Pieter van Dokkum is Sol Goldman Family Professor of Astronomy and chair of the Astronomy Department at Yale University. He is a regular user of the world's most powerful telescopes, and his astronomical images have been widely published. He is also an expert in insect photography, with a focus on dragonflies. He lives in New Haven, CT.
Van Dokkum's vivid compilation of photographs is a treat for nature lovers. The accompanying text is poetically written and a fascinating introduction to the distinct characteristics of these creatures. -Library Journal, starred review As a coffee table book, Dragonflies is the first of its kind. It successfully brings dragonfly biology to the large numbers of people currently interested in these insects primarily for artistic or spiritual reasons. -Pamela Hunt, Audubon Society of New Hampshire After experiencing dragonflies' lives-from benignly smiling, ravenous nymphs to stunt-flying adults to raggedy corpses-through Pieter van Dokkum's eyes, you'll never see them the same way again. -Leslie Brunetta, co-author of Spider Silk: Evolution and 400 Million Years of Spinning, Waiting, Snagging, and Mating These exquisite photographs literally fly off the page and reinforce the maxim that a picture really is worth a thousand words. -Aaron M. Ellison, author of A Field Guide to the Ants of New England Pieter van Dokkum has created a lovely book about dragon- and damselflies suitable for any newcomer to dragonfly watching who is interested in learning all the basics of odonate biology and ecology. -Maria Aliberti Lubertazzi, science faculty at Rhode Island School of Design