Life in the Undergrowth

by David Attenborough

Book Overview

An insect disguises itself as a flower or leaf. A spider lassoes its prey. A beetle persuades a bee to care for its young. This beautifully illustrated book by veteran naturalist Sir David Attenborough offers a rare glimpse into the secret life of invertebrates, the world's tiniest--and most fascinating--creatures.

Small by virtue of their lack of backbones, this group of living things plays a surprisingly large role in the evolutionary...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0691127034
• ISBN13: 9780691127033
• Release Date: January 2006
• Publisher: Princeton University Press
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 1.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 7.1" x 10.1"

Customer Reviews

Fascinating

This book is full of information on the most fascinating creatures. I love David Attenborough and am a huge fan of all of his work including his films. I think anyone that has a true passion for understanding nature will love this book.

Watch your step!

Life in the UndergrowthThey're there in their swarming multitudes. Millions upon millions of tiny creatures which we rarely observe and even more rarely consider. In large part we ignore them. Most are too small to be seen unaided and those large enough to be visible usually find ways to hide or deceive us. When we visibly encounter them, out come the folded newspapers or spray cans of insecticide. Such hasty judgements may be reconsidered when you've finished this glorious portrayal of insect life. A TV documentary made into a book may seem "unscientific" to some. However, Attenborough's attention to detail and his prose skills give this volume real value. Lavishly illustrated, with many full-page photographs, the insect world is presented in grand scale. The subjects are presented in intimate detail, and range from miniscule to giant. Although a powerful leaper, the springtail is a minute insect. Photographed beside the head of a pin, it's easy to see why we fail to observe them readily. Yet, only a few pages away, an African snail covers the hand of the man holding it. A hoverfly, one of Nature's bizarre products, is caught frozen in flight. Its ability to hover and dart away is vividly described in Attenborough's text. Another photo portrays another master of aerodynamics, the dragonfly, which can use its wings independently. The image shows all four wings in a different position. It's the dragonfly's ancient ancestor that captures your attention. In his chapter on flying insects, the author displays an ancient fossil dragonfly wing. This ancient progenitor would have had a wingspan of 20 centimetres. Yet, it would been have been diminished by others of its kind reaching 73 centimetres on a body similar to one of today's seagulls in size. Attenborough's skills as a communicator are well exhibited in this book. Drawing on a wealth of research, he's able to describe insect elements from structure to mating habits. Insects have highly complex body formations and internal organs that vary hugely from the rather consistent pattern of mammals like us. Lungs are uncommon, for example, and air is taken in to the body in a variety of ways. Passages in the legs or along the body may allow air to enter, but some insects "breathe" through the skin itself. Also unlike mammals, breeding may entail extended periods depending on both "social" and environmental conditions. Some spiders, when mating, take but minutes, particularly if the female is hungry. Others, where the male fears competition may last far longer as he remains in place to ensure it's his genes that are carried to the next generation. Part of Attenborough's theme is the importance this panoply of life, from great to tiny, plays in our lives. With the immense amount of time and effort put in to make the photographs and observe these creatures in their native habitats, he and his teams have provided much new information about them. He delves into the rich e

Wonderful book for kids and adults

I love this book! The text is easy to read--great for kids--and the photos are extraordinary. I only wish there were more photos. Attenborough did a superb job introducing us into the fantastic world of insects. Bravo!

Enthralling- even for an inveterate bug-hater

My sister in law bought this book for my wife; the two are ex-tom boys who loved snakes and bugs as kids-- still do. I am the opposite. But I quickly read this book cover to cover. It's enthralling, and includes marvelous photos. (Unlike many books with illustrations, the photos are on or opposite the page that's discussing the specific insect, a much-appreciated convenience) For folks interested in genetic evolutionary adaption, this book will be a fascinating read.