What a spectacular book. Klein is clearly very knowledgable, and is also a great writer, making a book with a lot, a LOT, of information very readable. He discusses how very involved bugs are with humans. We consume dozens of bug products, we use bugs as inspiration for technology and inventions, and bugs inspire art. It's also full of beautiful illustrations. I came out of this book with an even bigger appreciation of bugs.

The Insect Epiphany is a well written, accurate, and fascinating look at insects and how they have interacted with and shaped human existence written by entomologist Dr. Barrett Klein. Released 15th Oct 2024 by Hachette on their Timber Press imprint, it's 368 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats.

This is a very well grounded, layman accessible monograph on insects and how they interact with and shape us from prehistory, down to the modern day. Dr. Klein manages to interpret and present often quite complex concepts in digestible & accessible bites which the average reader will have no trouble understanding.

The material, although wide-ranging in scope, is presented in a logical order: symbiosis (products and materials - silk, honey, wax, lacquer, etc), genesis (copying design/utilizing/engineering), and metamorphosis (copying fighting, mating, dancing, dress, etc).

The book is beautifully illustrated throughout, with paintings, illustrations, photographs, and facsimiles from historical archives, literature, and the arts. The author/publisher have also included useful appendices for readers' use including comprehensive chapter citations which are likely worth the price of the book by themselves.

It's not written in rigidly academic prose, but it is fully annotated throughout. Many (but not all) of the sources he uses in the book -are- academically demanding and will require some extra effort on the part of readers.

Five stars. This would be an excellent choice for public library acquisition, home use, and gift giving, for fans of popular science and nonfiction.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

In The Insect Epiphany: How Our Six-Legged Allies Shape Human Culture, Barret Klein explores the impact of insects on human society, an impact both broad and deep. The text is almost always fascinating and offers up more than enough representative examples of his points, while the numerous included illustrations and photographs add a wonderful enhancement to the text.

After a preface which offers a personal touch, and an introduction that gives us some foundational sense of context and numbers (sixty percent of identified animal species are insects, three-quarters of food crops require insect pollination, etc.), the book is divided into three very broad sections: “Working with Them: Symbiosis”, which delves into our use of insect products such as honey, silk, and venom

“Making Them: Genesis”, where we “mechanically mimic” insects, such as in modeling our architecture after theirs

“Becoming Them: Metamorphosis”, which looks at how we currently imitate insect behavior or ways in which it might be a good idea to do so

As noted, Klein offers up a plethora of fascinating information. Some of it is historical and/or archaeological, such as learning how the secret of making silk made its way out of China or early evidence of beeswax on Viking ships and Egyptian mummies, and why purple was reserved for the top of the class pyramid in ancient Rome. Sometimes the text dives into science and medicine, such as examining the antiseptic, anti-bacterial benefits of honey. But Klein moves beyond the hard factual realms and into art, music, dance, fashion, and behavior as well, a broader exploration than often seen in explorations of the insect world. We even dip into martial arts and fly into space.

Nor does Klein wholly ignore the darker elements of our relationship with and to insects, the millions of silkworms killed for the feel of silk against our skin for instance. And of course our transformative effect on the whole planet environment that has decimated so many species (insects and otherwise). But Klein chooses to close on an optimist note, arguing “a single person can make a difference”, recalling the way children’s eyes “light up” as they relate their own insect encounters to him, and how he can “huddle down in front of the smallest patch of earth and patiently watch … vibrant life.”

That personal touch is liberally sprinkled throughout the text to the book’s benefit. Klein’s voice is engaging and while his language and style are not as lyrical as some nature books,
They are always accessible and clear — the two cornerstones of good popular science writing. And again, enough cannot be said about how much the text is enhanced by the visuals, a surprising and uncommon number of them for such a book, at least in my experience. They’re basically worth the price of admission on their own. Well recommended.

