Life in the Undergrowth

'Life in the undergrowth' can be read either as an accompaniment to the TV series or as a standalone book. There are sufficient additions and deviations from the series to allow you to further your knowledge, while still following the same basic route so that it can be read alongside watching it. At the same time it covers everything the series does and never mentions or reverts back to it, so you don't miss-out on anything if you never watched the show.

One of the most startling things about the book is its format. I was expecting something resembling an encyclopaedia with several mini-headings dotted about each page along with a small paragraph and picture. Instead I found that the book reads much like a novel. There is a chapter for each episode which is written in continuous paragraphs. This makes the reading is more fluid and you understand relationships between different species more easily. Also Attenborough's unique conversational style comes across much better than I imagine it would in other formats. However this layout can get a little dry and there are few natural breaks between chapters.

A typical double page spread consists of one page of text and another page filled with a photograph with a caption in the margin. There are sometimes variations but if you measured how much of the book was taken up by words and pictures I think it would be almost exactly even. The photographs are of course superb, the clarity and detail defying belief. They all feature the behaviour talked about in the text which leaves little to the imagination. Many are taken as stills from the series, but there are others that never featured on TV.

Overall this is a fascinating book, very well written and structured. It can become a bit dry even with the pictures and I struggled to maintain concentration towards the end, but I ended up even more fascinating about life in the undergrowth.

Watch your step! (0/1 people found this helpful)

They're there in their swarming multitudes. Millions upon millions of tiny creatures which we rarely observe and even more rarely consider. In large part we ignore them. Most are too small to be seen unaided and those large enough to be visible usually find ways to hide or deceive us. When we visibly encounter them, out come the folded newspapers or spray cans of insecticide. Such hasty judgements may be reconsidered when you've finished this glorious portrayal of insect life.

A TV documentary made into a book may seem "unscientific" to some. However, Attenborough's attention to detail and his prose skills give this volume real value. Lavishly illustrated, with many full-page photographs, the insect world is presented in grand scale. The subjects are presented in intimate detail, and range from miniscule to giant. Although a powerful leaper, the springtail is a minute insect. Photographed beside the head of a pin, it's easy to see why we fail to observe them readily. Yet, only a few pages away, an African snail covers the hand of the man holding it. A hoverfly, one of Nature's bizarre products, is caught frozen in flight. Its ability to hover and dart away is vividly described in Attenborough's text. Another photo portrays another master of aerodynamics, the dragonfly, which can use its wings independently. The image shows all four wings in a different position. It's the dragonfly's ancient ancestor that captures your attention. In his chapter on flying insects, the author displays an ancient fossil dragonfly wing. This ancient progenitor would have had a wingspan of 20 centimetres. Yet, it would been have been diminished by others of its kind reaching 73 centimetres on a body similar to one of today's seagulls in size.

Attenborough's skills as a communicator are well exhibited in this book. Drawing on a wealth of research, he's able to describe insect elements from structure to mating habits. Insects have highly complex body formations and internal organs that vary hugely from the rather consistent pattern of mammals like us. Lungs are uncommon, for example, and air is taken in to the body in a variety of ways. Passages in the legs or along the body may allow air to enter, but some insects "breathe" through the skin itself. Also unlike mammals, breeding may entail extended periods depending on both "social" and environmental conditions. Some spiders, when mating, take but minutes, particularly if the female is hungry. Others, where the male fears competition may last far longer as he remains in place to ensure it's his genes that are carried to the next generation.

Part of Attenborough's theme is the importance this panoply of life, from great to tiny, plays in our lives. With the immense amount of time and effort put in to make the photographs and observe these creatures in their native habitats, he and his teams have provided much new information about them. He delves into the rich evolutionary history of insects, reminding us that their heritage dates back to the beginning of life on land - nearly 400 million years ago. His work demonstrates that these animals, which we often consider "mindless", do possess an unexpected individuality. He's also candid about what remains to be learned. Some of the research called for may have serious implications for humanity. We thoughtlessly exterminate insects at our peril. With so much valuable information and a treasure of detailed images, this book is a worthwhile purchase for anybody, young or old. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

Life as you have never seen it before (5/5 people found this helpful)

I thought this book was very good, since it gave a very general aspect of many insects, in their own habitat. The pictures are of very high quality and there is some material in the book which is not available in the DVD. Of course there are some things which are only shown in the DVD, such as the area where it shows the development of a bumblebee nest.
I do think that it is probably his best book so far out of all his nature books. I would recommend this book to everyone who is starting to study nature.

Could and should have been so much more (16/19 people found this helpful)

I cant help thinking cynically after reading the book that its a bit of a con, making you buy the book as the series is so good but the book is not closely related enough to the series, the chapters are the same and it features many of the same anecdotes of invertebrate behaviour but the pictures were not taken as part of the filming of the show, if only they were! They are stock photos and while some are of a very high standard (one page showing 4 photos of a dragonfly emerging from his chrysalis) some are not so impressive which is not something you really expect from a book accompanying a david attenborough series.

Excellent, beautifully illustrated (37/39 people found this helpful)

The book to accompany Attenborough's exploration of the tiny world of the insects. An excellent, well packaged, highly informative and profusely illustrated little tome, this is great value and an exciting and stimulating introduction to the subject. The material presented is accessible - you will not be baffled by academic or scientific jargon - and, far from being simply a reference book, this is a very readable volume. It will stimulate your interest in the subject.

However, this is not the television series - the photographs are excellent, the writing clear, but the book cannot capture the excitement and wonder which the moving image achieves. BBC television has an extraordinary record in presenting wildlife programmes, and the filming of this series is of the highest quality. The book, therefore, is a little disappointing purely and simply because it cannot offer the momentum and dynamic of the moving image and 'live' sound.

I comment on the difference between book and programme not as a criticism, but as a warning - I have often heard people complain that a book didn't live up to the series. They're different animals. If you don't get the same sense of immediacy and presence from the book, what you do get is a lasting sense of wonder. Books like this inspire people to look further into the subject. You will find yourself reading this and stopping to watch insects differently. Beware - there are pictures of spiders; while these are misunderstood little creatures, they do scare the …. out of many people, so be wary who you sit next to when reading it. Of course, if you have a malicious sense of humour, I recommend leaving the book open at page … .

Sir David Attenborough

Reader Reviews:

Read alone or with the series (1/1 people found this helpful)

Watch your step! (0/1 people found this helpful)

Life as you have never seen it before (5/5 people found this helpful)

Could and should have been so much more (16/19 people found this helpful)

Excellent, beautifully illustrated (37/39 people found this helpful)

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