Bugs in the System: Insects and Their Impact on Human Affairs

Berenbaum, a professor of entomology at the University of Illinois, here presents extraordinary information on how insects affect our lives and society. In wars, these creatures caused more deaths than bombs or bullets, according to the author; for example, the louse, carrier of typhus, defeated Napoleon's troops. Fleas (plague) and mosquitos (malaria) have taken a heavy toll on human populations. A gall nearly wiped out the French wine industry in 1860; scale insects have been the source of varnish and dye. And Berenbaum also reminds us that about a third of our food is the direct result of insect pollination. A captivating book of popular science. (Jan.)