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Bugged: How Insects Changed History
There are about ten quintillion insects in the world—and some of them have affected human history in tremendous ways! For as long as humans have been on earth, we’ve co-existed with insects . . . for better or for worse. Once you begin to look at world history through fly-specked glasses, you begin to see the mark of these minute life forms at every turn. Beneficial bugs have built empires. Bad bugs have toppled them. Bugged is not your everyday history book. From the author and illustrator team behind kid-favorite Poop Happened! A History of the World from the Bottom Up, this combination of world history, social history, natural science, epidemiology, public health, conservation, and microbiology is told with fun and informative graphics and in an irreverent voice, making this one fun-to-read book.
176 pages, Library Binding
First published April 1, 2014
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302 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
May 15, 2014
This fascinating page turner is sure to delight even the most reluctant middle-grade readers. Brimming with captivating, meticulously-research information, it offers a humorous, punny, fast-paced overview of world history that highlights how diseases transmitted by humans influenced the outcome of wars, determined where civilizations developed, and shape the world we live in. Bugged: How Insects Changed the World is definitely one of my favorite books of the year.
December 11, 2020
This book presents a fascinating look at insects and how they have impacted humans and our environment throughout history.
interesting quotes:
"More often than not, when major diseases struck a city, people had nowhere to go, no means to help sufferers, and no idea how to stop the disease until it had run its awful coutse and killed off a large percentage of the population. Afterward, people were either dead or immune. " (p. 40)
"Don't panic about the possibility of an epidemic disease striking anytime soon. It's unlikely to happen, and most historically terrible diseases are now treatable." (p. 149)
interesting quotes:
"More often than not, when major diseases struck a city, people had nowhere to go, no means to help sufferers, and no idea how to stop the disease until it had run its awful coutse and killed off a large percentage of the population. Afterward, people were either dead or immune. " (p. 40)
"Don't panic about the possibility of an epidemic disease striking anytime soon. It's unlikely to happen, and most historically terrible diseases are now treatable." (p. 149)
June 6, 2016
Albee presents some incredibly interesting and incredibly disgusting facts about the role that insects have played in the past as well as the present. Insects have never been my favorite thing, with a very few exceptions (ladybugs anyone?). At the same time, I was aware that they have their own important place in various world ecosystems. I was also aware of the fact that some insects have helped spread diseases that to this day continue to kill millions of people. But this book provided specific information about the ways the insects have both helped and hindered human society over the years. I appreciated the chapter on the positive ways that insects have benefited humans (honeybees and other pollinators, bugs used in various products, and the inspiration for various human inventions such as red dye). Unfortunately, bugs have also reeked havoc on human societies for millennia.
Using brief descriptions along with interesting sidebars and quotes, Albee shares how bugs have had a huge impact on different human eras and the journey of science in recognizing their significance in the spread of disease. Unfortunately, even today insects continue to spread disease in harmful ways. But reading about the scientists who've helped us learn about insects as vectors was interesting as was the realization that science and scientists always take time to accept new ideas, which sadly resulted in addition deaths in this case. Sidebars such as Pox Box and TMI (Too much information) added to the browsability of the book by sharing brief facts about various diseases (all of which sound extremely unpleasant) as well as generally gross information about different sorts of bugs and events.
Students fascinated by insects and/or disease are bound to find this book as fascinating as I did. Although readers who are easily grossed out may want to avoid it. But books like this make nonfiction reading highly appealing.
Using brief descriptions along with interesting sidebars and quotes, Albee shares how bugs have had a huge impact on different human eras and the journey of science in recognizing their significance in the spread of disease. Unfortunately, even today insects continue to spread disease in harmful ways. But reading about the scientists who've helped us learn about insects as vectors was interesting as was the realization that science and scientists always take time to accept new ideas, which sadly resulted in addition deaths in this case. Sidebars such as Pox Box and TMI (Too much information) added to the browsability of the book by sharing brief facts about various diseases (all of which sound extremely unpleasant) as well as generally gross information about different sorts of bugs and events.
Students fascinated by insects and/or disease are bound to find this book as fascinating as I did. Although readers who are easily grossed out may want to avoid it. But books like this make nonfiction reading highly appealing.
