Download or read book The Silken Thread written by Robert N. Wiedenmann and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2021-08-27 with total page 297 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Insects are seldom mentioned in discussions surrounding human history, yet they have dramatically impacted today's societies. This book places them front and center, offering a multidisciplinary view of their significance. Diseases vectored by insects have killed more people than all weapons of war. Fleas are common pests, but some can transmit illnesses such as the bubonic plague. In fact, three pandemics can be traced back to them. Epidemics of typhus have been caused by lice. Conversely, humans have also benefitted from insects for millennia. Silk comes from silkworms and honey comes from bees. Despite the undeniably powerful effects of insects on humans, their stories are typically left out of our history books. In The Silken Thread, entomologists Robert. N. Wiedenmann and J. Ray Fisher link the history of insects to the history of empires, cultural exchanges, and warfare. The book narrows its focus to just five insects: a moth, a flea, a louse, a mosquito, and a bee. The authors explore the impact of these insects throughout time and the common threads connecting them. Using biology to complement history, they showcase these small creatures in a whole new light. On every page, the authors thoughtfully analyze the links between history and entomology. The book begins with silkworms, which have been farmed for centuries. It then moves to fleas and their involvement in the spread of the plague before introducing the role lice played in the Black Death, wars, and immigration. The following section concerns yellow fever mosquitos, emphasizing the effects of yellow fever in the Americas and the connection to sugar and slavery. After discussing the importance of western honey bees, the authors tie these five insects together in an exciting closing chapter.
Download or read book The Silken Thread written by Robert N. Wiedenmann and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2021 with total page 297 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Insects are seldom mentioned in history texts, yet they significantly shaped human history. The Silken Thread: Five Insects and Their Impacts on History tells the stories of just five insects, tied together by a thread originating in the Silk Roads of Asia, and how they have impacted our world. Silkworms have been farmed to produce silk for millennia, creating a history of empires and cultural exchanges; Silk Roads connected East to West, generating trade centers and transferring ideas, philosophies, and religions. The western honey bee feeds countless people, and their crop pollination is worth billions of dollars. Fleas and lice carried bacteria that caused three major plague pandemics, moved along the Silk Roads from Central Asia. Bacteria carried by insects left their ancient clues as DNA embedded in victims' teeth. Lice caused outbreaks of typhus, especially in crowded conditions such as prisons and concentration camps. Typhus aggravated the effects of the Irish potato famine, and Irish refugees took typhus to North America. Yellow fever was transported to the Americas via the trans-Atlantic slave trade, taking and devaluing the lives of millions of Africans. Slaves were brought to the Americas to reduce labor costs in the cultivation of sugarcane, which was itself transported from south Asia along the Silk Roads. Yellow fever caused panic in the United States in the 1700s and 1800s as the virus and its mosquito vector migrated from the Caribbean. Constructing the Panama Canal required defeating mosquitoes that transmitted yellow fever. The silken thread runs through and ties together these five insects and their impacts on history"--
Download or read book The Insect Epiphany written by Barrett Klein and published by Timber Press. This book was released on 2024-10-15 with total page 427 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From entomologist Barrett Klein comes a buzz-worthy exploration of the many ways insects have affected human society, history, and culture Insects surround us. They fuel life on Earth through their roles as pollinators, predators, and prey, but rarely do we consider the outsize influence they have had on our culture and civilization. Their anatomy and habits inform how we live, work, create art, and innovate. Featuring nearly 250 color images—from ancient etchings to avant-garde art, from bug-based meals to haute couture—The Insect Epiphany proves that our world would look very different without insects, not just because they are crucial to our ecosystems, but because they have shaped and inspired so many aspects of what makes us human.
Download or read book Skilled Immigrants in the Textile and Fashion Industries written by Nazanin Hedayat Munroe and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2024-01-25 with total page 281 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With contributions from leading experts, this edited collection presents original research on the skills brought by immigrant communities to the textile and fashion industries, from the early modern to postmodern periods in Asia and the Islamic World, Europe, Africa, and the Americas. Manufacturing of textiles and apparel is arduous work, which historically depended on skilled artisans, inexpensive labor, and the introduction of labor-saving technology. Immigrant communities supplied much of the work force, bringing their own skill sets to new locations, leading to the development of new manufacturing centers and an increase in both production and technical expertise. Throughout the volume, the role of migration and immigrant involvement in manufacturing is also examined in relation to trade, politics, and socio-religious circumstances prompting relocation. Deconstructing the question of provenance by examining the cultural identity of migrant populations, the research brings to light ongoing dilemmas and practices of diaspora communities. By analyzing material, mythical, and technical aspects of textile and apparel production, contributors create a new narrative about textile- and garment-making as a collective endeavor, requiring diversity of skill and methodology to thrive.
Download or read book Invertebrate Justice written by Russil Durrant and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on with total page 379 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Our Wonder World written by and published by . This book was released on 1918 with total page 464 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Cornell University Courses of Study written by Cornell University and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 712 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Butterfly Effect written by Edward D. Melillo and published by Knopf. This book was released on 2020-08-25 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A fascinating, entertaining dive into the long-standing relationship between humans and insects, revealing the surprising ways we depend on these tiny, six-legged creatures. Insects might make us shudder in disgust, but they are also responsible for many of the things we take for granted in our daily lives. When we bite into a shiny apple, listen to the resonant notes of a violin, get dressed, receive a dental implant, or get a manicure, we are the beneficiaries of a vast army of insects. Try as we might to replicate their raw material (silk, shellac, and cochineal, for instance), our artificial substitutes have proven subpar at best, and at worst toxic, ensuring our interdependence with the insect world for the foreseeable future. Drawing on research in laboratory science, agriculture, fashion, and international cuisine, Edward D. Melillo weaves a vibrant world history that illustrates the inextricable and fascinating bonds between humans and insects. Across time, we have not only coexisted with these creatures but have relied on them for, among other things, the key discoveries of modern medical science and the future of the world's food supply. Without insects, entire sectors of global industry would grind to a halt and essential features of modern life would disappear. Here is a beguiling appreciation of the ways in which these creatures have altered--and continue to shape--the very framework of our existence.
Download or read book The International Cyclopaedia written by and published by . This book was released on 1892 with total page 962 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The New Wonder World written by and published by . This book was released on 1939 with total page 460 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The International Cyclop dia written by Harry Thurston Pech and published by . This book was released on 1900 with total page 990 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Country Gentleman the Magazine of Better Farming written by and published by . This book was released on 1880 with total page 846 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The New Teachers and Pupils Cyclopaedia written by Bernhart Paul Holst and published by . This book was released on 1919 with total page 620 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book International Reference Work written by Bernhart Paul Holst and published by . This book was released on 1923 with total page 478 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Literary Digest written by and published by . This book was released on 1891 with total page 770 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Silk in India written by and published by . This book was released on 1872 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Digest written by and published by . This book was released on 1891 with total page 754 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
