Product Review

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.