Wendy Williams (2) (1950–)

I had a lot of fun reading this book. I've been interested in reading this sort of nature/ecology book the past few years. This one was on the light side in terms of science, which made it easy and pleasurable to read, but I don't think I learned as much.

The author divides the book into three sections: past, present, and future. I loved the section about the past, learning about the beginnings of buttlerfly classification. I hadn't heard of Maria Sibylla Merian, a 17th century woman scientist who basically created the idea of scientific method and careful observation. She observed and notated through writing and art work every aspect of observable life for caterpillars and butterflies. I would like to read more about her.

The second and third section get a heavy focus on monarchs, one of the most studied butterflies. This info was all interesting, but I had learned most of it other places. Still, it was a nice synthesis.

Overall, this was a nice glimpse into what we currently know about butterflies - their life cycles, migration, and what we think they need to survive in the future.… (mehr)

A treasure trove of butterfly lore: when they first appeared on the Earth, subsequent history, differences between butterflies and moths, scientists and non-scientists alike who advanced the study of butterflies[from the well-known Darwin to the obscure Maria Sibylla Merian, who first discovered the link between the caterpillar and the butterfly]. Research past and present and conclusions are discussed along with how butterflies fit into very particular ecosystems. This was a window into the world of an insect beloved by all.… (mehr)