Ants In Your Pants? (Journey To The Ants - Bert Holldobler)

Member Name: shewhoguards

Product:	Journey To The Ants - Bert Holldobler
Date:	29/04/08 (18 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fascinating book on ants, great detailed photos

Disadvantages: Low quality binding

Like any other obsession, it is important when discussing insect books to know which books are interesting to everyone, and which will only be of interest to the small geekish community that researches the subject a great deal. Journey to the Ants, I am happy to report, is one of the former.

The two gentlemen who wrote the book - Bert Holldobler and Edward Wilson - have studied ants for a long time, and their experience really shows here as they bring the subject to life. Journey to the Ants brings fascinating detail on ants of many varieties - from weaver ants who sew leaves together with their larvae to honeypot ants who use workers as living larders to store food for times of famine. Far from being simple creatures, ants have many complexities that most people never get to understand, and these are all detailed here.

Although children are often interested in ants, I should note here that this is not a children's book - the language is likely to leave a child struggling. This is a book for the adult nature-lover.

One of the best things about the book is the pictures - photos of ant heads and bodies in glorious detail - often so close that it is possible to see the bristles. The book would almost be worth buying for those alone.

The only complaint I do have is not of the content of the book, but rather the quality of the binding. Admittedly, I carry my books about a great deal, but after only one copy I am already suffering loose pages. Currently this book costs £10.95 - for that price I expect higher quality binding than this.

Summary: A great purchase for any nature-lover