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69th out of 174 books
—
160 voters
Parasite Rex (with a New Epilogue): Inside the Bizarre World of Nature's Most Dangerous Creatures
by
Carl Zimmer (Goodreads Author)
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
...morePaperback, 334 pages
Published
November 9th 2001
by Atria Books
(first published September 21st 2000)
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Parasite Rex is about parasites and the history of parasitology. Nature is pretty gross. That's about the only way I can think of o describe this book.
Let me tell you, there are some crazy creatures out there. I'm going to gloss over the hundreds of thousands of species of tapeworms and parasitic wasps and go to the really crazy ones. Like Cymothoa exigua, a crustacean that replaces a fish's tongue, or Sacculina, a barnacle-like parasite that uses a crab like a puppet. And that's just the tip of...more
Let me tell you, there are some crazy creatures out there. I'm going to gloss over the hundreds of thousands of species of tapeworms and parasitic wasps and go to the really crazy ones. Like Cymothoa exigua, a crustacean that replaces a fish's tongue, or Sacculina, a barnacle-like parasite that uses a crab like a puppet. And that's just the tip of...more
I know. I'm weird. But really, this is something that anyone could pick up and read and understand. Again, if you've ever thought about going vegetarian, this book will make you do it. It's basically a collection of case studies of parasites, how they work, what exactly they do, how they evolved, but it's all put together in an easy to read narrative so that you really don't feel like you're reading a text book (which you aren't - some of the descriptions imply that one celled parasitic organism...more
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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 th...more
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 th...more
One of the best non-fiction books I've read in years. I could not put it down. At a party recently, I found myself surrounded by PhD level marine biologists who were hanging on my every word as I described some of the parasites listed in the book. My favorite is the one that eats the tongue of a fish and then positions itself in the fish's mouth as a replacement tongue, only taking whatever food it needs and then helping the fish to swallow the rest to keep it alive. Some of the parasites have o...more
После просмотра сериала «РеГенезис» захотелось мне почитать чего-нибудь эдакое, научно-популярное, про микробиологию и ее открытия. Быстро выяснилось, что в свободном доступе мало что можно найти (при том, что список-то подобной литературы для массового читателя вполне себе внушительный. В электронных библиотеках такого нет, в интернет-магазинах нет в наличие даже бумажных книжек, не говоря уже о электронных версиях (потому что я уже была готова деньги заплатить, но фиг).
В итоге нашлась классиче...more
В итоге нашлась классиче...more
This is a great book. It is very well researched, the science is thorough and well explained, and the writing in other respects is first-rate. What's more, the topic is utterly fascinating. There's certainly no danger you'll fall asleep reading, though there is a real danger you'll have nightmares once you do.
Most amazing of all, however, is that this is actually an important book, such that if you are not at least somewhat conversant with its contents then you simply can't properly lay claim to...more
Most amazing of all, however, is that this is actually an important book, such that if you are not at least somewhat conversant with its contents then you simply can't properly lay claim to...more
Parasitology adds a mind-blowing dimension to ecology. For every free-living species, there are potentially 20 parasites that live within that species' biome (a given parasite will likely have multiple hosts over different life stages), and their symbiosis plays a crucial factor in the health of that biome. Although Parasite Rex initially takes a tone of parasite bashing (it's tempting to see them as an enemy), the real gems come in the final two chapters, when Zimmer explores how certain modern...more
Carl Zimmer's outside-the-box Parasite Rex offers this reliable testament to evolution without design: a species of parasitic fluke enters its animal host by, like most, getting itself eaten and transported, through natural means, to the host's gut. This is precisely where the fluke wants to be. Once there, however, it burrows free and takes a tremendously circuitous passage through the host's bloodstream in order to get right back where it started, and, there, in the intestines, the parasite li...more
Awesomely disgusting. Fun read, not particularly difficult. Make some important points.
Parasites might have been the defining factor in the direction evolution took us.
One cool thing was the idea of cyclic generations. Instead of each generation being the same as the previous they would cycle through three or four different "creatures" before returning to the start. Weird.
Another cool idea. Speciation through parasitation. There's your divided environment.
Quotes:
"The problem comes down to the fa...more
Parasites might have been the defining factor in the direction evolution took us.
One cool thing was the idea of cyclic generations. Instead of each generation being the same as the previous they would cycle through three or four different "creatures" before returning to the start. Weird.
Another cool idea. Speciation through parasitation. There's your divided environment.
Quotes:
"The problem comes down to the fa...more
"The wise learn many things from their enemies." This quote by Aristophanes used in the book summarizes why you should read it. Parasites are so adept at hiding, changing and defending themselves that there are no vaccines that work against them. They are also incredibly ferocious-looking under a microscope with horns and fangs and barbs of all shapes. I found this book fascinating in the way it followed these little guys around. They go through multiple metamorphoses and follow quite a complica...more
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This book was totally eye-opening and made me newly appreciate parasites, both as drivers of evolution and as champions of bizarre niches. Did you know that the majority of the world's species are parasites? Or that having parasites greatly reduces your chances of having allergies and/or asthma? Or that some parasites can effectively take over their hosts minds, making them zombie organisms that move and make decisions based on the needs and wants of their parasite controllers?
Carl Zimmer is a f...more
Carl Zimmer is a f...more
Parasites were often seen with disdain and fear. We cannot count how many movies or fiction books that take parasite as its theme. These movies and books represent our fear of parasite well.
What Carl Zimmer does with this book is to broaden our mind and to change our way of thinking about parasites.
It turns out parasitic life is the most successful life on earth. It accounts to 8x parasites to 1 host. With this achievement isn't normal that parasites hugely affect the way creatures on earth li...more
What Carl Zimmer does with this book is to broaden our mind and to change our way of thinking about parasites.
