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Zusatztext “Flies! Those irritating insects that settle on your food when you eat outside in summer, cluster round the eyes of horses, and carry diseases on their little tickling feet. How can someone write a whole book on flies! The best thing I can say is “Read S uper Fly !” It is utterly fascinating, written with clear prose, a delightful sense of humour, and by a gifted naturalist and story teller. And Jonathan Balcombe not only writes with authority about the incredible diversity of fly species, but with a real love for these fascinating winged beings that play such an important role in the tapestry of life.” —Jane Goodall, PhD, DBE, Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute, & UN Messenger of Peace “Ogden Nash wrote, "God in His wisdom made the fly, and then forgot to tell us why." Now Jonathan Balcombe's witty book enlightens us, advising of the fly's, and other insects', surprising role in preserving our ecosystem and far more. In my view, the first thoroughly readable, enjoyable and scholarly work on the subject." —Ingrid Newkirk, president and cofounder of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) “Balcombe has done it again. He’s peeled back our assumptions about a class of maligned creature and shown us there is wonder, majesty, and even poetry to find inside flies. I left this book hypnotized by the celestial blues Balcombe illuminated in flies’ eyes; I was delighted to learn of flies’ status as unsung pollinators, as forensic tools, as secret codes in fine art. This book has so many gifts for nature lovers, engineers, poets, and tired old souls hoping to rekindle their love of the world." —Lulu Miller, Author of Why Fish Don’t Exist and Co-Host of Radiolab “What a wonderful book Super Fly is! Well written and full of fascinating facts, it urges us to appreciate one of nature’s least favored groups. Even if you can’t empathize with flies, Super Fly suggests good reasons for not reaching automatically for the swatter or bug spray at the first sign of buzzing. Without flies, crimes would go unsolved, flowers unpollinated, and garbage unremoved. Indeed, flies are clearly so vital to life on earth that a world without flies would quickly experience ecological collapse.” — Tim Flannery , The New York Review of Books “Biologist Balcombe ( What a Fish Knows: The Inner Lives of Our Underwater Cousins ) fascinates with this deep dive into the world of flies… In often humorous prose, starting with a depiction of his own discovery that his body had been infiltrated by maggots on a research trip to South Africa, Balcombe reveals the intricate hidden world of these insects, generally dismissed as buzzing, biting pests… In vivid prose, Balcombe perfectly illustrates the complexity of the natural world. Armchair naturalists will find this a stunning and welcome complement to similar volumes such as The Lives of Bees: The Untold Story of the Honey Bee in the Wild or The Soul of an Octopus .” —Publisher's Weekly (Starred review) “With thorough research and a knack for witty turns of phrase, Balcombe achieves his aim of inspiring, “wonder at the diversity, complexity, and success,” of a largely disliked group of animals. He also succeeds in highlighting the vital role they play in the ecosystem. ” —Spectrum Culture “Written with infectious passion and a large dose of empathy, Super Fly is bound to astonish and delight you. Combining science with story-telling, and clarity with grace and humor, Balcombe shows a willingness to go where others have been hesitant to venture. I cannot recommend this book highly enough." —Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson, Ph.D., author of When Elephants Weep “Just when you thought humans were the dominant animal on the planet, Jonathan Balcombe swoops in with his characteristi...
