The Secret World of Slugs and Snails: Life in the Very Slow Lane

My grandson wanted a book on slugs and I bought it for him even though it seemed awfully technical. But he loves it. He tells me what he learned. I'm so glad I picked this book.

After a lifetime of battling slugs and snails in the garden, it was interesting to learn what they are all about. I did not find a lot of redeeming features, but it was interesting.

I'm really enjoying this easy read. Lots of fun facts and history on snails and slugs. I always liked snails before but am now finding myself enchanted and wanting to learn more! I only wish there were photos.

Entertaining , not just for a book about snails but in general

This book is one of the most in depth, best reads about land gastropods. I definitely recommend it for anyone wanting to learn more about these little known, slimy and fascinating creatures.

Super interesting read, although it's a little short. The illustrations are beautiful.

Good book, lots of snail facts

I'm a fan of all things wriggly, squiggly and slimy, but even if you're not there's something for everyone in this book. Gordon brings the reader through the science of snails and slugs, with detailed information about common species found in North America and gets into their biology and life history. But throughout the book there are anecdotes from scientists who work with these animals all the time, poems, quotes and interesting factoids. Fildes' illustrations are at once full of personality and reminiscent of an old school lab book; they're fantastic.Gordon (a.k.a. The Bug Chef) also explores snails and slugs as food sources. Need a recipe for escargot? It's in here. Want to keep them in captivity, as a slower, lower-maintenance relaxation fish tank? Gordon writes about the set-up and care of these animals as pets. Are you a gardener who fights with these mollusks over your tomatoes? This book provides some answers and some information on what snails and slugs are good for. They are not just pests. They are fascinating animals that fill a very specific niche in their wet and wild world. This book is a must have for gardeners, nature-lovers, teachers, and parents.I will say this very slowly. Buy. This. Book. It. Is. Great.

I knew next to nothing about slugs before reading this book, with its brilliant subtitle.I hoped for something as witty, and informative.I got a tedious, thin, and, yes, sluggish text that left me as cold as its subject.

I really enjoyed this quirky informative book, despite not being enamoured of either slugs or snails. For me it gave these pestiferous creatures a different and interesting image and made me see them in a different and perhaps more respectful light. I enjoyed the humourous approach as well as the wealth of informative facts about slugs and snails and the little illustrations just fitted in perfectly. I would recommend this to anyone who has ever just hesitated before despatching a snail from their garden or spent time watching them meander round creating their erratic slimy trails.

I found David George Gordon's book on slugs and snails to be both informative and entertaining. As a gardener the book increased my respect for and interest in these pesky critters but also helped me think more carefully about environmentally friendly ways to garden. Some of the facts revealed were simply extra-ordinary and fascinating.

Although I knew the book centred on the slugs and land snails of the US North West, the bulk of the book is a good read for snail lovers the world over. Even in the part where the snails of the US West Coast are covered, I found useful information on our native (European) species as they are invasive species over there! The rather frequent spelling errors in the scientific names are forgiven, as it is not a scientific work. The book is meant for a broader public and is very lightly written, readable in short, separate blocks of text, interspersed with line drawings, poems and quotes from older works. It's not easy nowadays to find a book that inspires enthusiasm for snails and slugs, looking at them from different angles and not just focusing on the myriad ways of exterminating them. The last part of the book is about just that, but even here the focus is on 'living together' rather than 'war'. This book should be required reading for everyone who owns a garden.

Fascinating