Parasite Rex: Inside the Bizarre World of Natures Most Dangerous Creatures: Amazon.co.uk: Carl Zimmer: Books

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Paul Hoffman author of "The Man Who Loved Only Numbers" Carl Zimmer is one of the finest, most engaging science journalists today. He has demonstrated once again his ability to present scientific concepts in arresting, understandable prose.

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A tour of the strange and bizarre world that parasites inhabit. It follows researchers in parasitology as they attempt to penetrate the mysteries of these creatures who can control evolution, ecosystems and maybe even the human race.

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51 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From revulsion to respect, 8 Aug 2004

By	Sally-Anne "mynameissally" (Leicestershire, United Kingdom) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Parasite Rex: Inside the Bizarre World of Nature's Most Dangerous Creatures (Paperback)

If you're interested in life in general and natural wonders in particular, you should find this book fascinating, with your senses of revulsion and respect stimulated in more or less equal measure. The author has travelled the world, collecting data for this book, meeting interesting parasitologists and discussing some of the weird and fantastically well-adapted parasites they study. Carl Zimmer seems to be on a mission to give us a fresh, new way of looking at parasites - they've had a bad press and he's out to redress the balance. Parasite Rex should open your eyes to the part parasites play in maintaining a balance in the world's ecosystems; how vital they are to the well-being of life on our planet; how some can be used as a kind of 'canary in a mine' to measure the health of an environment and so on. In addition to that, the parasites covered in this book are just incredibly interesting. There were several occasions when I wondered if I should really believe what the author was telling me - the sort of account you might expect to find in some science fiction tale - so I checked other sources and sure enough, some parasites are so outlandishly bizarre that their story is hard to believe.

Zimmer explains how parasites came to be reviled; he describes a selection of species, their life cycles and the diseases they cause - sometimes using actual cases; he explains how they get into and manipulate their hosts (this is where you'll read some of the most astounding accounts that could out-weird any science fiction story); how their hosts fight back; how parasites have driven evolution by forcing their hosts into an 'arms race'; and how we should, in some ways, try to be more like them (the more benign ones at least). Some parasites are deadly of course but many cause no more harm than they have to, because wiping out their hosts would not help their survival. Zimmer compares parasites that use their hosts in this considerate way to humans using this planet in a considerate, non-destructive way. He says there's no shame in being a parasite. If we treated our host (the planet) with the care and consideration that some parasites treat their hosts, our planet's ecosystems would not be in the mess they are today. You have to hand it to the author, that's a new and intriguing way of looking at parasites.

I found his ideas very persuasive and I recommend this book. If you like Parasite Rex, you'll also enjoy Mark Ridley's "The Red Queen" and Arno Karlen's "The Biography of a Germ", both of which I highly recommend.

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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, wide-ranging insight, 16 Oct 2000

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I bought this book on the basis of a favourable review in New Scientist. The book is written in a very accessible style, making it very readable by non-scientists and scientists alike. The story writting ability of Carl Zimmer is a welcome change from some of the supposed popular science authors. Many of the storys are deliciously gruesome, but also educational, as Carl explores the complex relationship of parasite and host from many angles. The role of parasitism in shaping eveolution is considered as are the physiological and behavioural consequences of a parastic relationship. My one criticism is that Carl does not differentiate between parasites (keep their hosts alive) and parasitoids (intentionally kill their hosts), a subtle distinction that I felt would have helped in his explanations. This is a minor issue and certainly does not detract from an excellent book. I would thoroughly recommend this bokk at anyone who is even vaguely interested in parasites and modern diseases.

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7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A whole new way of looking at things, 10 Mar 2002

By	"ctpalin" - See all my reviews

This book turns our view of life on our planet on to its head. It shows how parasites outnumber "normal" species and, far from being degenerate forms, are incredibly sophisticated and varied. All a bit worrying when you stop and think, but truly fascinating and the book is almost impossible to put down.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Enlightening
The things you miss if you're not looking in the right place!

Encellent book - Hightly recommended.

Published 2 months ago by P. C. Hackett

5.0 out of 5 stars Hippity hop! Where to stop?
Once considered a "degenerate" form of life, parasites are being seen as important indicators of how evolution has progressed over 4 billion years. Read more

Published on 14 Nov 2004 by Stephen A. Haines

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, wide-ranging insight
I bought this book on the basis of a favourable review in New Scientist. The book is written in a very accessible style, making it very readable by non-scientists and scientists... Read more

Published on 17 Oct 2000

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Parasite Rex: Inside the Bizarre World of Natures Most Dangerous Creatures [Illustrated] (Hardcover)

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