Description
Among beetles, tiger beetles are some of the favourites of nature-loving people. Large, active, and colourful, tiger beetles are as watchable as birds, and easily as fascinating. Well-loved naturalist John Acorn offers a fun and fascinating look at some of Alberta's smaller citizens.
Reviews
"John has the rare knack of making the science of insects interesting and accessible to a wide array of people, from professional biologists, to school children. He has an uncanny ability to focus attention on those features of an organism that will engage a reader's attention, and then induce the reader to wish to learn more about the organism." Michael Majerus, Reader in Evolution, University of Cambridge
"What a book! Now we can really identify all the tiger beetles we find." Barb Beck
"I have read and reread (Acorn's) Tiger Beetles of Alberta, used it in my classes, and carried it with me in the field. It is well written and illustrated, and it packs an enormous amount of information....Tiger Beetles is the best field guide since the first Peterson's Field Guide to the Birds..." Dr. Gene Kritsky, Curator of Entomology, Cincinnati Museum Center
"Let Acorn introduce you to the amazing world of the tiger beetle and you'll never look at bugs the same way again." David Beharry, Gateway
"I am a bug voyeur....So as I settled into Acorn's tiger beetles field guide, I felt only envy. Not only does he get to watch bugs for a living, he does it in some of my favourite places, like the Milk River Valley and the Drumheller badlands....I hope...that his plan to make this volume the first of a series on Alberta's insects comes to fruition." Joyce Hildebrand, Encompass Magazine
".opens the door to the fascinating world of tiger beetles." New Trail Magazine
"John Acorn is among those rare individuals who has both unquestionable scientific credentials, and thus can write authoritatively and with scientific accuracy, and great insights into the human psyche, and thus can write engagingly for a wide and diverse audience. His consummate skill as a photographer and naturalist means these books are aesthetically as well as intellectually delightful. .he is an absolutely brilliant advocate for insects and he has the scientific and literary chops to create a highly popular and very durable series." May Berenbaum, Professor and Head, Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
"Those familiar with John Acorn's PBS series will find his special brand of humor distributed throughout this book, and those not familiar with the series are in for a special treat. But this does not detract from a terrific treatment of the tiger beetle fauna of west-central Canada..This book will appeal to the novice, but will prove equally useful to anyone interested in North American tiger beetles, from undergraduates to research scientists. All levels." P.K. Lago, University of Mississippi, Choice
"Tiger Beetles of Alberta is one of the greatest recent natural history titles: visually stunning, factually replete and reliable, altogether a user's delight.John Acorn is unquestionably one of our finest nature communicators today: rigorous in his outlook, remarkably broad in his knowledge and interests, and of course witty, humane, and deeply considerate of both insects and those who watch, study, and enjoy them. He is a superb photographer and an excellent writer." Robert Michael Pyle, author, The National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Butterflies
"I suggest that every entomologist who has fond memories of entomology field trips to do things you just couldn't explain to your grandmother will enjoy reading this book. And, for every author that wants to write for a broad public, keep an eye on this title. Clearly, I loved it as much as literature as for the entomological aspects." Michael A. Ivie, Department of Entomology, Montana State University, in American Entomologist (Full review at http://www.entsoc.org/pubs/book%20reviews/tiger_beetles_of_alberta.htm)
"John Acorn's books are innovative, accurate and scientific, and engaging.he has this wonderful style that both excites and interests the reader." David R. Maddison, Associate Professor, Department of Entomology, University of Arizona
"This book is a work of art in the truest and nicest sense of the phrase." Dr. Felix Sperling
"Well known for his television series "Acorn: The Nature Nut", the author draws on his experience to give us a colorful and informative examination of tiger beetles, masterfully expelling scientific jargon along the way and replacing it with more user-friendly terminology.... Overall, "Tiger Beetles of Alberta" is an engaging, reasonably priced book aimed at non-professionals. Anyone, amateur or professional, with an interest in tiger beetles of Alberta or North America will find it useful, since many of Alberta's species also occur in other regions. If you are interested in a colorful introduction to tiger beetles, this book is a must." Stephen M. Spomer and William J. Allgeier, Great Plains Research
"If you think you've permanently turned off your interest in bugs and beetles, Acorn's book might be the one to turn it back on." Susan Jones, St. Albert Gazette
".Acorn eschews the traditional jargon-filled approach to science writing so that language won't be a barrier to enjoyment or learning." Joyce Hildebrand, Encompass Magazine
"Once you read Acorn's book and look at his photos of these creatures, you might find yourself developing a liking for their jeweled beauty. You may begin to worry that somewhere, in your bug-hating past, you inadvertently stepped on a tiger beetle.. Something about this bug book creeps up on the reader. Read it to the end, or at least look at all the photos, and you'll find it impossible not to look at beetles in a new way." Susan Jones, St. Albert Gazette