Vendor
	Mohrbooks Literary Agency Sebastian Ritscher
Original language
English
Categories
Earth Sciences, Geography, Environment, Planning

THE LANGUAGE OF BUTTERFLIES

Wendy Williams

How Thieves, Hoarders, Scientists and Other Obsessives Unlocked the Secrets of the Planet's Favorite Insect

A New York Times bestselling author explores the lives of one of the world's most resilient creatures - the butterfly - shedding light on the role that they play in our ecosystem and in our human lives.

Butterflies are one of the world's most beloved insects. From butterfly gardens to zoo exhibitions, butterflies are one of the few insects we've encouraged to infiltrate our lives. In this groundbreaking book, Williams reveals the inner lives of these "flying flowers" - creatures far more intelligent and tougher than we give them credit for. Monarch butterflies migrate thousands of miles each year from Canada to Mexico. Other species have learned how to fool ants into taking care of them. Butterflies' scales are bio-inspiring researchers to create new life-saving medical technology. Williams takes readers to butterfly habitats across the globe and introduces us to not only various species, but to the scientists who have dedicated their lives to studying them.

Coupled with years of research and knowledge gained from experts in the field, this accessible "butterfly biography" explores the ancient partnership between these special creatures and humans, and why they continue to fascinate us today. Touching, eye-opening, and incredibly profound, The Language of Butterflies reveals the critical role they play in our world.

Wendy Williams is a journalist whose work has appeared in The Boston Globe, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and The Christian Science Monitor, among many other publications. She is the author of several books, including Kraken and Cape Wind, and is a lifelong equestrienne. She lives in Mashpee, Massachusetts. Her bestselling THE HORSE was a WSJ 2015 best book of the year.

Available products
Book Published 2020-06-01 by Simon & Schuster

Comments

This entertaining look at 'the world's favorite insect' tells about butterflies' captivating beauty, and the ways these bugs have fascinated people throughout history... [Williams'] enthusiasm is convincing and contagious.

Look closely at a butterfly wing and the colors glow with tiny, luminous scales. Wendy Williams' book is the same - a focused examination filled with unexpected marvels. Written with wit and wonder, The Language of Butterflies is a worthy celebration of one of nature's most dazzling subjects.

Enthralling and revelatory. Williams is a masterful storyteller. The tales she weaves here not only illuminate the intricate beauty and astonishing intelligence of butterflies, but the consuming passions of the scientists and collectors who have fallen under their spell. I loved this book. It changed the way I see these mesmerizing insects--and the natural world.

The Language of Butterflies introduces us to an array of fascinating people who help tease out delightful insights into lepidopteran biology and evolution. This is a wonderful read.

The Language of Butterflies enchanted me from the from the very first page. Woven through with curious wonderings about butterflies and Williams' journey of understanding, this is the best book on natural history I have read in years.

ANZ: Black Inc. ; Italian: Aboca Edizioni ; Polish: Dressler Dublin ; Russian: Alpina

[A] deeply personal and lyrical book that also provides meaningful scientific insight... Nature-loving readers will surely share the joy Williams takes in her subject in this admiring tribute to the butterfly.

The butterfly's life cycle has always symbolized transformation. In this awe-inspiring book, Williams shows us how these animals can also transform whole ecosystems, scientific disciplines and human hearts.

William's tale skips and hovers as lightly as the insects that fascinate her, revealing how very little we knew about them until a young German woman in the 17th century did what no one else had done - watch them. It's what we all should learn to do, if we are to save and protect these fragile beings who as pollinators help feed us and who give us the simple joy of delight as they flutter by like colored petals on a breeze. A must read for all.

Butterflies are even more fascinating than they are beautiful. Wendy Williams' reporting on these otherworldly insects stuns on every page. Read this book and you'll metamorphose into an even greater fan of these amazing animals. I loved this book!

A merry jaunt through the past, present, and future of butterfly pop science...To keep the science and history accessible rather than overwhelming, Williams wisely selects key characters, transformational moments, and illustrative species...Williams paces a geological event like an action movie, and her animated storytelling skills, coupled with her orientation toward universal themes like the nature of beauty, will appeal to a broad audience... Expect this book to awaken the dormant butterfly enthusiast within.