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| Original Title: | Parasite Rex : Inside the Bizarre World of Nature's Most Dangerous Creatures |
| ISBN: | 074320011X (ISBN13: 9780743200110) |
| Edition Language: | English |
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For centuries, parasites have lived in nightmares, horror stories, and in the darkest shadows of science. Now award-winning writer Carl Zimmer takes us on a fantastic voyage into the secret parasite universe we actually live in but haven't recognized. He reveals not only that parasites are the most successful life-forms on Earth, but that they triggered the development of sex, shape ecosystems, and have driven the engine of evolution.
In mapping the parasite universe, Zimmer makes the astonishing observation that most species are parasites, and that almost every animal, including humans, will at one time or another become the home of a parasite. Zimmer shows how highly evolved parasites are and describes the frightening and amazing ingenuity these commando invaders use to devour their hosts from the inside and control their behavior. The sinister Sacculina carcini makes its home in an unlucky crab and proceeds to eat everything but what the crab needs to put food in its mouth, which Sacculina then consumes. When Sacculina finally reproduces, it places its young precisely where the crab would nurture its own progeny, and then has the crab nurture the foster family members. Single-celled Toxoplasma gondi has an even more insidious role, for it can invade the human brain. There it makes men distrustful and less willing to submit to social mores. Women become more outgoing and warm-hearted. Why would a parasite cause these particular personality changes? It seems Toxoplasma wants its host to be less afraid, to be more prone to danger and a violent end -- so that, in the carnage, it will be able to move on to another host.
From the steamy jungles of Costa Rica to the fetid parasite heaven of rebel-held southern Sudan, Zimmer tracks the genius of parasitic life and its impact on humanity. We hosts have developed remarkable defenses against the indomitable parasite: our mighty immune system, our culturally enforced habit of keeping clean, and, perhaps most intriguingly, sex. But this is not merely a book about the evil power of parasitism and how we must defend against it. On the contrary, Zimmer concludes that humankind itself is a new kind of parasite, one that preys on the entire Earth. If we are to achieve the sophistication of the parasites on display here in vivid detail, if we are to promote the flourishing of life in all its diversity as they do, we must learn the ways nature lives with itself, the laws of Parasite Rex.
Be Specific About Based On Books Parasite Rex: Inside the Bizarre World of Nature's Most Dangerous Creatures
| Title | : | Parasite Rex: Inside the Bizarre World of Nature's Most Dangerous Creatures |
| Author | : | Carl Zimmer |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | With a New Epilogue |
| Pages | : | Pages: 306 pages |
| Published | : | November 9th 2014 by Atria Books (first published January 1st 2000) |
| Categories | : | Science. Nonfiction. Biology. Environment. Nature. Health. Medicine. Medical |
Rating Based On Books Parasite Rex: Inside the Bizarre World of Nature's Most Dangerous Creatures
Ratings: 4.19 From 4649 Users | 381 ReviewsAssess Based On Books Parasite Rex: Inside the Bizarre World of Nature's Most Dangerous Creatures
Parasites amount to the majority in all species but are much less known than freestanding species are. This book, packed with information, helps reduce the ignorance by a large degree. Many revealed mysteries are truly amazing. One might say, "These disgusting creatures are actually so 'smart'!" Here is an example: a parasitic wasp, Cotesia congregata, lays eggs in the tobacco hornworms. To help her children fight the immune system of the host, which would otherwise mummify them, she delivers_Parasite Rex_ by Carl Zimmer is a fascinating, well written, and very informative look at the strange world of parasites. Though I was worried that the book might carry a high "gross" factor (and in truth some things were a bit disturbing), my concerns soon evaporated as I became intrigued by these incredibly interesting and important organisms.Early in the book we learn just how diverse a group parasites are. Most people when they hear parasites mentioned might picture tapeworms or perhaps
I love science; I love diseases; I love weird science. This book was essentially written for me, and has provided me with a way of starting the study of parasites. Yay!If you don't like science, don't like gross things, and don't like thinking about what might already be living inside your body, this really isn't the book for you. It's just going to make you sad, and there are books that wouldn't make you sad (and which include less viscera).
Parasite Rex: Inside the Bizarre World of Natures Most Dangerous Creatures is truly a paradigm changing book. I had a few settled and simplistic assumptions about parasites when I began reading Zimmers bookthat parasites on the whole were dangerous and disgusting tagalong creatures (woe be the animal that ends up as the host of a parasite), that, if allowed to survive, parasites invariably suck the life out of their host, and finally, that the world would be a better place if parasites were
It's been a while since I have abandoned the star-awarding principle I first devised upon joining the Goodreads. I wanted to give the highest mark to if not a life-changing but at least to an eye-opening or mindset-shifting book. I knew some at the moment and counted on meeting more soon. However that was not a case. Such encounters are few and far between. Thus i revised my policy and started awarding 5 stars to very good books I enjoyed, but which otherwise didn't shake me to the core.This
"Every living thing has at least one parasite that lives inside it or on it. Many, like leopard frogs and humans, have many more. Theres a parrot in Mexico with thirty different species of mites on its feathers alone. And the parasites themselves have parasites, and some of those parasites have parasites of their own. Scientists have no idea just how many species of parasites there are, but they do know one dazzling thing: parasites make up the majority of species on Earth. According to one
Sometimes the truth is stranger (and creepier) than fiction. Its certainly the case with parasites. Just thinking about having another creature living inside of me makes me feel a bit squidgee, but that's the way that humanity evolved. Those of us with good medical attention and cleanly living accommodations are very lucky. Yet another reason to be thankful that I won the lottery and was born in North America. One interesting theory, which only gets 2 or 3 pages, is that our autoimmune diseases
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