The butterfly effect : insects and the making of the modern world
(Book - Regular Print)

"This is a Borzoi book" -- title page verso.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 205-237) and index.

"An insightful, entertaining dive into the fruitful, centuries-long relationship between humans and insects, revealing the fascinating and surprising array of ways humans depend on these minute, six-legged pests"--,Provided by publisher.

When we bite into a shiny apple, listen to the resonant notes of a violin, get dressed, receive a dental implant, or get a manicure, we are the beneficiaries of a vast army of insects. Try as we might to replicate their raw material, our artificial substitutes have proven subpar at best, and at worst toxic, ensuring our interdependence with the insect world for the foreseeable future. Melillo shows how we have relied on these creatures for, among other things, the key discoveries of modern medical science and the future of the world's food supply. -- adapted from jacket