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Journalist Peter Laufer takes a break from reporting on international conflict to delve into the dangerous world of butterflies. Even-handed but engaged, Laufer explores the issues at the intersection of contemporary culture and the world's most beloved insect. Is collecting butterflies a harmless way to appreciate their beauty or can species be collected to death? Is releasing farm-raised butterflies at a wedding a celebrating of life or an ecological disaster waiting to happen? In areas of habitat depletion, how should the claims of traditional landholders and butterflies be weighed? Laufer's smooth prose is a pleasure and the characters he meets in the world of butterflies are at least as engaging as the thorny issues they are caught up in. Like the author, I too find I'm seeing butterflies everywhere after reading this book.
HPB Staff Review