This was a very good book. I enjoyed reading this so much the author has such great passion and knowledge on insects. He also interviews other insect experts who tell very interesting stories. My favourite by far was the interview with sir David Attenborough. I listened to the audiobook and loved that it was read by the author. He has a great voice and pitch. I learnt alot from reading this book. So facts were rather shocking especially when he looks at the question which animals need more protection. I have always wondered what would happen if you removed one whole species of insects away like mosquitoes as the transfer so many blood disorders. The author touched on the subject on the reduction of certain species and the impact this has on the food chain which I really found fascinating. I wished there was more. I bet you could write a whole book on this subject. I loved how the last 3 hours of this book contains the full interviews. I really enjoyed these and found myself chuckling at the humour. The last hour is insects audio in their natural habits recorded by the author this was very relaxing. I loved the shoreline one the most. I really recommend reading this book or better still listening to the audiobook as it has so many benefits. This book is a great fit for nature lovers or those that want to learn more and see how they can help insects more in their gardens. It was so obvious from this book that the author is living such an amazing and very interesting life. I commend him for all his work and passion for saving this little creatures.

So much praise goes out to the author and publishers for bringing us such a wonderful audiobook packed to the brim with amazing stories, facts and advice on these tiny but fascinating little creatures. I will definitely be looking out for more books by this very dedicated author. 

The above review has already been placed on goodreads, waterstones, Google books, Barnes&noble, kobo, amazon UK where found and my blog yesterday https://ladyreading365.wixsite.com/website/post/all-creatures-small-and-great-by-dr-george-mcgavin-wf-howes-4-stars either under my name or ladyreading365

"All Creatures Small and Great" by Dr George McGavin is an interesting and informative book that combines personal anecdotes, expert opinions, and science to show just how indispensable and fascinating insects are and the threats to their (and our) survival.

I really enjoyed McGavin's narration and the inclusion of interview recordings in place of quotations.

The extra interviews and binaural recordings at the end are a lovely touch that I enjoyed almost as much as the book itself.

I definitely recommend this audiobook to anyone with an interest in entomology, environmental ecology, or natural history.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me a free digital copy of this audiobook to listen to in exchange for an honest review.

A very well made, podcast-style audiobook that reminds us of the beauty and richness of nature that can be find everywhere but certainly among the realm of insects. I liked that it isn’t only a list of amazing facts and curiosities (even though you will find plenty of both here) but it is focused rather on the crucial role of often forgotten creatures. Without insects we, humans will not survive, so it is about time to stop killing them and destroying their habitats.

Thanks to W.F. Howes Ltd and NetGalley for an advanced reader’s copy of this audiobook.

We humans think that we rule the world. At present, there are about 8 billion humans on planet Earth. According to Dr. McGavin, the total biomass of insects is at least ten times that of all human beings and our livestock combined. But insects are rapidly disappearing and if they do, we will too. In this fascinating book (or audiobook), you will learn the reason for the critical need to understand and learn about those creatures that make up the genus, Arthropoda. As the author, Dr. McGavin says, "The world isn't ours at all. We are newcomers on a planet made and maintained by insects." We should all pay a little more attention to all creatures small. Our existence depends on them.

A fascinating, indepth look into the world of insects, narrated by Dr George McGavin, with additional material by Sir David Attenborough and others. I learned so much, not only able many species of insect, but also how insects are crucial to our survival on earth. Their various habitats must be protected, as a matter of urgency, and our knowledge of our insects species should be taught to all.

Available now!

#allcreaturesgreatandsmall #drgeorgemcgavin


Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Very relaxing and informative. Filled with fact, personal experiences, and interviews with rfiends and other experts.

I would recommend this to anyone who likes podcast formats. Steady reads and or would like to learn more about insects and the effects they have on the ecosystem.

I gave this books 4 stars

Thank you #netgalley for the copy of the audiobook for review.

