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Leuchten in der Stille: Über Glühwürmchen und das Glück des Moments
Glühwürmchen in einer lauen Sommernacht - nichts fasziniert uns Menschen mehr, als diese kleinen Lebewesen, die wahre Lichtermeere hervorrufen können. Sara Lewis ist Ökologin und Professorin für Biologie und hat die Leuchtkäfer, die uns seit Jahrhunderten verzaubern, intensiv erforscht. Sie lässt uns in die geheime Welt der Leuchtkäfer eintauchen und erklärt voller Hingabe, wie es ihnen gelingt, mit einem Minimum an Energie so herrlich zu funkeln. Mithilfe ihres stillen Leuchtens können Glühwürmchen den passenden Partner finden und Fressfeinde austricksen. Durch die hohe Lichtverschmutzung gehören sie jedoch mittlerweile zu den bedrohten Tierarten. Sara Lewis weiß, wie es dennoch gelingen kann, Glühwürmchen in unsere Gärten zu locken.
241 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 22, 2016
About the author
Sara Lewis
1 book4 followersSara M. Lewis is a professor in the Department of Biology at Tufts University. She has an A.B. from Harvard College (1976) and a Ph.D. from Duke University (1984).
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
June 22, 2016
An enjoyable and interesting book. The author is very engaging and provides a wealth of information about these wonderful magical insects. The photos are phenomenal! If you love fireflies (and who doesn't) this is a must read.
July 28, 2017
This was an amazing, engaging read. I happened across the title just as the fireflies in my yard were at their most brilliant. Getting to know more about my tiny, twinkling neighbors has been a great experience. Sara Lewis tells many stories about her own experiences learning about fireflies and about the major researchers in the field of fireflies. The book concludes with recommendations for enhancing one's yard as firefly habitat and an in-depth field guide to common fireflies of North America. I can hardly wait for the firefly spectacle next year!
August 23, 2022
Geek Zone rating = 5 *****
Non-geeks may not want to do more than flip through it.
This is a thoroughly enjoyable and readable book full of nitty-gritty details about fireflies. How they signal, why they signal, their brilliant mate-finding strategies, what's making their populations tank. I never knew there were fireflies with pink or blue lights, or some that gather in grasses and flash in sync. Photos, diagrams, and yes, some science that's beyond me but mostly just crazy and wonderful details from egg to full-fledged flying miracles.
Non-geeks may not want to do more than flip through it.
This is a thoroughly enjoyable and readable book full of nitty-gritty details about fireflies. How they signal, why they signal, their brilliant mate-finding strategies, what's making their populations tank. I never knew there were fireflies with pink or blue lights, or some that gather in grasses and flash in sync. Photos, diagrams, and yes, some science that's beyond me but mostly just crazy and wonderful details from egg to full-fledged flying miracles.
July 9, 2016
Love this book! Lots of information on fireflies and an invitation to firefly enthusiasts to go out and help discover more details of firefly lives- so much is unknown!
August 8, 2018
This was very enjoyable, and worth the price. Any book that has as much insect sex as this one is guaranteed to be a favourite of mine, but this one is really special. The author writes very well, and gives a very well rounded description of the life, ecology, ethology, and biochemistry of fireflies.
On the plus side are the author's story-telling abilities, the gorgeous illustrations, the look into the researchers' proccess, the last part of the book that nudges the reader to get outside and explore and experiment... The notes for each chapter suggesting sources for further reading, the list of references and the excellent index are the final little details that I adore.
4, maybe 4.5 stars for this great book. I suggest it to everyone interested in nature in general, and insects in particular.
On the plus side are the author's story-telling abilities, the gorgeous illustrations, the look into the researchers' proccess, the last part of the book that nudges the reader to get outside and explore and experiment... The notes for each chapter suggesting sources for further reading, the list of references and the excellent index are the final little details that I adore.
4, maybe 4.5 stars for this great book. I suggest it to everyone interested in nature in general, and insects in particular.
November 9, 2025
Beautiful pictures. Sometimes hard to follow.
April 20, 2020
In general I don’t do book reviews, except when something exceptional comes across my desk. Sara Lewis’s Silent Sparks is one of those special books. This book works on so many levels that I barely know where to begin. I guess the most impressive thing about the book is how it seamlessly integrates the enchanting world of a summer evening in a meadow with the science of fireflies. This narrative flows so smoothly and gracefully that you hardly realize that you are absorbing the latest biological and ecological research on fireflies and related insects. The book never feels dumbed down, or didactic. Even when Dr. Lewis discusses the threats to fireflies (development, light pollution, pesticides, and, alas, collecting), she never gets preachy, and I found myself nodding, yes, yes, yes to every point.
