Secret lives of ants

Jae C. Choe

Book - 2012

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Subjects
Published
Baltimore : Johns Hopkins University Press c2012.
Language
English
Korean
Main Author
Jae C. Choe (-)
Physical Description
xxvi, 156 p. : col. ill. ; 23 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN
9781421404288
  • Introduction : My first journey to the ants
  • Ants mean business : how the futuristic economics of ants maximizes their returns
  • Economies of scale and rational business management : from joint ventures to multinational enterprises
  • A 50-million-year tradition of farming : the massive underground mushroom farms of the leaf-cutter ants
  • Ant ranchers : masters of dairy farming second only to mankind
  • The world's first bodyguards : standing watch for room and board
  • The charge of the ant brigade : the terrifying march of the army ants
  • Talking with the ants : the clever designs of ant communication
  • The ants come home : sense of direction and biological clocks
  • Ants at work : maids, nannies, laborers, soldiers
  • Con artists of the ant world : parasites that have cracked the ants' secret code
  • Villains and monsters of the ant world : predators and parasites
  • No children of their own : females in the service of an amazon queen
  • Conflict in the queendom : divine right of the queen? : or the will of the masses?
  • Political conflict and international alliances : yesterday's comrade, today's enemy
  • The foundation myth of the Aztec ant queendom : the queens' battle for the throne
  • War and slavery : from full-scale slaughter to bloodless warfare
  • Epilogue : To know them is to love them.
Review by Choice Review

Not everyone is fascinated by ants. But Choe (Ewha Women's Univ., South Korea) sees in them all of the drama, adventure, deception, and intrigue observed in the best mystery movies, plus all of the sorrows and joys apparent in romances. Much of the information presented was previously published in a Korean science magazine, and one chapter actually appeared in a Korean literature textbook for middle school students. Choe's goal is to expose the fascinating miniature world of ants to curious minds. The focus revolves around the remarkable behavior that ants exhibit, and there are many variations to consider, but the book explains basic life history patterns. The author draws parallels between ant societies and human society, which is reflected in the titles of the three main sections of the book: "The Economics of Ant Society," "The Culture of Ant Society," and "The Politics of Ant Society." The 16 chapters are interestingly written and very informative. Prey, predators, nest parasites, farming practices, communication, orientation, homing, and coevolution with plants and other insects all make appearances in these pages. Peppered with exceptional photographs and drawings, this book represents a condensed version of B. Holldobler and E. Wilson's massive work The Ants (CH, Oct'90, 28-0954). Summing Up: Highly recommended. All academic and general readers. P. K. Lago University of Mississippi

Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.