Broadsides from the Other Orders

A Book of Bugs

By: Sue Hubbell

Narrated by: Barbara Caruso

Most of us think of bugs as pesky creatures we squish under our shoes or bat away with our hands. Under the microscope of Sue Hubbell’s keen eye emerges an exciting world we rarely take the time to see. Author of A Country Year, Hubbell writes regularly for The New Yorker, Smithsonian, and Discover magazines, bringing to her delightful essays the practical veracity of a gentlewoman farmer, and the style and élan of an eccentric who has found her bliss.

©1993 Sue Hubbell (P)1994 Recorded Books, LLC

Wonderful Classic

This classic book about bugs is so much fun! I have to admit that if I had read it ten years ago, it would have been over my head. Now I understand taxonomy and understand how Hubbell organized the book. She took each order of insects: flies, beetles, true bugs, etc., and detailed the life story of a species or genus. She chose those bugs with which she was familiar in her life.

The chapter on lady beetles detailed how they are captured in the wild for dispersal to gardeners who insist on buying them for their aphid eating abilities, even though there are other insects, like lacewings, which would do a better job. The lady beetle harvest is cutthroat. Harvesters steal territories. Lady beetles are mistreated. All for the almighty dollar.

Hubbell is known for her cave cricket "hobby." It was more than a hobby and has inspired many people to raise them. I have seriously considered raising them, but it is more involved than raising lepidoptera, so I have decided against it.

My favorite chapter, I suppose, was about the spongy moth, Lymantria dispar. The moth that is infamous for defoliating the northeast at various times (and sections of Europe, also) was deliberately imported for the silk trade. It was known even then, in the 1800s, how devastating the consequences could be if the moth escaped. But it did. The social history after its inevitable escape is fascinating.

The book is engaging and even humorous. I laughed out loud when she wrote about a geological age that ended five million years ago "next Tuesday." I wish I had met the lady. Sadly, she passed away at age 83. As soon as I can, I am going to read her personal memoir, A Country Year: Living the Questions. I will, however, read the Kindle edition to enjoy her language and hear her true voice.

So much fun!

What made the experience of listening to Broadsides from the Other Orders the most enjoyable?

It was really great to get a glimpse into the lives of so many different lovers-of-bugs. And the descriptions of the insects themselves and their habits were artful and inspiring.

What did you like best about this story?

Every chapter is different, keeping it fresh and interesting.

What does Barbara Caruso bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Barbara's enthusiasm and honest admiration of entomologists, scientists, and insects really comes across in her voice. It is a delight to listen to.

Pleasantly surprised at how fun this read was.

It feels as if I were a fantasy novel. Amazing read, filled with information that is easily taken in through beautiful storytelling.

Odd Sound Detracts

Any additional comments?

There was an odd audio artifact that I've not heard with other audiobooks from Audible. Occasionally I could hear a faint repeat of the soundtrack in the background. It reminds me of the background of old audio tapes where the soundtrack would bleed onto adjacent tape on the reel.