An Obsession with Butterflies: Our Long Love Affair with a Singular Insect
Sharman Apt Russell (Basic Books / $14.00)
Birds, it turns out, aren’t the only winged creatures to stir in us an interest bordering on the obsessive. In this lively meditation, Sharman Apt Russell introduces dozens of the 18,000 species of butterflies, as well as a few of their passionate admirers—including dedicated scientists and early explorers traveling the world with “a collecting net in one hand, a gun in the other.” For many, the transformation of caterpillar to butterfly fuels this obsession. Timeless symbols of resurrection and release, butterflies are depicted on ancient Egyptian tombs and on the walls of Polish concentration camps; live butterflies grace the cells of modern Chinese prisons. All speak to a connection expressed by the Greeks, who chose the same word, psyche, for both butterflies and the soul.
— Beth Duris
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