It turns out parasitic life is the most successful life on earth. It accounts to 8x parasites to 1 host. With this achievement isn't normal that parasites hugely affect the way creatures on earth li...more
Carl Zimmer always does a great job writing about science. Parasites are nature's WTF creatures with weird life histories, weird crazy shapes, and perverse methods of controlling their host. Still you can see how you could learn a lot by observing these crazy critters. There is actually a fluke that produces serotonin the important neurotransmitter. Leishmania is able to calm stop coagulation without causing its host to bleed out. What I always find interesting is just how essential parasites ar...more
Horrifying. Absolutely horrifying. But also so incredibly interesting. These are the things you say about science in general and parasites in particular. Zimmer is one of my favorite science writers and in this book, he introduces us to parasites. It is not for the faint of heart.
With Zimmer's prose it is sometimes hard to remember that these parasites are microscopic and not huge scary monsters whose faces will make you cry. It is also hard to remember how to live life after knowing what these...more
With Zimmer's prose it is sometimes hard to remember that these parasites are microscopic and not huge scary monsters whose faces will make you cry. It is also hard to remember how to live life after knowing what these...more
Another informative and entertaining read from Carl Zimmer. I occasionally found the book to be slightly disorganized, seeming at times like it was more stream of consciousness than carefully outlined. But this was rare and minor. A greater quibble I had with it was some statement of fact, that, as a scientist, I felt must surely have some points of equivocation. Zimmer's strength is in making science straightforward and easily understood, but in reality science rarely is actually this way. So i...more
We tend to think of ecosystems in terms of large organisms, with the little ones being irrelevant, the generic "base of the food chain", or nasty infectious agents we'd all be better off without. Zimmer gives a seriously revised perspective: Big organisms (big enough to see) may be substantially viewed as the ecological niches for the majority of species on the planet, the parasites. A great deal of evolution is driven by the balance between parasites and their hosts, possibly including the evol...more
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...more
The five star rating was for me reading this and is unlikely to translate into an enthusiastic recommendation in all cases. This is probably not a book for everyone. But if you are the sort who can be simultaneously awed and grossed out by the wonder of life, this is a must read. Zimmer profiles some of the strangest stories of creatures living off other creatures. Some simply exploit the success of free living life, but others employ such ingenious techniques of host modification that they can...more
A book about parasites? Well isn’t that delightful!
Tapeworms, whipworms, protozoa and flukes are just a few of the examples of what may be the least charismatic, but most successful creatures to have ever evolved. Parasites have developed extraordinary life cycles and defenses to allow them to survive and propagate and in the process have pushed the animals on which they prey to evolve similarly complicated defenses (the sickle cell gene as a defense against malaria is one such example). While p...more
Tapeworms, whipworms, protozoa and flukes are just a few of the examples of what may be the least charismatic, but most successful creatures to have ever evolved. Parasites have developed extraordinary life cycles and defenses to allow them to survive and propagate and in the process have pushed the animals on which they prey to evolve similarly complicated defenses (the sickle cell gene as a defense against malaria is one such example). While p...more
Fascinating book about the world of parasites! I became interested in parasites when I read Peeps by Scott Westerfeld, which started every chapter with a description of a different parasite. But I had no idea the huge effect they had on our lives today (for instance we may develop things like allergies because humans in american society are largely free of parasites). I learned a lot and I really liked the conversational style of the book. I wish there was an updated edition so that I could feel...more
Anyone who believes in a loving and beneficent god will find their faith sorely tried by PARASITE REX; anyone who thinks of parasites as odious, lowlife trash will have to think again. As the title of the book suggests, and the subtitle — Inside the Bizarre World of Nature’s Most Dangerous Creatures — spells out, parasites offer us an alternative, destabilizing vision of reality, where inner truth turns out to have visceral life of its own. “This guy shows up,” one of the interviewees remarks to...more
It took me about 2 weeks to get through this, as I wasn’t interested in reading it and the first part put me off. But then it got to sex (doesn’t a little sex make everything more interesting?!). And how parasites might be responsible for sex. Basically after it got through the boring scientific stuff and on to the more interesting aspects of parasites the book picked up. For example, scientists believe Crohn’s Disease began because of the absence of intestinal worms.
So I found the last two chap...more
So I found the last two chap...more
Do you have parasites swimming around your body? Can parasites help us conquer our health and environmental dilemmas? Are parasites some of Earth’s richest and most evolved life forms? Don’t answer those questions until you read this book.
This book will force readers to look at the accepted ways of the world in a new light. Consider that iconic trial of life, the wolf preying upon the moose. Is this story actually orchestrated by parasites? After all, the tapeworm clogs the moose’s lungs, makin...more
This book will force readers to look at the accepted ways of the world in a new light. Consider that iconic trial of life, the wolf preying upon the moose. Is this story actually orchestrated by parasites? After all, the tapeworm clogs the moose’s lungs, makin...more
This was a great science journalism read if interested in the minute pain-in-the-ass (and elsewhere) parasites of the natural world. The book primarily covers the invertebrates (wasps, flys, tapeworms, flukes, hookworms, guinea worms, etc) and single-celled eukaryotes (plasmodium, trypanosomes, etc), which I find more interesting than the viruses and bacteria. It firmly challenges the view that parasites are morphological degenerates, instead discussing their magnificent adaptibility and ability...more
This book was not quite as much fun as I had imagined, but it was certainly fun to talk about once I had finished. I felt that it was intelligently written, unlike so many popular science books. It changed the way that I look at our entire biological world. I knew that parasites can manipulate our brains and the lack of parasites can cause health problems. The idea that one can take a parasite for Crohn's or rheumatoid arthritis fascinates me, as do so many low-tech/high-tech solutions to proble...more
Not that long ago parasites were considered evolutionary degenerates. