When it comes to the literature of natural history, there are certain words that when found in the title of a book automatically draw attention to it – words such as “invertebrates,” “medically important,” and “venomous.” So when all of these are found in the title of one single book, well… how could any self-respecting naturalist possibly resist the desire to learn more about it?
Written by David Bowles, James Swaby, and Harold Harlan (all retired U.S. military medical entomologists), the Guide to Venomous and Medically Important Invertebrates was recently published by CSIRO Publishing, this thoroughly illustrated guide presents a wealth of information about the “health threats posed by invertebrate groups worldwide, from physical pain and annoyance to disease transmission risk.”
I’ve wanted to get an in-depth look into this book since the very first time I learned of its (then forthcoming) publication. And now that it’s available, I can’t wait to get started reading it. And what with an upcoming intercontinental flight from the U.S. to Germany on my agenda, you can rest assured that this one will be in my travel bag.
