Butterflies are one of the world’s most beloved insects. They are one of the few insects we’ve encouraged to infiltrate our lives: we admire them, collect them; we are charmed by their beauty. Yet, what do we really know about these creatures? What is their role? And what is so magical about them that some risk - and sometimes lose - their fortunes or their lives to capture one? In this groundbreaking book, New York Times bestselling author and science journalist Wendy Williams reveals the inner lives of these “flying flowers”—creatures far more intelligent and tougher than we give them credit for. She teaches us that butterflies communicate through their beautiful and dazzling colours, that in the 17th century the study of these creatures revolutionised our understanding of nature, laying the foundations of ecology, that their alliance with other living beings is the basis of life on our planet and that they can even improve our existence in many tangible ways by offering new and surprising models for medical technology. She lets us into many secrets - monarch butterflies migrate thousands of miles each year from Canada to Mexico. Other species have learned how to fool ants into taking care of them. Unfortunately, we will also learn that butterfly and moth populations are in decline, a process with different causes which we could do a lot to stop… Williams takes readers to butterfly habitats across the globe and introduces us to not only various species, but to the scientists who have dedicated their lives to studying them. In short, Wendy Williams gives us a fascinating “butterfly biography” that explores the ancient partnership between these creatures and humans. Touching, eye-opening, and incredibly profound, The Language of Butterflies reveals the critical role they play in our world.
Wendy Williams is a scientific journalist. She has worked with the "New York Times", the "Wall Street Journal" and the "Boston Globe". She has spent her life in the great outdoors, crossing Africa, walking in the fields and forests of Europe and exploring the North American mountain ranges and prairies.
She lives in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. She is the author of the international bestseller, The Horse.
Butterflies are one of the world’s most beloved insects. They are one of the few insects we’ve encouraged to infiltrate our lives: we admire them, collect them; we are charmed by their beauty. Yet, what do we really know about these creatures? What is their role? And what is so magical about them that some risk - and sometimes lose - their fortunes or their lives to capture one? In this groundbreaking book, New York Times bestselling author and science journalist Wendy Williams reveals the inner lives of these “flying flowers”—creatures far more intelligent and tougher than we give them credit for. She teaches us that butterflies communicate through their beautiful and dazzling colours, that in the 17th century the study of these creatures revolutionised our understanding of nature, laying the foundations of ecology, that their alliance with other living beings is the basis of life on our planet and that they can even improve our existence in many tangible ways by offering new and surprising models for medical technology. She lets us into many secrets - monarch butterflies migrate thousands of miles each year from Canada to Mexico. Other species have learned how to fool ants into taking care of them. Unfortunately, we will also learn that butterfly and moth populations are in decline, a process with different causes which we could do a lot to stop… Williams takes readers to butterfly habitats across the globe and introduces us to not only various species, but to the scientists who have dedicated their lives to studying them. In short, Wendy Williams gives us a fascinating “butterfly biography” that explores the ancient partnership between these creatures and humans. Touching, eye-opening, and incredibly profound, The Language of Butterflies reveals the critical role they play in our world.
Wendy Williams is a scientific journalist. She has worked with the "New York Times", the "Wall Street Journal" and the "Boston Globe". She has spent her life in the great outdoors, crossing Africa, walking in the fields and forests of Europe and exploring the North American mountain ranges and prairies.
She lives in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. She is the author of the international bestseller, The Horse.
