An introduction to the hairy, but not so scary, creatures that share our homes and gardens, and a personal account of overcoming arachnophobia and how any arachnophobe can do the same.Spiders are everywhere. No matter how clean, how stark, how sterile your home, the spiders will come. Spiderlings will balloon in and wait for the insects that will appear. Adult spiders will walk in. As you destroy one, another will take its place. Spiders are like that.Lynne introduces us to the hairy, but not so scary, creatures that share our homes and gardens. Answering questions like: how do spiders build webs? is the daddy long-legs the most venomous spider in the world? is arachnid romance really so cutthroat? Lynne guides us through the myth and mystery that surrounds spiders, finally looking at the dreaded bite itself. Spiders: Learning to love them also contains everything the amateur arachnophile needs: an illustrated guide to identifying webs,a list of useful spider-watching equipment,observations sheets, andclose-up colour photographs.By observing and studying spiders in the world around her, and learning from experts and biologists, Lynne came to love these misunderstood members of the animal kingdom. As well as being an authoritative book on spiders this is a personal account of conquering arachnophobia and how any arachnophobe can do the same. When hordes of giant spiders invaded Lynne Kelly's dreams, she decided it was time to overcome her arachnophobia by getting to know the creature intimately. This extensive introduction answers every basic question about spiders, including articles on web-building, the most venomous and dangerous species, and, of course, arachnid romance. An illustrated guide to identifying webs, a list of useful spider-watching equipment, observations sheets, and dozens of photographs of common species are also provided. Along the way, Lynne explains how she overcame her own arachnophobia, and provides tips and hints on how any arachnophobe can do the same. Part Title About the author Title Page Contents Acknowledgements Introduction 1 Arachnophobia 2 Spiders, spiders everywhere 3 Garnishing the garden 4 Let's get physical 5 Classification challenges 6 The hunters and the hunted 7 Live long and primitive—the mygalomorphs 8 No-one does it like a spider 9 Murderous or misunderstood—the spider bite 10 Changing the image Glossary Appendix 1: Spider families Appendix 2: A guide to the silken clues Appendix 3: A guide to spider-spotting equipment Appendix 4: Observation sheet Notes and sources Bibliography Index ""Yet again I was screaming in the night" is the opening sentence in this book. The author decided to deliberately overcome her fear of spiders by observing and studying them, and learning as much as she could about them. As well as being an authoritative book on spiders this book is a personal account of how the author came to love them; and how any other arachnophobe can do the same."--Provided by publisher