August 31, 2015
This book was confusing to me. It seemed like the author was trying way too hard to fit insects into every major historical event. I thought it was interesting how the "bugs" were such large contributors to disease and how those diseases affected history. I feel like the book may have flowed better if it were organized by the disease or type of insect and how it affected history instead of laying out history and sticking the bugs in where they fit. I expected to learn much more about bugs in this book than I did. I didn't really care for this book. I think reluctant readers may be drawn to the subject matter, but they may be let down by the book.
January 6, 2016
Absolutely fascinating! The accounts are written with a bit of humor that kids of all ages are sure to enjoy. The only downside is that all of the illustrations and pictures in the book are green and purple. I would recommend this to any kid who was looking for a fun non-fiction book to read.
May 25, 2014
Interesting info...color choice ruined impact of many of the illustrations.
December 1, 2017
I really wanted to love this book but, as others have pointed out, the colors were unfortunate and a distraction. The book also suffers from organization ...a focus on each insect and what it has done throughout history would have been more easily followed...Some complicated vocabulary was not explained - for example on p. 44, it uses the word hemorrhoids and seems to assume the target audience will know what that is! There is serious oversimplification of history as well....while at the same time being overly complicated. For the target audience who is probably clueless about the history/geography, it would be hard to follow and hard to read critically. So for the very special really well read kid it would be okay, but otherwise I would recommend instead Wicked Bugs by Amy Stewart. I would give it 2 1/2 stars but giving it 3 for research.
April 11, 2023
It was totally interesting to learn that most, if not all, of the wars that have been fought, were decided by insect-borne diseases and not the brilliant military strategy of the generals. Also interesting that certain areas of the world were not developed for human inhabitation because of insect swarms. I loved the separate sidebars with extra info. Spoiler alert, this book can be totally disgusting and gross at times, which is something that I'm assuming middle grade students will love. As a history of science buff, this was right up my beehive.
November 30, 2016
Bugged is the story of how bugs impact us and our world. From funny stories of bugs in food to serious stories like plagues, this book has it all. It is full of facts presented in a way that all level of readers can enjoy it. There is a long narrative for more advanced or engaged readers but many colorful side boxes with quick interest grabbing facts, such as how long a cockroach can live without his head attached. I book talked this to my 6th graders and they loved it!
February 28, 2024
I really enjoyed the author's writing style in this book. It made reading about history enjoyable and fun. The pages are set up in a way that presents info, pictures, and fun facts. I was reading this book aloud to my 8 year old son and he really enjoyed the gross and fascinating bug facts.
August 26, 2017
Fun book of trivia about insect related world history and medical science.
May 9, 2018
The history of insects and how they have affected human civilizations through the present time.
July 11, 2020
How bug-transmitted diseases changed the course of history. A little disgusting at times, but should be appealing to older kids.
October 24, 2020
This book was fun. I learned about how bugs caused sicknesses and helped win wars by spreading diseases.
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May 16, 2021Read with my 7yo son, who enjoyed it, and most of it with my 4yo daughter, who didn't 😂
Very interesting bug facts!
Very interesting bug facts!
January 10, 2024
I liked the pictures.
March 19, 2017
Yeah, I know that it is a kids book, but I really enjoyed it and I learned A LOT! Fun book to read!
May 28, 2014
History is never completely written. Every time we gain some critical piece of information that helps us understand a historical event better, we can see that event in a new light. Europeans encounter the "New World" for the first time, and they bring a lot more than their attitudes and technology, they bring new insects and diseases that insects carry with them. That unintended introduction changed the Americas forever.
This book introduces us to insects as a part of history. Spaniards meet American natives with bright red finery and just have to learn the secret of the red dye that is still used for many everyday items. Other native Americans in Peru chewed Cinchona bark to treat a fever, and Spaniards discovered that it was useful in treating people who had the fevers of malaria which plagued Europe in the 1600's, but it also prevented the disease and became more valuable than the gold they had been taking. The Cinchona tree would become important hundreds of years after Europeans learned of it when America and Japan go to war in the 1940s and the only source of it was in another part of the world.
From eating bugs to bugs eating us, this book is filled with stories of how important these critters are to the history of human life on Earth. There are plenty of "Insect-Asides"--sidebars with bits of trivia, and other sidebars with more information about people or events, and there is plenty of humor built into the text to keep young people from getting bogged down.
I am pushing for this book to be part of our offerings at the Nature Center where it will fit very nicely.
