Overview

Your body has 100 trillion cells, but only 10 trillion are human. The rest belong to the bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites that live on or in us. Some of these tenants are actually beneficial, aiding in the digestion process, for example. The majority of them neither help nor hurt us, but simply co-exist with us. A few species, however, from the cholera bacilli to tapeworms and lice, can be dangerous, and sometimes deadly. In ""Human Wildlife"", Dr Robert Buckman takes readers on a safari through the human body, pointing out the long-term residents, the itinerant visitors, the irritating vandals and the ruthless invaders, carefully distinguishing between helpful friends, harmless acquaintances and lethal foes. By turns funny, amazing and alarming, the book is a journey through our own private biospheres. Along the way, we learn that one-third of the human race is allergic to dust mite faeces; that bad breath is caused by bacteria living on the back of our tongues which release sulphur from the protein we eat; that live maggots are being successfully used to treat drug-resistant infections; that fresh sweat is odourless (the smell results from the activity of armpit bacteria); and that the average kitchen cutting board has more bacteria than the top of a toilet seat. Accompanied by full-color and high-magnification images of these myriad organisms, Dr Buckman's informative text is leavened with a sense of humour.

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9780801874062

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Reviews

In Human Wildlife, Dr. Robert Buckman takes us on an engrossingly detailed journey through the hoards of organisms that thrive within, on, and uncomfortably close to our bodies. The voyage includes a mix of humorous text and astonishing photographs. From bedbugs to bacteria, the doctor reminds us that even when we think we are by ourselves, we are never alone. --Jeffrey C. May, author of My House is Killing Me!

Author Information

Dr. Robert Buckman is a medical oncologist at Sunnybrook Regional Cancer Center in Toronto and a professor of medicine at the University of Toronto. He is the author of numerous books, including How to Break Bad News and What You Really Need to Know about Cancer, both available from Johns Hopkins.

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