Eat the Beetles!: An Exploration of Our Conflicted Relationship with Insects

by David Waltner-Toews

“Provides a sturdy literary exoskeleton to the field of human insectivory . . . it entertains as it enlightens.” ― Daniella Martin, author of An Adventure into the World of Eating Insects and the Last Great Hope to Save the Planet Will eating insects change the world for the better? Meet the there are millions and millions of them and many fewer of the rest of us ― mammals, birds, and reptiles. Since before recorded history, humans have eaten insects. While many get squeamish at the idea, entomophagy ― people eating insects ― is a possible way to ensure a sustainable and secure food supply for the eight billion of us on the planet. Once seen as the great enemy of human civilization, destroying our crops and spreading plagues, we now see insects as marvelous pollinators of our food crops and a potential source of commercial food supply. From upscale restaurants where black ants garnish raw salmon to grubs as pub snacks in Paris and Tokyo, from backyard cricket farming to high-tech businesses, Eat the Beetles! weaves these cultural, ecological, and evolutionary narratives to provide an accessible and humorous exploration of entomophagy. “Waltner-Toews punctuates this serious subject with his quirky humor . . . Eat the Beetles! is an essential part of a growing buzz.” ― Toronto Star “An excellent read for those interested in multiple perspectives on the issue of entomophagy, digging deep into science and math with flair and irreverence.” ― Scene Magazine “When it comes to the future of insects as food for humans and livestock, Waltner-Toews walks the line between skepticism and optimism in an intelligent, witty, and provocative analysis.” ― Jeffrey A. Lockwood, author of The Infested Mind “Full of humor and science, this edible insect book is definitely a must-read!” ―EntoMove Project

Genres: Science, Nature, Nonfiction

276 pages, Paperback

First published May 9, 2017

About the author

David Waltner-Toews is a veterinary epidemiologist specializing in diseases people get from other animals. A University of Guelph Professor Emeritus and founding president of Veterinarians without Borders-Canada, he was the recipient of the inaugural award for contributions to ecosystem approaches to health from The International Association for Ecology and Health. He is the author of more than twenty award-winning books of poetry, fiction, and science, including, in 2020, “On Pandemics: Deadly Diseases from Bubonic Plague to Coronavirus” and "The Inter-Pandemic Backyard Chicken Book: a retirement memoir, with chickens."

Reviews

[Katherine Joa Rauch · Rating 5 out of 5]

So punny and actually funny. I suspect the author just wanted to write a book nerding out about different insect facts and history, and shoehorned the edible aspect in so that people would actually read it (and it totally worked on me). As a humanities minded person, I found it an incredibly accessible and relevant entry to the world of insects. Absolutely love the tangents that dissect our anthropological draws to characters in A bugs life and other ridiculously great analysis. To summarize: bugs are cool and weird as hell, and more research is needed overall- but we should probably eat them!

“The idea that insects, bacteria, and people are either good or bad is one of our most dangerous illusions.”

[Koozebane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received a print ARC for review as part of ECW Press's Shelf Monkey program.

While I hadn't thought about the phenomenon of insect-eating too often, this book really drives home the various ecological, ethical, sociological, and aesthetic aspects. The prose is dense with information, and the second half may make some readers a bit squeamish. On the other hand, the author's good humor and clever Beatles references go a long way toward making the subject more, er, palatable.

[Jacinta Carter · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm definitely not the target audience for a book like this. I expected a book about people who eat insects and why we should or shouldn't follow their example. Instead, it was basically a science textbook trying to teach me every detail about every species of bug and the benefits of eating them. I almost bailed on this book so many times, but I managed to power through. If you're interested in bugs and really like scientific language, you'll probably get a lot more out of this than I did. But if you just want to know whether or not it's cool to eat bugs, and maybe the best ways to cook/serve them, then look elsewhere, because this book will do nothing for you.

[J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a look at how eating one of the 1,900 edible insect species in the world may reduce hunger and starvation. The book looks at how insects evolved, their impact on humans, human impact on insects, and their role in culinary delights. He included examples where insects consumed for survival turned into valuable cash crops. If not food for the stomach, the theories presented are certainly food for thought. The author used over five hundred scholarly and popular books, papers, and websites to research insect for the book. The author included a selected biography, endnotes, and index.

I received this book through a random giveaway. Although encouraged as a courtesy to provide feedback, I was under no obligation to write a review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

[Sarah Riessen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advanced reading copy of this book. I would definitely recommend it to anyone interested in sustainability and science. Some of the chapters get a bit wordy but the concept of this book is just fantastic! It may be somewhat difficult to follow without some solid science background- which you likely have if you're reading books from this genre.

[Brendan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m really glad I found this book while searching for books on the Fab Four, and I am so glad I did. I found this to be a very interesting overview of the possible benefits as well as costs of promoting entomophagy. I would recommend this book to anyone, and I am excited to try some bugs next time I find them on the menu at a restaurant!

[Spen Cer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting and I am supportive of more insects being involved in our diet. This book however quickly devolves into philosophical musings on things that have no real role to play in food security. It seemed like the author was just trying to be as “woke” as possible.

[David Stormblade · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me HUNGRY :V

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes! I am all for eating bugs!!

[Lois · Rating 4 out of 5]

p fun read for a book for my thesis 🪲🦗🐜🦟

[Akvile · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm not going to eat bugs!

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eat the Beetles by David Waltner-Toews picks up where Edible: An Adventure Into the World of Eating Insects by Daniella Martin leaves off...in this book, Waltner-Toews explores why eating insects may be a good option for solving the hunger of the world. Instead of just looking at food preparation, however, the author also examines the history of insects as well as our relationship with the beetles and flies and other creepy crawlies that most of us know so little about. Besides cultural issues with dining on insects, the author also looks at ethical and environmental concerns. An intriguing read!

[Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my first choice of food. I'd become a vegetarian if confronted with eating an insect! But I realize there are many people around the world who routinely eat them as part of their diets (I even know a few!), just not me. But it is an interesting, entertaining and enlightening read ! Foodies will enjoy it I'm sure! As will others who are interested i how to feed a quickly over populating world.