What makes this book so magical is not only its eloquence but, of course, the subject matter. Who knew that the secret lives of fireflies were full of such poisons & potions, romance, intrigue, disguises, competition, and even treachery, deadly treachery? Well they are, and this book is a page-turner.
Dr. Lewis, a Professor Evolutionary and Behavioral Ecology at Tufts University, is at the forefront of firefly research. I was delighted to read her account of one of the original pioneers in the field, the late John Buck, a biologist at the National Institutes of Health. In the 70’s I spent a delightful evening with Dr. Buck at his Woods Hole house talking about synchronization of animals, especially fireflies. That and some of the other fascinating people in Woods Hole helped fuel my early interest in the natural world.
Silent Sparks is a lush, beautifully-illustrated, semi-coffee table book that nevertheless was on my bedside table for a month as I slowly digested every delicious page.
I don’t know where the title of the book originates from. Could it be a poem by Emily Dickinson? Here is one example:
"A winged spark doth soar about —
I never met it near
For Lightning it is oft mistook
When nights are hot and sere"
What makes this book so magical is not only its eloquence but, of course, the subject matter. Who knew that the secret lives of fireflies were full of such poisons & potions, romance, intrigue, disguises, competition, and even treachery, deadly treachery? Well they are, and this book is a page-turner.
Dr. Lewis, a Professor Evolutionary and Behavioral Ecology at Tufts University, is at the forefront of firefly research. I was delighted to read her account of one of the original pioneers in the field, the late John Buck, a biologist at the National Institutes of Health. In the 70’s I spent a delightful evening with Dr. Buck at his Woods Hole house talking about synchronization of animals, especially fireflies. That and some of the other fascinating people in Woods Hole helped fuel my early interest in the natural world.
Silent Sparks is a lush, beautifully-illustrated, semi-coffee table book that nevertheless was on my bedside table for a month as I slowly digested every delicious page.
I don’t know where the title of the book originates from. Could it be a poem by Emily Dickinson? Here is one example:
"A winged spark doth soar about —
I never met it near
For Lightning it is oft mistook
When nights are hot and sere"
July 22, 2021
OMG THIS BOOK!! I have been letting it languish on my shelf because I did not understand how amazing it would be. If you've ever been curious about fireflies, get this book immediately. Lewis invites you into "the wondrous world of fireflies" all the while instilling scientific knowledge in the most poetic and engaging manner. From the carnivorous larvae to the nuptial gifts, and the tourism to the medicine, Lewis covers all things firefly. You do not have to have a background in science to enjoy this book, but you will definitely feel like you have a background in science once you've finished. Even the endnotes are written in a narrative that flows and glows just like those bioluminescent beetles. And, Lewis includes clear instructions for conducting your own firefly experiments and surveys, so you can be a citizen biologist!
March 20, 2019
Challenge: Non-fiction November 2018 (belated) - Wonder/Wander. The author and other scientists wander all over the world to study the wonder of fireflies. This book covers in depth why and how fireflies spark, why some fireflies do not fly or fly only during the day, where each genus can be found in the world, and how their habitats and populations have been endangered and are being replenished. I have only experienced fireflies a few times in my life, so this book was a joy to read in order to understand what was going on during the few wondrous moments I had as a child with these wonderful creatures.
August 14, 2020
This is a very enjoyable look into the world of fireflies. Although similar books have a tendency to sound overly scientific at time, this book never delves too deeply into technicalities and instead focuses on telling the story of these amazing animals. The author is an expert on the topic and imparts her own love by keeping this more of a story about them, as opposed to a description. Well worth reading for anyone interested in natural history.
August 5, 2019
Great interesting information on various kinds of fireflies. I grew up without them in Utah and when I first saw them in Chicago area while I lived there one summer, as an adult, I was also fascinated.
A lot of their science secrets have been solved, but there is more to learn.
A lot of their science secrets have been solved, but there is more to learn.
December 8, 2019
All about fireflies. Nature writing that’s highly readable in a beautifully produced book by a firefly specialist scientist/ professor.
October 11, 2020
Not a light read -- more of a biology text, but written in an entertaining and understandable way. Lots of cool photos. Brings home the need to address destruction of habitat before it's too late.
May 1, 2021
A very readable exploration of firefly natural history and a great companion to Fireflies, Glow-worms, and Lighting Bugs (which is currently the best field guide).
April 12, 2022
Dr Lewis is very passionate about her subject. This book covers all aspects of fireflies in layman terms.
June 21, 2022
Such a great popular science book all about fireflies. The author is great at keeping this mostly non-technical while also really communicating what science is and her love of fireflies.
April 4, 2025
Let's save our wilderness and thus save our fireflies.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews