The Dangerous World of Butterflies

The Dangerous World of Butterflies: The Startling Subculture of Criminals, Collectors, and Conservationists
Author	Peter Laufer
Cover artist	Georgiana Goodwin
Series	Peter Laufer's untitled animal trilogy
Subject	Butterflies
Publisher	Lyons Press
Publication date	5 May 2009
Media type	Print (Hardcover, paperback)
Pages	288
ISBN	978-1-59921-555-6
OCLC	244418059
Dewey Decimal	595.78/9/075
LC Class	QL542 .L38 2009
Followed by	Forbidden Creatures

The Dangerous World of Butterflies: The Startling Subculture of Criminals, Collectors, and Conservationists is a 2009 book by Doctor of Philosophy Peter Laufer. It is the first book in his untitled animal trilogy, preceding Forbidden Creatures in 2010 and No Animals Were Harmed in 2011. The book explores the presence of the butterfly in the fields of organized crime, ecological devastation, species depletion, natural history museum integrity, and chaos theory.

Overview

The Dangerous World of Butterflies has Laufer talking to butterfly experts, both professional and amateur, discussing the art, conservation, breeding, development, wing colors, and the meaning of its fascination for humans of the butterfly. He explores the various mysteries of lepidopterology, such as the process of metamorphosis. In addition, he discovers controversy in commercial butterfly breeding and discovers vast criminal operations involving the mass poaching and smuggling of butterflies.

Critical reception

Kirkus Reviews had a mixed review of the book, saying that it was "charming but slightly scattershot" and "flawed but pleasing".[1]

The Seattle Times compared The Dangerous World of Butterflies to The Orchid Thief, praising both and calling them "entertaining" and "enlightening".[2]

Publishers Weekly said that The Dangerous World of Butterflies delivered an "absorbing science lesson" in what the reviewer called "casual prose".[3]

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References

"THE DANGEROUS WORLD OF BUTTERFLIES by Peter Laufer | Kirkus Book Reviews". 15 April 2009. Retrieved 18 September 2012.
Wanner, Irene. "Books | "Dangerous World of Butterflies": A threatened universe of dazzling creatures". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 18 September 2012.
"Nonfiction Review: The Dangerous World of Butterflies: The Startling Subculture of Criminals, Collectors, and Conservationists". Publishers Weekly. 4 May 2009. Retrieved 19 September 2012.

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[1] "THE DANGEROUS WORLD OF BUTTERFLIES by Peter Laufer | Kirkus Book Reviews". 15 April 2009. Retrieved 18 September 2012.

[2] Wanner, Irene. "Books | "Dangerous World of Butterflies": A threatened universe of dazzling creatures". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 18 September 2012.

[3] "Nonfiction Review: The Dangerous World of Butterflies: The Startling Subculture of Criminals, Collectors, and Conservationists". Publishers Weekly. 4 May 2009. Retrieved 19 September 2012.