The World of the Spider - Hardcover

"Wherever you are, there is a spider within a meter of you." So begins this engaging introduction to the spider, the dominant terrestrial carnivore on the planet. Photographed up close, the spiders in this slender text display an otherworldly beauty. But it's the text that makes this book shine. Even veteran arachnophobes will be charmed by author Adrienne Mason's lively writing about the diversity of spiders and her delight in the strange details of their eating habits and sex lives.

Mason, a naturalist and author of several children's books, writes clearly about the often bizarre anatomy and habits of spiders. She doesn't shy away from scientific terms and provides a useful guide to common spider families in an appendix, which includes graceful line drawings illustrating the distinctive features of each family. The four chapters cover the basics: spider diversity and ecology, sex and reproduction, predation, and spider lore. A sampling of Mason's eye for telling details: more than 2 million spiders live in a single acre of grassy meadow; those spiders consume nearly 50,000 pounds of prey per acre in a single year; the whirling Italian dance known as the tarantella was thought to cure illness caused by tarantula bites.

The World of the Spider provides a revealing glimpse at the striking diversity and biology of this feared and misunderstood group. After reading this book, you'll appreciate spiders and their importance, even if you still shriek when you find one in the tub. More adventurous readers who want to identify spiders in the field should consult other works, including the useful and inexpensive identification guide by Levi and Levi, Spiders and Their Kin. --Pete Holloran

Spiders are one of the most successful groups of animals on earth.  There are almost 38,000 species of spiders, and they are found in every type of environment throughout the world, including seashores, deserts, caves, and mountains.  The species include the huge, hairy tarantula which lives a mostly subterranean life; the colorful crab spider, which often hides in flowers and may prey on bees or wasps; and the ubiquitous orb-weaver, which may rebuild its wheel-shaped web every evening.

Besides exploring the physical characteristics and behavior of spiders, nature writer Adrienne Mason describes the role of spiders in myth and legend.  She also examines how spiders are used in scientific research today and how the use of pesticides and loss of habitat are affecting them.

Throughout the book, stunning photographs show beautifully color spiders on flowers or leaves, gossamer webs shimmering in the sunlight and close-ups of monstrous looking spiders.  The result is a fascinating look at these creepy yet captivating creatures.