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The Story of Rats: Their Impact on Us, and Our Impact on Them
More than the story of how people and rats live together, this book takes a serious and intriguing look at science and scientists, the problems they solve and fail to solve, and the scope and imperfections of our scientific knowledge of the world. It answers questions such as: Are rats still a threat to human health? Do rats think? Is it true that wild rats sometimes die,...more
Paperback, 216 pages
Published
April 1st 2002
by Allen & Unwin
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A few interesting things gleaned from this book, but for the most part very dull. Much of it is stories of lab experiments with domesticated rats. I don't feel the experiments were explained well. They didn't really seem to explain anything at all about rat behavior or intelligence, except that it varies widely depending on the conditions. This, I knew. I suppose it's important to conduct actual research on this, especially since lab rats are used for so many different kinds of research, but the...more
This book did not immediately grab me in the way I'd hoped, but something kept me reading. I found the illustrations and photos fascinating and the history of the plague particularly memorable. But most of all you begin to realize that the book is more about the nature of science (and how complex and uncertain it is) more than about rats, though you do learn some interesting things about rats too. It's also about the quirkiness of the author who is very witty in his own esoteric way. 3-4 stars,...more
My boyfriend and I have now had a fair few pet rats, and he bought me this book as a stocking filler for Christmas. Reading the description, I've been quite looking forward to reading it. I was completely let down by my assumptions of what the book would be, and what it actually was.
The description states:
"The Story of Rats is more than a tale about how people and rats live together."
and
"It is a book for those who love rats or fear them: for the curious, the science literate and non-literate ali...more
The description states:
"The Story of Rats is more than a tale about how people and rats live together."
and
"It is a book for those who love rats or fear them: for the curious, the science literate and non-literate ali...more
Though filled with a variety of interesting rat stories and facts, I found the writing style to be a bit frustrating due to unnecessary (and blantant) foreshadowing. The author is a bit of a rat expert snob ("back when I was raising wild rats..."), but if I'd devoted my life to the study of rats, I'd likey carry some pride with me as well.
While reading this and waiting for the subway, a rat scurried along the wall on which I was leaning. When it reached my ankle, it banged into it a couple of t...more
While reading this and waiting for the subway, a rat scurried along the wall on which I was leaning. When it reached my ankle, it banged into it a couple of t...more
An interesting overview of the history of rats. Covers topics such as plague, lab use and as pets. It's a brief, but interesting read.
Jan 26, 2013
Donandres
marked it as to-read
Nov 28, 2012
Roberta
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Oct 21, 2012
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Apr 24, 2012
Jennie
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Aug 12, 2011
Ira
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Jul 27, 2011
Dermot Casey
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Jul 23, 2011
Sarah
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Jul 12, 2011
Emilie
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Jun 11, 2011
Katy
marked it as buy-me
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Jan 04, 2010 05:59pm