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ocoury23's review
dark
informative
sad
slow-paced
2.5
*Review based on experiencing the book as an audiobook
This is one of those books that I finished because of the principle of finishing it and not out of any enjoyment. I agree with other reviewers that the pacing and structure of this book felt choppy and disjointed, and really was just a giant collect of the results of a number of studies. I get it - conservation is bleak and there are no promises of a brighter future, but I feel like there could have been more engaging ways of conveying that message. The end of the book took a turn and focused on specific species, people, and stories, which I wish had been the way the whole book was written because I feel like I would have enjoyed it much more.
This is one of those books that I finished because of the principle of finishing it and not out of any enjoyment. I agree with other reviewers that the pacing and structure of this book felt choppy and disjointed, and really was just a giant collect of the results of a number of studies. I get it - conservation is bleak and there are no promises of a brighter future, but I feel like there could have been more engaging ways of conveying that message. The end of the book took a turn and focused on specific species, people, and stories, which I wish had been the way the whole book was written because I feel like I would have enjoyed it much more.
ijsvogel's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.75
scholastic_squid's review against another edition
I’m struggling to get into the book because of the writing style and also due to my life right now.
jenlouisegallant's review
4.0
Received and audio review copy from Netgalley
This gave me a different viewpoint of the climate crisis we are facing right now. Insects and bugs are such an important part of our ecosystem and as usual, humans have managed to destroy the things they come in contact with. I really enjoyed reading this, but it definitely made me go on a doom spiral. The question how can we fix this? came to mind. I don't think any of us have a true answer, but it can't be what we're doing.
The section on the honeybee, and its use as almost a type of livestock, was intriguing and I had never thought of bees like that before.
I'm certainly interested in reading more about insects as well as more by Oliver Milman.
I really enjoyed the narrator, I think he did a really good job and I found his voice pleasing to listen to.
This gave me a different viewpoint of the climate crisis we are facing right now. Insects and bugs are such an important part of our ecosystem and as usual, humans have managed to destroy the things they come in contact with. I really enjoyed reading this, but it definitely made me go on a doom spiral. The question how can we fix this? came to mind. I don't think any of us have a true answer, but it can't be what we're doing.
The section on the honeybee, and its use as almost a type of livestock, was intriguing and I had never thought of bees like that before.
I'm certainly interested in reading more about insects as well as more by Oliver Milman.
I really enjoyed the narrator, I think he did a really good job and I found his voice pleasing to listen to.
jdas's review against another edition
4.0
A stomach-churning warning. Very well written and very scary to read. It left me wanting to know a bit more about how I can help as an end consumer
claudiacantread's review against another edition
5.0
I work in a sister field to conservation so it is a close topic to my heart and I have to say that I did not know or think about conservation of insects almost ever beyond the headline grabbing “Save the Bees” campaign or monarch butterflies.
This book was really eye opening and I think it is accessible to almost anyone. It definitely gave me messaging that I can use in my interactions with people through my job. If you want to help native animals including birds then you can help BUGS. And its not even that hard. There is a part in this where they talk about a campaign of ‘doing less’ so you don’t even have to do anything! Just do less: less lawn maintenance and less pesticides and herbicides. You can have your own conservation project in YOUR YARD. It was just a super cool idea and I totally plan on using it to encourage people on how they can help. Bugs feed other animals. By helping their population you are helping conservation.
There was super cool insect facts throughout. The author had a good sense of humor and the writing style and formatting kept it interesting and never too repetitive or dull which can happen with even interesting non-fiction sometimes. Hearing about how windshields used to be covered in bugs on road trips and thinking about how it just doesn’t happen anymore was pretty shocking to think about. Lots of numbers that are plummeting and depressing but overall there is such a good message of hope and what you can do in this book.
There are also chapters about the ‘save the bees’ and monarchs if that is all you know, you probably don’t know all of it. I found myself super interested in the bee industry and sad about the future of monarchs.
But anyways, buy native plants! Let your yard be a little more natural! You can help the world be a slightly more buzzy place (which is annoying for us but great for literally everything else).
Thank you to Netgalley and Highbridge audio for this audiobook copy. This was narrated by Liam Gerrad who did great and I would recommend the audiobook format.
This book was really eye opening and I think it is accessible to almost anyone. It definitely gave me messaging that I can use in my interactions with people through my job. If you want to help native animals including birds then you can help BUGS. And its not even that hard. There is a part in this where they talk about a campaign of ‘doing less’ so you don’t even have to do anything! Just do less: less lawn maintenance and less pesticides and herbicides. You can have your own conservation project in YOUR YARD. It was just a super cool idea and I totally plan on using it to encourage people on how they can help. Bugs feed other animals. By helping their population you are helping conservation.
There was super cool insect facts throughout. The author had a good sense of humor and the writing style and formatting kept it interesting and never too repetitive or dull which can happen with even interesting non-fiction sometimes. Hearing about how windshields used to be covered in bugs on road trips and thinking about how it just doesn’t happen anymore was pretty shocking to think about. Lots of numbers that are plummeting and depressing but overall there is such a good message of hope and what you can do in this book.
There are also chapters about the ‘save the bees’ and monarchs if that is all you know, you probably don’t know all of it. I found myself super interested in the bee industry and sad about the future of monarchs.
But anyways, buy native plants! Let your yard be a little more natural! You can help the world be a slightly more buzzy place (which is annoying for us but great for literally everything else).
Thank you to Netgalley and Highbridge audio for this audiobook copy. This was narrated by Liam Gerrad who did great and I would recommend the audiobook format.
rschmidt7's review against another edition
3.0
My problem with topics and books like this is that scientists can be such Chicken Little alarmists that it is hard to take them seriously about what is undoubtedly a serious issue. None of this is to deny the problem, or to deny climate change as a contributor; however, nature is often more profoundly resilient than we give it credit for.
So, it is difficult to know really what to think of both this topic and this book.
Are insects under threat? Yes. Is it dire? Maybe. Are humans contributing to insect population fluctuations? Undoubtedly. Have we always done so as long as we’ve been on the planet? Of course.
Even the author admits that we cannot return to some untouched and pristine past in which insects flourish without any influence from human manipulation of the environment. So what are we to do?
The insect world is such a twisted and tangled and difficult world to take scientific stock of. The only conclusion this book brought me to is that science is messy and an enormous amount more of research is needed to understand and address this issue.
So, it is difficult to know really what to think of both this topic and this book.
Are insects under threat? Yes. Is it dire? Maybe. Are humans contributing to insect population fluctuations? Undoubtedly. Have we always done so as long as we’ve been on the planet? Of course.
Even the author admits that we cannot return to some untouched and pristine past in which insects flourish without any influence from human manipulation of the environment. So what are we to do?
The insect world is such a twisted and tangled and difficult world to take scientific stock of. The only conclusion this book brought me to is that science is messy and an enormous amount more of research is needed to understand and address this issue.