An advance copy of this audiobook was provided for review purposes with courtesy of NetGalley, W.F. Howes Ltd, and the author Dr. George McGavin, who also narrates the book. He is the perfect fit for the audiobook and I immensely enjoyed it. The audiobook also includes interviews with a number of insect enthusiasts such as Sir David Attenborough, Alison Steadman, Phil Stevenson, Steve Simpson, and Helen Roy, as well as insect noise recordings.

I requested this audiobook because I like non-fiction books about nature in general. Because of this, I listen to a fair number of books of similar topics, which makes me a bit of tough audience. An ordinary nature book no longer satisfy me, and some books pulls towards alarmist and depressive, which draw people away. I also am not particularly a big fan of bugs - so I was interested in the book but not terribly excited before started to listen to this book.

As it turned out, entomologist Dr. McGavin introduces fascinating facts about insects while illustrating why insects life and their welfare matters to us. It was highly entertaining, interesting and educational. Unless you have fear of insects (and indeed some of their behaviors are terrifying) I would highly recommend to listen to this book and learn something new about creatures that's are so near to us, wherever you are.

I would imagine the book is appropriate for all ages, especially for children middle school and older.

Thank you for allowing me to take a listen to this book. It was delightful. I would add this to one of the top 10 books I listened to that were published in 2022!

With thanks to NetGalley, Dr George McGavin, and the publishers for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved it. It’s interesting and well performed, informative and exciting.

The research and the information presented is engaging and not watered down - even the kind of graphic bits like parasites and the gritty details of insect life.

The interviews with fabulous people - including the one and only David Attenborough - are presented in full in appendices which I love. Additionally the recordings are delightful.

This audiobook is a phenomenal example of what the format can be. Combining interviews and prose with recordings and examples. This audio book really highlights the gulf between a book that’s been made into an audiobook just to tick the box, and an audiobook truly crafted to the format.

10/10 - an absolutely brilliant book, and an even better audiobook.

Please note: My standard audiobook disclaimer applies, I listen to almost all audiobooks at increased playback speed, but always listen to a portion at regular speed to get a feel for the narrator (in this case I want to note that I listened to all the recordings at regular speed).

A great listen for a general audience. George McGavin is an academic and TV presenter and combines expertise with a friendly, accessible style. It starts with the basics - what is an insect, how did they evolve etc, and then goes through a range of topics - reproduction, pollination, their relationship to humans. It's packed with memorable examples (when I'm in unfamiliar territory I like an anecdote I can hang onto) from sex in cow pats to the gory life cycle of parasitoid wasps to the role of fleas in bubonic plague. There's also a section on climate change and what humanity is doing to insects.

The narration is interspersed with clips of McGavin speaking to others in the field (sometimes literally). I found this a bit awkward at first, I think I have a book brain and a podcast brain and this wasn't quite either. However, most of the clips were interesting and relevant (although I think the introductory chit-chat could have been cut from the narrative). There are extended interviews with some of the contributors at the end of the book, including David Attenborough and Professor Helen Roy .

If you're interested in wildlife, gardening or the future of the planet this is a good introduction to what insects are about.
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I received a copy of this audiobook from the publisher via Netgalley.

I am so pleased I was drawn to the beautiful beetle on the cover of All Creatures Small and Great: How Insects Make the World! This book is chocked full of amazing entomological facts and information. Some of it rather creepy (botfly, parasitic wasps and the like) but still utterly fascinating. This audiobook was narrated (very well!) by the author Entomologist and broadcaster Dr George McGavin as he shares his knowledge on the small but mightily crucial insects we are lucky enough to share this planet with.

The plus side of the audiobook has to be the conversations he has with a wide array of characters, including David Attenborough, who have their own insights, theories and facts to share. I found it gripping stuff and believe we all need to do everything we can to keep insects alive, thriving and doing what they do without our involvement and chemical treatments meant to kill them. The heartening bit, for me, was George saying how insects, despite our best effort, are likely to carry on long after we have driven ourselves into extinction. Hhmmm....maybe someone should tell the pollinators. They could use a bit of good news. An excellent read, I highly recommend All Creatures Small and Great.