This book introduces us to insects as a part of history. Spaniards meet American natives with bright red finery and just have to learn the secret of the red dye that is still used for many everyday items. Other native Americans in Peru chewed Cinchona bark to treat a fever, and Spaniards discovered that it was useful in treating people who had the fevers of malaria which plagued Europe in the 1600's, but it also prevented the disease and became more valuable than the gold they had been taking. The Cinchona tree would become important hundreds of years after Europeans learned of it when America and Japan go to war in the 1940s and the only source of it was in another part of the world.
From eating bugs to bugs eating us, this book is filled with stories of how important these critters are to the history of human life on Earth. There are plenty of "Insect-Asides"--sidebars with bits of trivia, and other sidebars with more information about people or events, and there is plenty of humor built into the text to keep young people from getting bogged down.
I am pushing for this book to be part of our offerings at the Nature Center where it will fit very nicely.
July 22, 2015
I must confess I'm not a big fan of insects or books about them. However, I know there are times when it is important to learn about them. This is an engaging and informative book which takes a very different approach than most insect books. Filled with interesting vignettes, the book does focus as the title says on how insects have impacted the past. For example, the Louisiana Purchase was actually made possible because Napoleon had sent 33,000 troops to regain control of Haiti, its slaves and sugar plantations. However, nearly 90% of them died of Yellow Fever. When Napoleon had a chance to get rid of the Louisiana territory, he made the decision to do so because it had the same climate and bugs as Haiti. If it hadn't been for those bugs that carried Yellow Fever, the history of America would definitely have been different.
The book is nicely laid out and the authors have played with language making a fun it a read. Because the chapters contain multiple vignettes, it is easy to read in short bursts of time, but it is entertaining enough to make you want to just sit and read the whole thing. It's a really interesting and fun way to introduce different time periods in history class as well as different insects in science class.
The book also contains a glossary, a section for further reading and study about bugs and history including books and website, extensive source notes for each chapter, acknowledgements, picture credits, and an extensive index.
I believe this would be a very popular book for students and teachers and highly recommend it.
(16-17: I-0, II-DM, III-0)
The book is nicely laid out and the authors have played with language making a fun it a read. Because the chapters contain multiple vignettes, it is easy to read in short bursts of time, but it is entertaining enough to make you want to just sit and read the whole thing. It's a really interesting and fun way to introduce different time periods in history class as well as different insects in science class.
The book also contains a glossary, a section for further reading and study about bugs and history including books and website, extensive source notes for each chapter, acknowledgements, picture credits, and an extensive index.
I believe this would be a very popular book for students and teachers and highly recommend it.
(16-17: I-0, II-DM, III-0)
May 21, 2015
The book got a little preachy at the end and a little liberal so that's why I gave it a four star.
1. I loved Sarah Albee's other book like this called Poop Happened.
2. Both books are packed with facts and tidbits.
3. I learned so much from reading this book and this built on my knowledge from reading similar books.
4. This is very kid friendly with pictures, glossary, small boxes with more information, an index, and gross stuff that kids love.
5. Luke Pryor Blackburn: tries to kill president. Becomes Kentucky governor...
6. Cinchona bark containing quinine was a really interesting fact.
7. Basically this is chocked full of interesting facts.
8. One guy trying to make new silkworm changes the ecosystem forever. Sheesh.
9. I can just picture a sheep's wool being eaten by locusts within minutes. It just seems like a good cartoon gag. It made me laugh even thought it would suck big time.
10. Learned a lot of crazy things about locusts!
11. Very interesting that the gin and tonic came from quinine and making it taste better.
12. I almost threw up when reading about the guinea worm.
13. Does anyone else think they have one of these diseases after reading this. It's like WebMD. You start diagnosing yourself.
14. I do wish the pictures were real to life and not changed or turned into a cartoon. It would have been more nasty and awesome.
15. I didn't like the date jumping either. I wish it was in better chronological order.
1. I loved Sarah Albee's other book like this called Poop Happened.
2. Both books are packed with facts and tidbits.
3. I learned so much from reading this book and this built on my knowledge from reading similar books.
4. This is very kid friendly with pictures, glossary, small boxes with more information, an index, and gross stuff that kids love.
5. Luke Pryor Blackburn: tries to kill president. Becomes Kentucky governor...
6. Cinchona bark containing quinine was a really interesting fact.
7. Basically this is chocked full of interesting facts.
8. One guy trying to make new silkworm changes the ecosystem forever. Sheesh.
9. I can just picture a sheep's wool being eaten by locusts within minutes. It just seems like a good cartoon gag. It made me laugh even thought it would suck big time.
