The world of insects is one we only dimly understand. Yet from using
arsenic, cobalt, and quicksilver to kill household infiltrators to
employing the sophisticated tools of the Orkin Man, Americans have
fought to eradicate the "bugs" they have learned to hate.
Inspired by the still-revolutionary theories of Rachel Carson's Silent
Spring, James E. McWilliams argues for a more harmonious and rational
approach to our relationship with insects, one that does not harm our
environment and, consequently, ourselves along the way. Beginning with
the early techniques of colonial farmers and ending with the modern use
of chemical insecticides, McWilliams deftly shows how America's war on
insects mirrors its continual struggle with nature, economic
development, technology, and federal regulation. He reveals a very
American paradox: the men and women who settled and developed this
country sought to control the environment and achieve certain economic
goals; yet their methods of agricultural expansion undermined their
efforts and linked them even closer to the inexorable realities of the
insect world.
As told from the perspective of the often flamboyant actors in the
battle against insects, American Pests is a fascinating investigation
into the attitudes, policies, and practices that continue to influence
our behavior toward insects. Asking us to question, if not abandon, our
reckless (and sometimes futile) attempts at insect control, McWilliams
convincingly argues that insects, like people, have an inherent right to
exist and that in our attempt to rid ourselves of insects, we compromise
the balance of nature.
