Product Description

The team behind the critically and popularly acclaimed anthropological photoessays Material World and Women in the Material World make their debut on our list with this oddly tantalizing book about a subject that's creeping into prominence: insects as food for people. With the distinctive blend of thoughtful cultural inquiry, intrepid exploration, and sumptuous photography that has earned them worldwide renown, the authors document the practice and history of entomophagy around the globe, discovering that insects are a nutritious, plentiful, and varied food source. From Mexico, where people celebrate the annual Jumile Festival with bug hunts and beauty queens, to China, where whole families make their livings from scorpion ranches, over a dozen bug-eating countries (including the USA) are profiled in MAN EATING BUGS. Each chapter examines a culture through a stunning array of location photos, interviews with locals, and highlights from the authors' field journals, as well as indigenous recipes carefully photographed. A colorful, beautiful, and intelligent book.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #98486 in Books
• Published on: 2004-03-01
• Released on: 2004-03-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 192 pages

Amazon.com Review
Conventional wisdom holds that our dietary habits are mostly set by the time we reach age 5. Perhaps this explains why the thought of eating insects sends the average Westerner into a fit of shudders and gagging. But entomophagy is practiced by all kinds of people, all over the world. Arthropods are a good source of protein, they're plentiful, and they're often easier to catch than a fast bird or dangerous mammal. Peter Menzel and Faith D'Aluisio, the husband-wife team behind the photojournalistic masterpieces Material World and Women in the Material World, bring us the world of insect eating through stunning photos and amusing, enlightening text, complete with recipes for delicacies like Simple Scorpion Soup. Peter dives into each insect meal with gusto, whereas Faith is always less enthusiastic, but participates nonetheless, if only to push her Western taste boundaries out a bit further. Here she describes her first taste of a fried tarantula in Cambodia: "I can stall no longer. I break off a leg--it's two inches long, but seems like twelve--and ask if this too is supposed to be eaten. Yes, I'm told, so I do. I'm surprised that it doesn't feel hairy in my mouth because it looks awfully hairy.... It doesn't taste bad, but I can't say it tastes good."

Man Eating Bugs is part global anthropological study, part nature essay, part travel adventure story. The plentiful, gorgeous photographs will take you on an emotional journey, from the depths of disgust to the heights of awe, as you realize that "the shelves of the supermarket carry only a small slice of what the world has to offer." --Therese Littleton

From Scientific American
Entomophagy, the eating of insects, is not for every palate, but a surprising number of people do it. Menzel and D'Aluisio, husband and wife, have visited insect eaters in 13 countries, sampling the menu at each stop. "Our view of the culinary potential of invertebrates broadened as we ate raw scorpion in China, roasted grubs in Australia, stir-fried dragonflies in Indonesia, tarantulas on a stick in Cambodia, and live termites in Botswana," they write. "Perhaps the most memorable meal was Theraposa leblondi, a tarantula big enough to hunt birds, which we ate with Yanomami Indians in the Venezuelan rain forest." Adventurous readers will find recipes for such delicacies as Witchetty Grub Dip and Stink Bug Pâté. Menzel, a photographer, enlivens the book with many of his pictures. D'Aluisio, identified as "a reluctant bug eater," nonetheless learned that she could do it. The experience led her to conclude that "the shelves of the [American] supermarket carry only a narrow slice of what the world has to offer."

About the Author
PETER MENZEL and FAITH D'ALUISIO are the co-creators of the books Material World: A Global Family Portrait and Women in the Material World. They are also the co-authors of Man Eating Bugs and Robo sapiens: Evolution of a New Species. They live in Napa, California, and are the parents of Josh, Jack, Adam, and Evan.


PETER MENZEL and FAITH D'ALUISIO are the co-creators of the books Material World: A Global Family Portrait and Women in the Material World. They are also the co-authors of Man Eating Bugs and Robo sapiens: Evolution of a New Species. They live in Napa, California, and are the parents of Josh, Jack, Adam, and Evan.

Customer Reviews

pass the grubs
A feast (or just a snack) of insects sounds almost revolting unless of course you deep fry them or place them in lollipops or my favorite barbecued. Whats not to love about straight from the earth cuisine which is actually considered delicacies in many countries. Menzel demonstrates that every continent gets enjoyment from tasty insect treats. But because Menzel is such an amazing photographer, its hard not to have your skin crawl when you see a girl eating a spider, or women eating grubs (look like albino catepillers), or the vast amounts of scorpions runnng aimlessly around a man's feet. I particularly think the roasted termites were very disturbing since they look like rat size roaches. I dont mean to sound childish, this book is much more then just unique cuisine, its another way that Menzel is making us globally aware of our neighbors. The photography is beautiful and vivid plus the paragraphs speaking of the insects and thier importance makes you feel a little respect for things we usually step on. Menzel is once again a genious and a little offbeat (in the best of ways) with this book.

Eating bugs for fun and profit!
This book has always been a big hit with the numerous public school classes that visit our museum. I only have to hold it up to get a reaction, usually a groan, but it sure gets their attention. It also starts discussions and questions even when other parts of the presentation have not. The photos are great and add immensely to the charm of the book.

In general Peter Menzel and Faith D'Aluisio have written a book in "Man Eating Bugs: The Art and Science of Eating Insects" that is largely color photos. But what photos! Each present parts of a story involving the way various cultures employ insects in their cuisine. This brings up a question used by a much earlier author as a book title - "Why Not Eat Insects?" Many (but by no means all!) species of both insects and arachnids are as edible as the shrimp and crabs we Americans love to consume. We of course have to be cautious (not a good idea to eat cockroaches, despite some "reality" TV programs!), but there are a number of "safe" species that have been "taste tested" so to speak. In addition, we unwittingly consume tons of insects in various agricultural products simply because they pose no health hazard and are nearly impossible to remove.

If you have to deal with children in education or if you are just curious about what other cultures eat, this is a great book both to read and just to peruse. I would think that it would find its way to school libraries and to home schoolers lists of resources!

Delicious!
This is one of the most amazing books I've ever read. And I've read a *lot* of books!

Peter and Faith's commentary throughout their journey into the delights of bug-eating is intelligent, witty and so enticingly descriptive that you really will feel drawn to savouring deep fried tarantula and stink bug casserole...honestly!

The photography is phenomenal, and the intimate insight into cultures other than their own leaves me yearning for more by this couple. Very highly recommended!