The Insect Epiphany by entomologist Barrett Klein is an insect lover's dream! I happily pored over the fascinating text and magnificent colour images and thirsted for the next revelation. Klein's passion for insects began in childhood which was a treat to learn about. Scores of six-legged creatures inhabit my region, some I could do without. But his quest to increase knowledge and to imagine a world without insects caused me to take a deep dive into the repercussions. What would life be like without their contribution to food, antidotes and sedatives, fabric, art, dyes, getting rid of bodily waste, and solving murder?

Information which struck me in particular include the silkworm (to this day its silky threads cannot be replicated), caddisfly larva enveloped in gold, the lac insect which produces shellac, the assymetrical shield bug's beauty, the wasp nest dollhouse, and cochineal dyes in paintings. What a pleasure to learn a lot of this for the first time!

If you are at all intrigued by insects and their roles in our world, this book is unmissable. Devouring the vast knowledge of the author is like discovering a mother lode of titillating treasure. The writing is conversational and personal, too.

My sincere thank you to Timber Press and NetGalley for providing me with an early digital copy of this phenomenal book.

I eagerly anticipated my dive into this book. However, I found it to be disjointed, and I struggled to determine the author's purpose in writing it. I don’t understand how insect-influened art, drones, or fashion pertain to the topic.

This is a fascinating science book about the intersection between human’s and insect life such as the products produced by insects and how they have science and art.

The Insect Epiphany gives the readers a wonderful interpretation of how intricately tied our lives are with insects (and their close relatives). So many people take advantage or loathe insect's presence in the world but in reality, we absolutely cannot live without them! Barrett Klein doesn't go very in-depth into insect ecology but he instead offers us many fascinating historical accounts, scientific research, personal stories, and artistic interpretations of these amazing creatures. The Insect Epiphany would be a fantastic addition to every public library and nature center!

Nice non-fiction book. It looked more interesting than it was. My personal opinion was that it was very dry and I had a hard time finishing.

I wanted to read this in the hopes that I would glean some interesting information to share in my career as an interpretive naturalist. I struggled through about 60 pages and then couldn't do it anymore, because it makes me too disgusted and upset that humans are so exploitative and murderous towards insects.

An epiphany to insects indeed. Informative but equally engaging book about our little friends (no, not the ones with paws) and how they make the world a better place. The information is accompanied by very relevant and vibrant pictures or illustrations.
The prose is accessible.
4.5 stars

This was a really amazing book with interesting, engaging text and stunning images.

I enjoyed the way the author, Barrett Kelin, worked to help people understand the importance of insects while showing the ways in which insects have been entwined with our lives and culture for centuries.

The text is beautifully written and well worth a read, but the images alone are worth picking this book up. They are beautiful, varied, and provide an interesting look at the way people and insects interact.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in insects, nature, and culture.

Thanks to Net Galley and Timber Press for an advanced reader copy of this gorgeous book.

I have given this book 3.5 stars.

I started this book with absolutely no idea just how much we as humans used insects and their products in our daily life. From colours and dyes to paper to food. The inclusion of some wonderful photographs and artwork was so nice to see alongside their corresponding topic, and I found the writing really easy to read and fly through. I read this book in the space of a couple days. I found it absolutely fascinating reading about insects; an overlooked group of animals for sure. It truly is amazing just how much of the world of insects has been applied to modern day science and medicine - including robotics which I was astonished to read.

Would definitely recommend to anyone who has an interest in this topic.

This book offers an excellent exploration of insects and their significance to humans. It delves into the impact on our food supply, the benefits to our nutrition, and our very existence due to insects. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in environmental topics.

I feel bad that I've been in such a reading slump because I haven't been able to care about a lot of these anticipated releases like this one. I really wanted this one to be the one to break the slump, but unfortunately, this wasn't it for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was lovely, and anyone who used to read books like the Eyewitness nonfiction series as a kid would probably like this, as it has a similar vibe. All about insects (and spiders too!), this book describes insects in relation to humanity throughout history, from their use as sources of colors, food, and engineering inspiration, art, and even clothing. Accompanied by tons and tons of beautiful color photos and illustrations, this was a joy to read!

