A beautifully illustrated guide to the natural history and breathtaking diversity of spiders around the world

Spiders are dominant predators in virtually every terrestrial ecosystem on the planet. A marvel of evolution with species numbering in the tens of thousands, they have been walking the earth since before the dinosaurs. Spiders manipulate the silk strands of their webs to act as a sensory field, which vibrates across wide frequencies that they can read in detail, while young spiders spin silk lines that interact with the electrical fields in the atmosphere, enabling them to balloon across huge distances. Some spiders even gather in groups to impersonate ants in astonishing displays of collective mimicry. The Lives of Spiders explores these and other wonders, blending stunning imagery, lively writing, and the latest science to explore the natural history of the world’s diverse arachnid life.

• Features a wealth of color illustrations
• Sheds invaluable light on the life history, ecology, and stunning diversity of spiders
• Covers silk and web building, venoms, predators and prey, mating and dancing, spider cognition, and much more
• Discusses the impacts of human activity on spiders

"Love spiders and you will love this book."

"Nicely illustrated. . . . [and] introduces a wealth of information about spiders."

"Yet another large tome that can be dipped in whenever the fancy takes you, not just Halloween. Each visit will inform and astound you!"---Bo Beolens, FatBirder

"This book will be of interest to readers fascinated by the unseen world of arthropods around us."---D. A. Brass, Choice

"Part textbook, part encyclopedia, part coffee-table book. . . . In addition to making the case for individual species [of spiders], Nelson argues for a new understanding of the order as a whole."---Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker