Overview

Hidden away within living tissues, parasites are all around us-and inside us. Yet, despite their unsavory characteristics, as we find in this compulsively readable book, parasites have played an enormous role in civilizations through time and around the globe. Parasites: Tales of Humanity's Most Unwelcome Guests puts amoebae, roundworms, tapeworms, mites, and others at the center of the action as human cultures have evolved and declined. It shows their role in exploration, war, and even terrorist plots, often through an unpredictable ripple effect. It reveals them as invisible threats in our food, water, and luggage; as invaders that have shaped behaviors and taboos; and as unexpected partners in such venues as crime scene investigations. Parasites also describes their evolution and life histories and considers their significant benefits. Deftly blending the sociological with the scientific, this natural and social history of parasites looks closely at a fascinating, often disgusting group of organisms and discovers that they are in fact an integral thread in the web of life.

Full Product Details

9780520259386

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Reviews

I highly recommend taking a deeper look into Drisdelle's new book ... You'll be surprised by how much you learn and even more by how much you enjoy the read! --Bedbug.com Drisdelle describes biological processes lovingly and beautifully ... read Drisdelle for an education. --Times Literary Supplement (Tls) Hookworm, roundworm, bed bugs, lice, trichinosis, sleeping sickness, scabies: these are some of the parasites and diseases that Drisdelle ably describes with mirth, occasional poetry, and an infectious scientific fascination, where the human story is an essential element of the natural history. --Scitech Book News An interesting guide to what's eating you, literally! Not for the squeamish! --The Guardian (Uk) / the Birdbooker Report

Author Information

Rosemary Drisdelle is a writer and a clinical parasitologist living in Nova Scotia.

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