Butterflies of the world

Butterflies of the world contains 7000 colour photographs of butterflies from all over the world. Most genera known to science back in 1973, when the book was published, are included. The butterflies are illustrated More... In pinned position and placed in long rows, almost like a museum collection. In fact, they *are* from a museum collection, that of the British Museum to be exact. Despite its claim to be an international field guide, this book looks more like an exhibition catalogue! The species presentations are ridiculously short, often only consisting of the Latin name of the butterfly and its approximate range. (If you can call south China approximate.) Still, the photos are beautiful. There are 208 colour plates in the book. Butterflies of the World isn't a book you can actually read, let alone use as a field guide. It's a coffee table book pure and simple, or a nice addition to your collection of rare books.

Beyond its central premise, the book can be read through the connected lenses of Nonfiction. Those themes offer useful points of attention as the characters, ideas, or world develop, especially where the book complicates the expectations of its primary category.