Most of us who live in cities easily forget how much
of the world is occupied by millions of little creatures who fill the forests, oceans, deserts, and so on across the
globe. We should probably pat attention, because when it comes to both sheer numbers and overall biomass (i.e. if you put all living things in a Cusinart and turned it
on frappe…well, the resulting mush would be biomass), all those little creatures, most of them without backbones
(i.e. invertebrates) would totally dominate. But more than just potential mush, these creatures are also create a
wondrous, kaleidoscopic phantasmagoria (whew, that’s some phrase) of diversity. A wondrous, kaleidoscopic
phantasmagoria of diversity that we should al appreciate more.
Well, one scientist and photographer
thinks so too, and his new book: The Smaller Majority
sets out to show us that world in vivid color and detail. Piotr Naskrecki is the author and photographer and scientist
behind the book, and it is evident from the exquisite photos in this book that he loves his subjects. Naskrecki is Director of the Invertebrate Diversity Initiative of Conservation International and
Research Associate with the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University. If you’ve ever wondered
whether a photo of a praying mantis could take your breath away, well, wonder no longer. This 268 page coffee
table-style book is filled with some of the most amazing images you will ever see.