10. Learned a lot of crazy things about locusts!
11. Very interesting that the gin and tonic came from quinine and making it taste better.
12. I almost threw up when reading about the guinea worm.
13. Does anyone else think they have one of these diseases after reading this. It's like WebMD. You start diagnosing yourself.
14. I do wish the pictures were real to life and not changed or turned into a cartoon. It would have been more nasty and awesome.
15. I didn't like the date jumping either. I wish it was in better chronological order.
September 19, 2015
This book was good for what it is. The format is kid friendly and easy to read. The purple/green color scheme makes the pictures more kid friendly and less gross. The book does a great job going through history in a very organized easy to read format.
The couple of problems I had with the book are the constant references to other pages in the book. It happens too often. Another issue I had was the constant speculation. The nature of the topic makes it impossible to prove the theories presented in the book. Everything is handled with a most likely, or could have....
School Connections: Entomology, history
Amazon Summary: There are about ten quintillion insects in the world--and some of them have affected human history in tremendous ways! For as long as humans have been on earth, we've co-existed with insects . . . for better or for worse. Once you begin to look at world history through fly-specked glasses, you begin to see the mark of these minute life forms at every turn. Beneficial bugs have built empires. Bad bugs have toppled them. Bugged is not your everyday history book. From the author and illustrator team behind kid-favorite Poop Happened! A History of the World from the Bottom Up, this combination of world history, social history, natural science, epidemiology, public health, conservation, and microbiology is told with fun and informative graphics and in an irreverent voice, making this one fun-to-read book.
The couple of problems I had with the book are the constant references to other pages in the book. It happens too often. Another issue I had was the constant speculation. The nature of the topic makes it impossible to prove the theories presented in the book. Everything is handled with a most likely, or could have....
School Connections: Entomology, history
Amazon Summary: There are about ten quintillion insects in the world--and some of them have affected human history in tremendous ways! For as long as humans have been on earth, we've co-existed with insects . . . for better or for worse. Once you begin to look at world history through fly-specked glasses, you begin to see the mark of these minute life forms at every turn. Beneficial bugs have built empires. Bad bugs have toppled them. Bugged is not your everyday history book. From the author and illustrator team behind kid-favorite Poop Happened! A History of the World from the Bottom Up, this combination of world history, social history, natural science, epidemiology, public health, conservation, and microbiology is told with fun and informative graphics and in an irreverent voice, making this one fun-to-read book.
February 11, 2015
Title: Bugged: How Insects Changed History
Author: Sarah Albee
Interest Level: 7th to Adult
Rating: 4/5
"This book is full of death, disease, and disgusting details about some of the most horrible events in human history." For many of you, this excerpt from the book's jacket is enough to make you want to read this book. But for those of you that cringe at such a description, the reality is that it is (almost) as rife with information about the infinite untold wonders that insects provide for earth and life (and last time I checked, we as humans are part of both). Sarah Albee provides a thorough exploration of insects, their activities, abilities, and atrocities, their interactions with humans, and the profound historical significance these interactions have had. This story is infested with intriguing facts and events which makes it the greatest type of nonfiction book: the kind that changes your outlook on the world and changes you, yourself.
Here's a fun fact freebie: Many people believed the theory that some of the deadliest diseases were the result of breathing in bad air called "miasmas." The word for one of the most historically deadly diseases, Malaria, comes from the Italian term for "bad air."
Author: Sarah Albee
Interest Level: 7th to Adult
Rating: 4/5
"This book is full of death, disease, and disgusting details about some of the most horrible events in human history." For many of you, this excerpt from the book's jacket is enough to make you want to read this book. But for those of you that cringe at such a description, the reality is that it is (almost) as rife with information about the infinite untold wonders that insects provide for earth and life (and last time I checked, we as humans are part of both). Sarah Albee provides a thorough exploration of insects, their activities, abilities, and atrocities, their interactions with humans, and the profound historical significance these interactions have had. This story is infested with intriguing facts and events which makes it the greatest type of nonfiction book: the kind that changes your outlook on the world and changes you, yourself.
Here's a fun fact freebie: Many people believed the theory that some of the deadliest diseases were the result of breathing in bad air called "miasmas." The word for one of the most historically deadly diseases, Malaria, comes from the Italian term for "bad air."
