Wicked Bugs: The Louse That Conquered Napoleon's Army and Other Diabolical Insects

In this darkly comical look at the sinister side of our relationship with the natural world, Stewart has tracked down over one hundred of our worst entomological foes-creatures that infest, infect, and generally wreak havoc on human affairs. From the world's most painful hornet, to the flies that transmit deadly diseases, to millipedes that stop traffic, to the Japanese beetles munching on your roses, Wicked Bugs delves into the extraordinary powers of many-legged creatures.With wit, style, and exacting research, Stewart has uncovered the most terrifying and titillating stories of bugs gone wild. It's an A to Z of insect enemies, interspersed with sections that explore bugs with kinky sex lives, creatures lurking in the cupboard, militant ants, and phobias that feed our (sometimes) irrational responses to bugs.Wicked Bugs is a fascinating mixture of history, science, murder, and intrigue that begins-but doesn't end-in your own backyard.

Amy Stewart follows her wildly successful national bestseller Wicked Plants with an investigation of the insects, worms, and spiders that have tormented humankind for centuries.

Amy Stewart is the bestselling author of several books on the perils and pleasures of the natural world: From the Ground Up, The Earth Moved, Flower Confidential, and Wicked Plants. Her essays and commentaries have appeared on NPR, in the New York Times, and in Fine Gardening and other magazines. She is the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship and the American Horticultural Society's 2010 Book Award. Amy lives in Eureka, California, where she and her husband own an antiquarian bookstore. Coleen Marlo is an accomplished actor who has appeared on stage, in film, and on television, and is a member of the prestigious Actors Studio. She also taught acting for ten years at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute. An AudioFile Earphones Award winner, Coleen has been awarded three Listen-Up Awards from Publishers Weekly, including for Third World America by Arianna Huffington and The Poisoner's Handbook by Deborah Blum. She has also earned three Audie Award nominations, winning for Snakewoman of Little Egypt by Robert Hellenga. Publishers Weekly has named Coleen Audiobook Reader of the Year for 2010.