Alien Worlds: How insects conquered the Earth, and why their fate will determine our future

(Hardback)

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Description

An ambitious and beautifully illustrated account of the evolution and biology of insects. Insects are the busy, teeming arthropods on whose activities much of life on earth depends, and whose global populations are currently under the gravest of threats with unimaginable consequences for us all. In Alien Worlds, Steve Nicholls explores what insects are, and why there are so many of them; the impact on insects (the only flying invertebrates) of the possession of wings; and the extraordinary sensory world of insects. Drawing on an insect TV series produced by Steve's production company, this book will offer a winning fusion of glorious imagery and fine biological writing by an entomological specialist who writes both entertainingly and with authentic scientific rigour and who happens to be a brilliant photographer into the bargain.

Reviews

PRAISE FOR STEVE NICHOLLS: 'Steve Nicholls is an expert guide, leading us across meadows blooming with buttercups and orchids... He presents a visually stunning, readable and scientifically rigorous survey of Britain's wildflowers' Countryside. 'Each of the 14 plant types, from bluebells and lilies to orchids and sundews is examined, explaining the fascinating science behind how they survive and thrive in the wild, to the remarkable social and cultural history of each, and how we have woven them into our national heritage' Garden News. '[A] beautifully produced book... Substantial and well-informed... The author has a light touch and, while it might at first glance look like a book for the coffee table, it is definitely a book worth a closer read' * The Garden *

Author Bio

Steve Nicholls is an award-winning television documentary producer and director. He holds a PhD in dragonflies from the University of Bristol and is a Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society of London. He has spent thirty years making wildlife films, including ten with the BBC Natural History Unit, and his plant photographs have won several awards in the prestigious International Garden Photographer of the Year competition. Nicholls is the author of Paradise Found: Nature In America At The Time Of Discovery and Flowers of the Field: A Secret History of Meadow, Moor and Woodland.