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The Private Life of Spidersby Paul Hillyard
Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:With more than 100 different families and 40,000 individual species, spiders are among the most successful creatures on Earth. Highly adaptable, they live almost everywhere, from equatorial rainforest to Arctic tundra. And they come in a huge range of shapes and sizes, from the tiny Patu digua, measuring less than half a millimeter, to the immense bird-eating tarantula, which can reach a span of eleven inches. In The Private Life of Spiders, spider expert Paul Hillyard takes the reader on a fascinating and richly illustrated tour of the lives of some of the world's most remarkable spiders. The Private Life of Spiders reveals the intriguing behaviors of these complex creatures, from their extraordinary web-spinning skills and hunting strategies to their courtship displays and devoted care for their young. The book also describes other surprising skills of some spiders, such as the ability to cross vast stretches of open water. Written in an engaging style, The Private Life of Spiders also looks at why people are scared of spiders, explains why such fear is generally misplaced, and shows why more needs to be done to protect endangered spiders. Features spiders from a vast range of habitats around the world Includes more than 100 stunning color photographs that capture the beauty and diversity of spiders Covers spider anatomy, behavior, reproduction, social organization, and hunting and web construction techniques Review:Hillyard is a true spider devotee, and he cheerfully informs us that there is no escape from his subject. . . . is a stroll through their largely hidden world, highlighting the most spectacular, unusual, and instructive of the eight-legged brethren. After a brief overview of spider evolution and biology, Hillyard launches into the meat of his subject-a sweeping overview of spider diversity, commencing with those species whose habits and bodies are the most primitive, and culminating with those paragons of arachnid evolution, the elegant orb-weavers. Review:This is an excellent, engagingly written introduction to the diverse and often incredible world of spiders. Review:The bulk of the book deals with descriptions of the various kinds of spiders. Some spin webs and wait, some lurk in burrows or in camouflage, some prowl the sand. But there's more that makes this an interesting read. Hillyard discusses the irrationality of arachnophobia, the fear of spiders, how spiders are beneficial to all kinds of human endeavors--engineering, rice farming and beer brewing are mentioned--and why it's important to know more about spiders. Review:A journey through the life of these often misunderstood and sometimes dangerous creatures. . . . This is a fascinating book. Synopsis:"Paul Hillyard's "Private Life of Spiders" is enjoyable to read, very informative, and beautifully illustrated. The photographs are truly stunning and make a wonderful complement to the text's excellent information on spider life and biology for the general reader. This book will be a terrific addition to any naturalist's or spider lover's library."--Paula E. Cushing, president of the American Arachnological Society "This is an excellent, engagingly written introduction to the diverse and often incredible world of spiders."--Jonathan Coddington, curator of spiders at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History About the AuthorPaul Hillyard is a leading authority on spiders and a former curator at London's Natural History Museum. He has traveled around the world to observe spiders in their natural habitats. His previous books include "Spiders" (Collins) and "The Book of the Spider: From Arachnophobia to the Love of Spiders" (Hutchinson). What Our Readers Are SayingBe the first to add a comment for a chance to win!Product Details
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