December 31, 2015
I really wanted to like this book because it hits a lot of the right reluctant reader notes. The cover is funny (but more appealing to a younger than teenage audience). It features an image of George Washington, cross-eyed with a fly on his nose. The title is in large type face. The stories are interesting, with decent white space, good type face size, and ants bordering the pages. The book features photos, paintings, drawings and comics. It also has a glossary, further reading suggestions, websites, a long notes on sources section and index.
My one big issue with the book are the colors chosen for the type face and images. They can be very difficult to focus on and one blends into another because they are all violet and light blue. There is no variation on the colors at all, so everything looks alike. If only the publisher had used all the colors in the rainbow, I would’ve been more amped about it.
My one big issue with the book are the colors chosen for the type face and images. They can be very difficult to focus on and one blends into another because they are all violet and light blue. There is no variation on the colors at all, so everything looks alike. If only the publisher had used all the colors in the rainbow, I would’ve been more amped about it.
September 3, 2015
Summary: Informational text presenting a variety of facts and figures on death, disease, and destruction...all due to insects!
Review: Excellent collection of historical and cultural observations [and effects] of bugs on society and nature. Geared toward upper elementary students [grades 3+] and includes several reference aids such as table of contents, interesting notes [smartly labeled "Insect Asides" and "Pox Box"], index, website suggestions, footnotes, bibliography, glossary, etc. From the author of "Poop Happened." The only thing I wasn't too keen on was the monochromatic quality of the photographs and illustrations [all purple or green].
Review: Excellent collection of historical and cultural observations [and effects] of bugs on society and nature. Geared toward upper elementary students [grades 3+] and includes several reference aids such as table of contents, interesting notes [smartly labeled "Insect Asides" and "Pox Box"], index, website suggestions, footnotes, bibliography, glossary, etc. From the author of "Poop Happened." The only thing I wasn't too keen on was the monochromatic quality of the photographs and illustrations [all purple or green].
September 5, 2014
This book was gross and disgusting, filled with disease and death caused by... BUGS (more correctly known as insects)! It was also fascinating and hilarious, and read like a page-turning novel. It was full of puns from start to finish, from "Biblical Bugs: Holy Terrors" to "Of Lice and men-- the Irish Potato Famine," which made some of the plagues a bit more tolerable. It's history from a different point of view, and if you want a bunch of cool facts about.... eeeewwwww.... BUGS... to impress your friends (or enemies), read this book. I didn't like the color scheme, but that's no biggie.
January 20, 2016
Fascinating history of bugs in their millions and billions have affected wars, helped to shape civilizations, and changed the predicted course of history. Bugs--insects--bring disease but they also give us honey and twinkling lights in summer. They can give us building samples we can use in architecture and they help break down refuse and dung.
The book is full of drawings, photographs, and sidebars. It's funny and while the verbiage is sometimes more wisecracking than I might prefer, most kids will love it.
4th grade and up.
The book is full of drawings, photographs, and sidebars. It's funny and while the verbiage is sometimes more wisecracking than I might prefer, most kids will love it.
4th grade and up.
May 2, 2014
Since I so much enjoyed Albee's Poop Happened!, I wasn't surprised to like this one, too. How can a writer make topics like "integrated pest management" interesting to read about? I'm not sure, but Albee does it. (Doesn't hurt that her book is full of cool images--archival and cartoon--that add to the appeal.) A great book to dip into in small doses. Any more, and you'll start feeling a little itchy...
February 27, 2014
Combining biology, history, and a little humor, the author of this amazing new book presents a different view of the world as we know it. Sixth graders, especially boys, will get a kick out of the idea that insects had such a huge influence on history. Leighton’s sketches and choices of photos add a fun dimension to the project.
May 1, 2014
Interesting, funny, and deliciously gross, this book is a bug’s eye view of human history. I especially love the section titles like “Evil Weevil,” “Of Lice and Men,” and “Global Swarming.” What a great way to give kids a healthy dose of world history with some buggy facts on top. I can see this being a big hit with kids who like to be icked-out (i.e. boys).
June 19, 2014
Game changer. Thinking changer. This book disrupted and reconfigured my thinking about insects and their affects on human life, war and disease. It is an easy read through history on the thread of insects' role in history. It is more like an appetizer than a main course which had me enjoy it all the more.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews