Endless Forms

The Secret World of Wasps

De: Seirian Sumner

Narrado por: Seirian Sumner

“A book that draws us in to the strange beauty of what we so often run away from.” — Robin Ince, author of The Importance of Being Interested

In this eye-opening and entertaining work of popular science in the spirit of The Mosquito, Entangled Life, and The Book of Eels, a leading behavioural ecologist transforms our understanding of wasps, exploring these much-maligned insects’ secret world, their incredible diversity and complex social lives, and revealing how they hold our fragile ecosystem in balance.

Everyone worries about the collapse of bee populations. But what about wasps? Deemed the gangsters of the insect world, wasps are winged assassins with formidable stings. Conduits of Biblical punishment, provokers of fear and loathing, inspiration for horror movies: wasps are perhaps the most maligned insect on our planet.

But do wasps deserve this reputation?

Endless Forms opens our eyes to the highly complex and diverse world of wasps. Wasps are 100 million years older than bees; there are ten times more wasp species than there are bees. There are wasps that spend their entire lives sealed inside a fig; wasps that turn cockroaches into living zombies; wasps that live inside other wasps. There are wasps that build citadels that put our own societies to shame, marked by division of labor, rebellions and policing, monarchies, leadership contests, undertakers, police, negotiators, and social parasites. Wasps are nature’s most misunderstood insect: as predators and pollinators, they keep the planet’s ecological balance in check. Wasps are nature’s pest controllers; a world without wasps would be just as ecologically devastating as losing the bees, or beetles, or butterflies.

Wasps are diverse and beautiful by every measure, and they are invaluable to planetary health, Professor Sumner reminds us; we’d do well to appreciate them as much as their cuter cousins, the bees.

Not what I was expecting

Watching a small enclave of paper wasps in progress above my back door, I became fascinated with these creatures and had many question mostly about their social behavior and concerns about their interactions with humans.
The book, charmingly narrated by its enthusiastic and knowledgeable author, did manage to allay my fears, but sadly for me didn’t quench my desire to know more about the wasps’ interactions within the nest.
The author starts the book with a longer-than-I-would-like tirade on why bees don’t deserve the adoration we have lathered upon them, but wasps should.
Then, like many scientists, the author spent much of the book discussing who discovered what and when, way back into history. This is important to frame the subject, but this is not my interest and I soon grew weary of the recitation of names and dates.
Then then author plunged into the evolution of wasps from nearly the very first cell. I learned from the discussion of eusocial development, it did not focus in on the questions I have about social interaction. About the time,it occurred to me that I should,check the table of contents. Not seeing any chapters that specially address my particular interest and not feeling up to 2 chapters describing an imaginary date with a long-dead historical figure, I felt it best to bail.
I am sure, though, that it will please many people with a different direction of interest.

Pretty good

I liked it, the background story got a little cheesy at times but the overall information is very interesting!

all the services wasps provide,

it is a beautiful book, I love it. I wish it was in Spanish too

Not a fan of the pointy things? Then read on...

Most people feel fear and revulsion at the word "wasp" and have no plans to read a book about them. Yet, if you hold that stand, I urge you to rethink it. This book shows the wonders of wasps. From their keystones in ecology to their life histories and intelligence, wasps play an integral part in our own survival. As key predatory insects, they help reduce our dependence on pesticides. As pollinators, they supplement the work of bees; their behavior is fascinating, and their intelligence is highly underrated. The author demonstrates a contagious love of wasps and the power to sway many readers into their fan club.

Waspy whoa Man

I think this book would have been better without the author reading it. I loved the wasp info and have a new respect for them.