goddess: The Coevolution of People and
Plagues - Christopher Wills
I love that title (it reminds me of the Eastwood film
White Hunter: Black
Heart). Lots about infectious diseases (not only yellow fever).
Mosquitoes, Malaria, and Man: A History of the Hostilities
Since 1880 - Gordon Harrison
A much more historical treatment than some of the other insect books. Harrison
illuminates how discoveries about malaria were actually made, including many
glimpses into the human side of science. La plus ca chance, plus c'est la
meme chose.
The Black Death - Philip Ziegler
I have more than a dozen books about plague (and hundreds have been written). I
until very recently I thought this was the best single volume treatment of the
disease and it's historical impact (now the title might fall to The Great
Mortality).
Man Eating Bugs: The Art and Science of Eating Insects
- Peter Menzel and Faith D'Aluisio
Peter Menzel wrote and photographed the
Material World: A Global Family
Portrait which offers a superb insight into how people live around the world
(Phyllis and I especially like the toilets around the world photographs --
inquiring minds want to know). This book on eating insects is at least as
entertaining and informative as Material World. The photography is superb
and the text is even more interesting than the pictures.
Guns, Germs, and Steel - Jared Diamond
Not an entomological book, so why is it on this list? Diamond, in this Pulitzer
Prize winning volume, explores the role of biology in human history, following
many of the same themes I try to explore in this class. Certainly one of the
most interesting books I've ever read.
A Sample Review/Report
(by me, Leon,...you know, the professor?)
Fly: The Unsung Hero of Twentieth-Century Science -- Martin Brookes
If you've ever had overripe bananas in your kitchen, then you have probably hosted the topic of this book: Drosophila melanogaster, the fruit fly. Martin Brookes is an evolutionary biologist, who shows in this book how the humble fruit fly moved from the kitchen to the laboratory and how it became one of the most important experimental animals in science. Indeed, as Brookes discusses, we know more about Drosophila genetics than we know of almost any other organism. And surprisingly, the more we have learned about fruit fly genetics, the more we have found parallels and insights into our own genes.
Brookes does an enviable job of making genetic complexity seem simple and of revealing the importance of the seemingly mundane. Indeed, one theme of this book is how a simple fly has helped reveal some of the most complex issues in biology, like developmental regulation. The book traces the history of genetic research (and fruit flies in particular), and these historical discussions are one of the highlights of this book. Brookes offers not merely an account of discoveries, but also great stories about personalities, conflicts, and how science is really done. The discussions of what make Drosophila such a useful experimental animal are another example of how Brookes presents insights into doing science.
Of course, the focus of the book is on science not history. As with the historical material, Brookes does a fine job making the complex issues clear. He offers insights not only into the mechanisms of genetics but also into the evolutionary context in which genetics operates. This is not a textbook, and the subject matter treatment is more anecdotal than exhaustive. But I did not find that to be a limitation of the book; on the contrary, I wish Brookes had offered more personal insights and experiences. For me, one of the most interesting topics was the discovery of temperature sensitive promoters (sequences that turn genes on only at high temperature) and their use in exploring the genetics of memory in Drosophila. Experiments with flies that become forgetful if the temperature is too low sound like a mad scientist's science fair project. However, as Brookes recounts, single genes regulating aspects of memory have been identified in Drosophila, and experimental manipulation of these genes is moving us toward new understandings of memory in humans. Exciting stuff -- that made me wish for some modifications of my own memory genes.
In the world of science books, Fly may be almost as short as the lifespan of its namesake, but as this book shows, size is not always a good measure of importance. Fly is a wonderfully written book that highlights how small things can lead to great consequences.
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