From the Publisher
Presenting her work as a counterweight to the “bee-bias” of much scientific literature, [Sumner] expounds on wasps’ social organization and reproductive habits, and lays out a case for further research into this ‘challenging child of the insect world.’” — The New Yorker
“Sumner’s compelling account of nature’s coherent beauty teaches that it is time for the utilitarian attitude toward nature to be replaced with appreciation and conservation, something long overdue.” — Wall Street Journal
“A witty, readable and unusual account of the world’s most maligned and misunderstood insect: the wasp.” — Forbes
"A wasp admirer makes a delightful case for their importance.”
— Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Sumner successfully makes the case for wasps in this engaging read with her deft humor, thorough research, and astute analogies." — Library Journal (starred review)
“Endless Forms is a labor of love, designed to alter fundamentally the narrative surrounding wasps, presenting budding naturalists and amateur entomologists with a transformative lens through which to appreciate the "gangsters of the insect world.” — Shelf Awareness
“Entomologist Sumner debuts with a tour de force on the world of wasps, delving into their daily lives, economic value to society, and the important ecological niches they fill.” — Publishers Weekly
“Wasps, in all their endless forms, are not the annoying monsters we often believe them to be. Instead they are fascinating foundations of entire ecosystems, and essential to our lives. Sumner’s tale is thrilling, warm, and scholarly in equal measure, and brilliantly repairs the reputation of wasps—most beautiful and wonderful as they truly are.” — Adam Rutherford, author of A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived
“A book that draws us in to the strange beauty of what we so often run away from.” — Robin Ince, author of The Importance of Being Interested
“If you’ve ever wondered, ‘Why do wasps exist?’ you must read this book. There is so much more to them than you ever imagined. A funny and beautifully written welcome to the enigmatic, weird, and wonderful world of wasps. Wasps are seriously cool.” — Dave Goulson, author of Silent Earth
“I thought I knew about wasps—I was wrong. Wasps are perfectly adapted to life on earth—I want to come back as one. A cracking good read that left me buzzing with excitement.” — Dr. George McGavin, zoologist, broadcaster, and author of All Creatures Small and Great: How Insects Make the World
“[Sumner’s] passion for wasps and their global importance as both predators and pollinators is compelling…This interesting and entertaining work is sure to leave readers buzzing.” — Booklist
“Sometimes the most perfect books are those that shine a light on surprising, neglected subjects. Endless Forms is just such a book. Seirian Sumner writes lucidly and entertainingly about this most fascinating of creatures. You’ll never ask ‘What’s the point of wasps?’ again.” — Will Storr, author of The Status Game
Dave Goulson
If you’ve ever wondered, ‘Why do wasps exist?’ you must read this book. There is so much more to them than you ever imagined. A funny and beautifully written welcome to the enigmatic, weird, and wonderful world of wasps. Wasps are seriously cool.
Robin Ince
A book that draws us in to the strange beauty of what we so often run away from.
Dr. George McGavin
I thought I knew about wasps—I was wrong. Wasps are perfectly adapted to life on earth—I want to come back as one. A cracking good read that left me buzzing with excitement.
Will Storr
Sometimes the most perfect books are those that shine a light on surprising, neglected subjects. Endless Forms is just such a book. Seirian Sumner writes lucidly and entertainingly about this most fascinating of creatures. You’ll never ask ‘What’s the point of wasps?’ again.
Booklist
[Sumner’s] passion for wasps and their global importance as both predators and pollinators is compelling…This interesting and entertaining work is sure to leave readers buzzing.
Adam Rutherford
Wasps, in all their endless forms, are not the annoying monsters we often believe them to be. Instead they are fascinating foundations of entire ecosystems, and essential to our lives. Sumner’s tale is thrilling, warm, and scholarly in equal measure, and brilliantly repairs the reputation of wasps—most beautiful and wonderful as they truly are.
Booklist
[Sumner’s] passion for wasps and their global importance as both predators and pollinators is compelling…This interesting and entertaining work is sure to leave readers buzzing.
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2022-04-19
An appealing study of the almost universally despised “gangsters of the insect world.”
“The wasp has long been a powerful metaphor for an evil, devious character who does no good,” writes British entomologist and behavioral ecologist Sumner. Fascinated by wasps since childhood, the author points out that wasps are voracious predators who eat a wide range of insects, including agricultural pests. In some parts of the world, they are farmed on a factory scale and released into fields to destroy caterpillars and other pests. Without them, we would need to use more toxic insecticides. “Without the services of wasps as pest controllers, pollinators, seed-dispersers and decomposers, our forests, grasslands, parks, gardens, deserts, highlands, moorlands and heathlands would not support planetary health in the way they currently (just about) do,” writes the author. Wasps make up over 80% of the order Hymenoptera, which includes bees and ants. There are around 150,000 described species of Hymenoptera, but perhaps 10 times more yet to be described, making them the most numerous insect order, and their communities rival those of ants and humans in complexity, division of labor, and pugnacity. Almost all wasps are solitary, tiny parasitoids, which lay their eggs on or inside other insects, not excluding other wasps. When they hatch, the larvae eat the living host as they grow. Sumner excels in describing historical naturalists (“wasp whisperers”), and she offers an imaginative chapter on Aristotle, who shared her unfashionable fascination and showed impressive imagination and endurance while crawling around to learn the secrets of the often miniscule insects. Sumner devotes considerable attention to the relevant research about the social structure of wasp communities, the details (and mathematics) of their impressive altruism, and descriptions of their evolution in light of modern genetic analysis. A nature documentary would likely pass over these complexities, but they are accessible in Sumner’s skillful hands.
A wasp admirer makes a delightful case for their importance.
