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Fly : Animal Series - Steven Connor

Fly

By: Steven Connor

Paperback | 1 October 2006

At a Glance

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Few creatures are as universally despised as flies. Blamed for pestilence and plagues, they were publicly excommunicated from the medieval church. Beelzebub, “the lord of the flies,” was said to be the embodiment of evil, and, for centuries, flies were considered the result of spontaneous generation—the unnatural consequence of rotting meat.

Fly explores the history of this much-maligned creature and then turns to examine its newfound redemption through science. The secrets of the fly’s versatile powers of flight, Steven Connor reveals, are only beginning to be understood and appreciated. Its eyes and wings, for instance, have evolved so perfectly that they provide inspiration for some of today’s most daring technological and scientific innovations. And the humble fruit fly, Connor demonstrates, stands at the center of revolutionary advances in genetic research.

Connor delights in tracking his lowly subject through myth, literature, poetry, painting, film, and biology. Humans live in close and intimate quarters with flies, but Fly is the first book to give these common creatures their due.

Industry Reviews
'In Fly, Steven Connor undertakes the monumental task of acquainting a prejudiced public with the spectacular diversity of Diptera. The book is a tour de force of all manner of flies through both scientific and cultural lenses ... The illustrations are an unremitting delight the author has done a fantastic job of hunting down images ... Fly is a joy to read.' - Science 'Fly is a fascinating little volume, informative because of the imaginative breadth of material used to reflect mankind's attitude to the flies that have shared our lives for millennia ... the text is interspersed with fascinating illustrations ... This is a compact work of scholarship, well researched and well referenced, both from entomological and literary standpoints. I commend it to any reader whose view is broader than a microscope tube.' - British Journal of Entomology and Natural History '... a very interesting read ... highly recommended.' - European Journal of Entomology

You Can Find This Book In

Non-FictionEarth Sciences, Geography, Environment, PlanningThe EnvironmentSocial Impact of Environmental IssuesScienceBiology, Life SciencesZoology & Animal SciencesZoology & InvertebratesInsects & EntomologySociety & CultureCultural StudiesHistory
Nature & The Natural WorldWildlife in GeneralButterflies, Other Insects & SpidersSociology & AnthropologyAnthropologySocial & Cultural Anthropology, Ethnography

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