I started reading “silent spring” so this book caught my eye. Interesting details on history of insects and how humans use them. Would make a good reference book for the insect lover in the family. Would recommend.

Firstly, this book is beautiful. With illustrations, photographs, and a strong sense of its own aesthetic, even in eARC form, it is a treat. You could treat this as a picture book alone and have a good time with it.

The Insect Epiphany is an attempt to chart every point of interaction between any human culture and in the insect world. Having granted himself this impossible task, the author acquits himself of it pretty well, actually. The weaker chapters pop up when there is too much range to cover, and lacking any natural way to divide things up the context can bounce around. But notably sections that I expected to be the worst, like the insect in art, ended up my favorites because of this holistic approach. And the stories of the author's costumes were a hoot. Actually, this is generally true of all the author's personal asides. And while the beginning was fairly standard for this sort of book, the ending was unusually strong with its cosmic dimensions.

I am a little unsure of who the book is for, in the sense that I do not see it persuading insect-haters whereas insect-lovers may find it too basic. I think that it might be a hit with younger readers. I do not think it is geared that way, but its high visual quality, shorter chapters and subchapters, and blend of prose and poetry would provide a clean and pretty introduction to a lot of the material here.

My thanks to the author, Barrett Klein, for writing the book and to the publisher, Timber Press, for making the ARC available to me.

The Insect Epiphany by Barrett Klein is quite simply one of the most beautifully illustrated books I have ever had the good luck to encounter, let alone the absolutely fascinating content within

Most people cringe at the thought of creepy crawlies, and that is ok, we are essentially programmed to as a natural species outselves, However, many have not shied away from insects and in fact, whole industries have been built from them. Silk, Wax, Honey, Lacquer, Colour, Paper, Chitin, even poisons (and the cure therof), food, medicine and so much more.

The species that has without comparison or competition the highest populations in the natural world (and some of them have been domesticated, like the revered silk worm) have not only contributed immensely to trade, industry and science, but also culture and art.

The Genesis section contains perhaps one of my favourite pieces of information from the book. This section explores how we as humans have mimicked the exoskeleton, structures and mechanics of insect mobility and protection in making minute machines, links, robots, spyware and architecture. But the most stunning example are the samurai Helmets with the emblems of the dragonfly and cicada made from mixed materials. While not essentially mimicking the mechanical efficacy of these insects, the helmets are absolutely gorgeous

The theme of emulating and mimicking insects continues to the final section, that of metamorphosis, which explores fighting styles, behaviour, even fashion

The book incorporates poetry, imagery and a very well written, immersive narrative that is easy to read and highly engaging. A must for budding entomologists, biologists and anyone with a love and fascination of nature. Simply stunning!

Thank you very much to Netgalley, Timber Press and the fantastic author Barrett Klein for this insightful and very enjoyable ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

This is the perfect gift for the Bug and Book lovers in your life!

I’m embarrassed to admit, but the only insect facts I knew came from Blathers, the owl who owns the museum in Animal Crossing. In my hopes to read more Non-Fiction, I came across this book, drawn in by the cover's beautiful illustrations, and I was met with an abundance of knowledge on insects and their important role in our ecosystems, fabrics, food, and culture. This is a text heavy book, but the vibrant pictures and descriptive writing is what keeps your interest throughout.

I recommend pairing this with your next visit to your local insectarium!

Thank you to NetGalley and Timber Press for this ARC.

The insect epiphany gives an in-depth view of how insects have shaped our world, from the products we cannot make without them to the inspiration we took from them. The main focus isn't the insects themselves, but the things they brought us.

The book focuses on influences from all around the world. It often talks about non-Western cultures.

Although I found the text to be a bit dense for casual reading, I can see others using it for their research or strong interest in a discussed subject. I appreciate that the author was able to add a personal touch to the writing while still maintaining a serious approach.