Glassberg's books

[mbpi at juno.com]

"Naivety" is not a dirty word restricted to the "novice..."

Naivety is the result of ignorance...and even PhD's are ignorant (!)  If
we all were to take as "absolute fact" everything that was written...in
books, journals and on the internet...we'd be a sorry lot of
"know-it-all" individuals who really know nothing but a lot of
contradictory "facts" than can be refuted constantly and consistantly
throughout the progression of time.  Whatever is currently "in vogue"
today, will be "passe" tomorrow...you can be sure of that!  Every new
discovery supplants what was previously considered to be the latest
"fact," replaced by continuing research...

If people find value in Glassberg's book(s) (and I can attest that it is
sold in the Field Museum's book store), it is because it represents a
novel viewpoint which any educated, discerning individual that
buys-into-it has the right to glean what they find valuable in its
content, separating the wheat from the shaft.  That's attributing a
certain modicum of "intelligence" to the consumer, as opposed to
DICTATING to them what they "should" buy-into, as opposed to what they
"shouldn't," which appears to be YOUR "agenda", Ron!

Hey, you've accused ME of having an agenda (in the past), so I feel I
have an equal right to accuse you similarly! ;-)

And if I may further qualify my "naivety" and Dr. Goldstein's (and Paul,
you KNOW I love ya)...  I landed my first job at the Field Museum because
Dr. Goldstein was influential in hiring me to manage the Field's outdoor
butterfly exhibit...DESPITE my past-presidency of NABA New York and my
affiliations with Jeff Glassberg (!)  Now THAT'S what I call an unbiased
and intelligently thought-out approbation!

The biggest problem I have over all this "belly-aching" over the
air-waves is that NONE of you feel the slightest bit inclined to DO
something about RECTIFYING what you consider a "travesty" to the
understanding of Lepidoptery to the uneducated masses (such as Glassberg
has undertaken), but would much rather receive "strokes" from in-kind
individuals who DON'T require being "courted" to your way of thinking... 

Respectively speaking...I think you are "naively" missing the point!  I
know it turns ME off....and I'm not even against you (!)

M.B. Prondzinski


On Sat, 19 Oct 2002 17:32:05 -0400 Ron Gatrelle <gatrelle at tils-ttr.org>
writes:
> The latest issue of the Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society 
> arrived at
> my mail box today.  Some very interesting articles.  Things continue 
> to
> move forward at Lep. Soc. and what they are doing with the Journal.  
> At the
> end of each issue there is usually a Book Review section.  In this 
> issue
> both  the East and West Glassberg guides are meticulously reviewed 
> -
> assessed
> 
> Each review is by an esteemed lepidopterist.  Both reviewers are 
> PhDs in
> the field of entomology and life long professionals with noted
> institutions - they know what they are talking about.   I here 
> distill
> their reviews.
> 
> Both of these reviewers and reviews are significant to me because 
> two
> different people end up with such parallel assessments.   The 
> assessments
> are "the same" about a man, his organization, his books, and 
> ultimately his
> philosophy.   Both really try to be nice to Glassberg, NABA and his 
> books.
> This is not unusual, as over the years I sometimes wonder why Lep. 
> Soc.
> even has these reviews because even the worst of books tends to end 
> with
> the same bottom line ....  Something like, "This is a must for your 
> book
> shelf".   But here the nice part is significant to me as in both 
> cases it
> appears "forced".
> 
> Both reviewers are objective and thus fair.   Both find value in the 
> books
> _but_ only if one is a novice.  Otherwise, in my own words, I would 
> say
> they think his two books are crap - they are detrimental to 
> lepidoptery.
> This is not what the watchers reading this post want to hear, I 
> know.  Many
> watchers I know only have Glassberg's books and think they are the 
> cutting
> edge of butterflying literature.  Every Glassbergite should read 
> these
> rational and objective reviews.
> 
> So what's the problem.  In the reviewers' words - Glassberg is an
> anti-science agendist taking advantage of the underinformed.  "It is
> interesting to observe that BTB's crusade against science and 
> science-based
> conservation..."   "...but his overall message is to alert naive 
> readers to
> what he characterizes as..."   Yes, I know these are lifted out of 
> context.
> The point is the word "naive" and the phrase "against science".   
> Don't
> miss the trees for the forest.   These reviewers are saying that the 
> only
> reason people are buying into Glassberg's agenda (false propaganda) 
> is
> because they are "naive" - uninformed and being taken advantage of - 
> used.
> How else am I to read what they are saying?
> 
> Glassberg is quoted in the reviews but his statement are said to be
> "inacurate and incomplete".  Another term for that kind of pharse is 
> -
> misleading.  OK, let me just quote straight up the last two 
> paragraphs of
> Dr. Goldstein's (Field Museum Chicago) review of the East book.
> 
>     "To many it is unfortunate that Dr. Glassberg chooses to treat 
> complex
> and controversial scientific issues that bear on the discovery and
> understanding of nature by resorting to misinformation and spurious 
> appeals
> from the safety of his editorial fiefdom. But by allowing the 
> propaganda to
> spill into BTB, he corrupts a potentially useful book with an 
> agenda-driven
> crusade against science and scientific conservation.    As such, 
> much of
> BTB's utility is lost through the use of renegade nomenclature and
> idiosyncratic presentation of important issues.
>     "In summary, BTB is valuable as an introduction to observing 
> and
> photographing butterflies, but its failure to deal responsibly with 
> serious
> conservation-related and scientific issues can, in my opinion, only 
> result
> in further muddying of waters in dire need of clearer solutions."
> 
> Now to Dr. Dunford's (Univ. of Florida) review of the west book.  
> His
> review is much more kind - but still ends with this.
> 
>     "As the majority of Glassberg's audience will be novices, he 
> should not
> misinform with ideas that we can understand all butterfly biology 
> and
> identification without research requiring sampling (yes, at times 
> with a
> net) a small fraction of an overall species pool (very few 
> collectors have
> used their nets to decimate the remaining populations of declining
> butterflies).  In this regard, the book does not address the 
> importance of
> conservation with a complete insight into the study of Lepidoptera.  
> We
> absolutely cannot, and throughout history we could not have, come to 
> the
> level of understanding (especially the accurate identification) of
> butterflies by observing them through binoculars or photographs, and 
> much
> remains to be discovered, even in North America.  This book is fro 
> novice
> (perhaps naive?) lepidopterists beginning a hobby, but would be of 
> marginal
> use to the experienced lepidopterist."
> 
> There is a lot more I could quote from these reviews (standardized 
> names
> lists, birders), but this is enough for some to choke on already.   
> My
> purpose and that of the reviewers -  and hundreds of others across 
> this
> land, including many who are NABA members - is not to "offend" but 
> to give
> a wake up call to what has become a closed watcher-society - a 
> cult.
> 
> (Don't y'all at carolina leps see the subliminal revelation of your
> prejudice in the post the other day about the official one of you 
> saw from
> Mecklenburg Co. with a "net" to voucher ONE specimen.)  I know that 
> young
> lady - she is as enviro and bug friendly as they get.  Must she now 
> move to
> the back of the bus now that she is one of "them" - she had a   
> n-e-t.   We
> have to spell it, it is so wicked.)
> 
> Well, I'll quit or I will end up getting offensive.
> 
> Ron Gatrelle
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>  
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