This world is not ours alone. We are newcomers on a planet made and maintained by insects.
If we are going to appreciate the massive part that insects play in the ecology of our planet we need to understand where they came from and how they became so successful. The survival of insects is key to our own survival. This is the objective of this book by Entomologist George McGavin and teach he did.
I found this book absolutely fascinating. I enjoyed learning the knowledge of George McGavin ( who I found very easy listen to) and the range of experts he interviewed and their personal experiences and thoughts on the many topics such as global warming, the economy, re-wilding, biodiversity & extinction. I am pretty sure everyone would learn something from this book. It is a must for anyone with a interest in nature.
My thanks go to the author, publisher and Netgalley for providing this arc in return for a honest review.

I think listeners/readers will get more out of 'All Creatures Small and Great' if they don't know much about insects beforehand. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed listening to this audiobook, and learned some pretty amazing new facts.

As a seasoned TV presenter, McGavin makes an equally good narrator, and the various insect-related anecdotes from his research and TV outings that he chucks in are often highly amusing. I liked the snippets of interviews with other insect experts and lovers - it gives a podcast tang to the audiobook, and for the most part the speakers are well-chosen (the exception is someone who loves urban bees but doesn't come across as particularly knowledgeable). I also enjoyed the few insect sound recordings, although I would have loved to hear more of these (more recordings are provided at the end of the audiobook, but might have been better integrated into the book itself).

I did sometimes find my attention wandering when the book pitched itself more to people who are brand-new to the subject of insects, and I think McGavin wasted word count on considering the trite question of "could all insects die out?" - obviously the answer is no, and I really can't imagine anyone beyond primary-school age being dumb enough to think otherwise. I was also extremely surprised that in considering solutions to environmental breakdown, McGavin focused purely on reducing food waste, and said absolutely nothing about overconsumption of meat.

Still, the book is a solid introduction to the world of insects.

(With thanks to W.F. Howes Ltd and NetGalley for this audiobook in exchange for an honest review)

This book was quite hard to listen too as I found it very dry. The facts are absolutely interesting but it need some personality

An interesting audiobook. There were a few eyebrow rising moments. When will we as a species ever learn?
If you love insects and some gruesome info this is a great audiobook.
Particularly interested in the cow pat bit!

Author narrated his own book and was a perfect fit - unsurprisingly since his passion for the subject shone through, he read the book with the emphasis he would have given each passage and he is a television presenter to boot. In addition, there were several snippets of interviews with experts in the field (no pun intended) peppered throughout - including David Attenborough and Alison Steadman. While only relevant passages were audio quoted within the spoken text, the interviews are included at the end are fascinating.



As to the substance of the book itself, anyone who grew up on David Attenborough programs and similar documentaries, will find a lot to enjoy here. I have a background in biology and genetics, and while entomology isn't my first love I'm definitely interested, both in general and from a conservational biology point of view. McGavin completely captures the reader's attention with both interesting facts and amusing anecdotes. I even learned a few things I even learned a few things I didn't know, and I've been grubbing around in the UK countryside since I was knee-high to a goat. Insects are absolutely essential to our survival. When we remove a link in the food chain, we collapse it. And if we're not careful, we are going to drive ourselves to extinction with out thoughtless waste of resources and our ignorant persecution of other species. However, McGavin points out that we can do something about this just by making small changes because if everyone did, it would add up to big change. He doesn't mince words about potential ecological collapse, but he doesn't present the problem as being so huge that we don't want to look at it either. I have a couple of minor disagreements with him on issues such as what caused the Black Death of 1347 (he seems to have confused it with the 16th C Great Plague, which actually was caused by Yesinia Pestis spread by rat fleas. The Black Death was most likely a droplet based transmission - you just can't kill off half of Europe's population with a disease that relies on an animal vector - it spreads too slowly.) But then he is neither a historian or an epidemiologist so we'll let that slide. His point that while insects may spread diseases, they have saved far more lives by pushing plants to produce chemicals we now rely on as medicines for some of our most deadly diseases is a good one. And of course, without pollinating insects, we can kiss goodbye to about two thirds of the worlds food supply. Sobering thoughts but presented with genuine zest and compassion. Highly recommend.