Parasites

1. Auflage 2011
ISBN: 978-0-520-26977-4
Verlag: University Of California Press

Buch, Englisch, 280 Seiten, Trade Paperback, Format (B × H): 147 mm x 222 mm, Gewicht: 371 g

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.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Drisdelle, Rosemary

Fachgebiete

• Naturwissenschaften Biowissenschaften Parasitologie

Inhaltsverzeichnis

List of Illustrations

Acknowledgments

Author's Note

Introduction

1. Ambush

Parasites that have changed human history

2. Market of Peril

Parasites versus food safety regulations—is anything safe to eat?

3. Drinking-Water Advisory

How parasites get into our water and what we try to do about it

4. Illegal Aliens

The unintentional but persistent global movement of parasites by humans

5. Parasites in Control

As in science fiction, some parasites do take over their hosts

6. In the House of Mirrors

Good, bad, and imaginary—the cultural meanings and practical uses of parasites, and the power of fear

7. The Parasite Felonies

Criminals who cast their lot in with parasites

8. Emerging Parasites

The ones that seem to come out of nowhere, and where they really come from

9. Parasite Extinction

Can we ever get rid of these unwelcome guests?

Epilogue

Notes

Selected Bibliography and Additional Reading

Index

Über Autor(innen)

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