We are told from the time we are children that insects and spiders are pests, when the truth is that most have little or no effect on us--although the few that do are often essential to our existence. Arthur Evans suggests we take a closer look at our slapped-at, stepped-on, and otherwise ignored cohabitants, who vastly outnumber us and whose worlds often occupy spaces that we didn't even know existed. What's Bugging You? brings together fifty unforgettable stories from the celebrated nature writer and entomologist's popular Richmond Times-Dispatch column. Evans has scoured Virginia's wild places and returned with wondrous stories about the seventeen-year sleep of the periodical cicadas, moths that evade hungry bats by sensing echolocation signals, and the luminous language of light employed by fireflies. He also visits some not-so-wild places: the little mounds of upturned soil scattered along the margins of soccer fields are the dung beetle's calling card. What does the world look like to a bug? Evans explores insect vision, which is both better, and worse, than that of humans (they are capable of detecting ultraviolet light, but many cannot see the color red), pausing to observe that it is its wide-set forward-looking eyes that imbue the praying mantis with "personality." He is willing to defend such oft-maligned creatures as the earwig, the tent caterpillar, and the cockroach--revealed here as a valuable scavenger, food source for other animals, and even a pollinator, that spends more time grooming itself than it does invading human space. Evans's search for multilegged life takes him to an enchanting assortment of locations, ranging from gleaming sandy beaches preferred by a threatened tiger beetle to the shady, leaf-strewn forest floors where a centipede digs its brood chamber--to a busy country road where Evans must dodge constant foot and vehicular traffic to photograph a spider wasp as its claims its paralyzed prey. His forays also provide the reader with a unique window on the cycles of nature. What Evans refers to as the FBI--fungus, bacteria, insects--are the chief agents in decomposition and a vital part of regeneration. Evans also takes on many issues concerning humans' almost always destructive interaction with insect life, such as excessive mowing and clearing of wood that robs wildlife of its food and habitat, as well as harmful bug zappers that kill everything but mosquitoes. The reader emerges from this book realizing that even seemingly mundane forms of insect and spider life present us with unexpected beauty and fascinating lifestyles.

In Good-bye, Bumps!, Dr. Wayne W. Dyer and his daughter Saje tell a remarkable story from her childhood in which she was able to overcome a physical condition in a very unique way. In the telling of this story Saje and Wayne teach children the important lesson that when something is bothering them, they can change their attitude toward it and not allow it to have power over them. This book will help kids understand that some things about themselves can be changed and others will always be with them, but what matters is how they choose to think about these things. In addition to its valuable lesson, this charming story will remind all readers, both young and old, of what can be done with the childlike belief in what is possible.

The information contained in this book is an accumulation of my experience, research, and book reads throughout my career that has elevated me from average educator to better than average. Over the past 30 years of teaching, tutoring, and consulting with students, parents, teachers, and schools; I have narrowed down five topics that bug most people about math; the teacher, the test, the variable x, math fear, and relevance.

The authors of the popular and informative What Bit Me? Identifying Hawaii's Stinging and Biting Insects and their Kin answer these and other questions in this long-awaited standard reference on Hawaii's household "bugs." What's Bugging Me? helps you identify those ants, spiders, termites, beetles, silverfish, and cockroaches that invade your home and offers effective strategies for dealing with them. A range of anti-pest weapons--not just chemicals--is given, emphasizing a modern "integrated control" approach. What's Bugging Me? teaches techniques for prevention, early detection, and monitoring of pest problems. It recommends specific methods that target the pest, not methods that merely poison the environment. Many inexpensive home remedies are suggested. In every-day language accessible to homeowners and apartment dwellers, the authors provide a wealth of authoritative information that will also benefit pest control operators, landscapers, builders, and entomology professionals.

This authoritative reference provides an engaging look at these magnificent yet poorly understood creatures and highlights the essential role beetles play in the dynamics of nearly every terrestrial ecosystem on Earth. Color photos.

When fifth-grader Bailey, who lives on an island off the coast of Maine, suffers a series of setbacks, including a lice outbreak at school, it will take every ounce of her determination and the help of new school friends to get everything back together.