Nature Underfoot: Living with Beetles, Crabgrass, Fruit Flies, and Other Tiny Life Around Us (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9780300242782)

An informed and heartfelt tribute to commonly unappreciated plants, insects, and other tiny creatures that reconsiders humanity's relationship to nature

"Put aside that can of Raid for the short time it takes to read this book."--Natural History

Named a Favorite Book of 2020 by The Progressive

Fruit flies, silverfish, dandelions, and crabgrass are the bane of many people and the target of numerous chemical and physical eradication efforts. In this compelling reassessment of the relationship between humans and the natural world, John Hainze--an entomologist and former pesticide developer--considers the fascinating and bizarre history of how these so-called invasive or unwanted pests and weeds have coevolved with humanity and highlights the benefits of a greater respect and moral consideration toward these organisms.

With deep insight into the lives of the underappreciated and often reviled creatures that surround us, Hainze's accessible and engaging natural history draws on ethics, religion, and philosophy as he passionately argues that creepy crawlies and unwanted plants deserve both empathy and accommodation as partners dwelling with us on earth.

Author: John Hainze
ISBN-10: 0300242786
ISBN-13: 9780300242782
Publisher: Yale University Press
Language: English
Published: 02/18/2020
Pages: 272
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.00lbs
Size: 8.30h x 5.80w x 1.00d

Review Citation(s):
Choice 10/01/2020