Butterflies

Once a symbol of the immortal soul, today usually a symbol of lightheartedness and joie de vivre: butterflies have always been the focus of human observation. In a portrait that is as light-footed as it is instructive, Andrea Grill describes the brief but astonishing lives of the sometimes iridescent, sometimes inconspicuously patterned day and night butterflies - from the enigmatic caterpillar stage to sudden pupation and from pheromone-controlled mate selection to egg laying.

Natural Histories is the title of this remarkable book series from the Matthes & Seitz publishing house. Each volume deals with a group of animals or plants: not in the form of dry scientific literature, but a passionate narrative. The vivid, multifaceted texts show an awareness that in describing men’s view on nature, something about men themselves becomes visible. Depending on sympathy and personal perspective, the focus is on more or less sympathetic figures from fauna and flora: sheep and wolves, owls and crows, herrings and stinging nettles, to name but a few. Once you have read the respective volume and its conclusive melange of (often philosophical) literature and factual information, a fascination with the subject you will find hard to resist inevitably sets in. Additionally, the series is delighting with its visual and haptic properties. Judith Schalansky, an award-winning book designer, has created petite bibliophile works of art: from the cover and the harmonious illustrations to the thread stitching, the coloured head cut and the beautiful frontispiece. Last but not least, we praise the handy format of the books, making them ideal companions for on the go.