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Insects have been shaping our ecological world and plant life for over 400 million years. In fact, our world is essentially run by bugs -- there are 1.4 billion for every human on the planet. In Bugged, journalist David MacNeal takes us on an off-beat scientific journey that weaves together history, travel, and culture in order to define our relationship with these mini-monsters. MacNeal introduces a cast of bug-lovers -- from a woman facilitating tarantula sex and an exterminator nursing bedbugs (on his own blood) , to a kingpin of the black market insect trade and a "maggotologist" -- who obsess over the crucial role insects play in our everyday lives. Just like bugs, this book is global in its scope, diversity, and intrigue. Hands-on with pet beetles in Japan, releasing lab-raised mosquitoes in Brazil, beekeeping on a Greek island, or using urine and antlers as means of ancient pest control, MacNeal's quest appeals to the squeamish and brave alike.