A review by ndfarrell
The Sting of the Wild by Justin O. Schmidt

2.0

So, the author of this book is a biologist passionate about his work, and that shows in his excitement and very (very) detailed look at many different species of ants and wasps and how they evolved to sting, bite, and inject poison. However... the book is full of Latin names and scientific terms that are never defined - making it hard for the layperson to get excited (or even understand) different mechanisms insects employ to protect themselves. There is no narrative to the book, and each chapter feels the same, to the point where when my two-year-old pulled out my bookmark, I could not find my place again ("hmm... have I read this before??"). I commend the author for his effort, but the subject probably would be more exciting for the layperson if handled by an author, rather than a scientist. I think people already knowledgeable about the insect world would find it interesting, but without that background I just couldn't follow along. Two redeeming parts of the book: the pictures and the scale in the back where the sting of each insect studied was described.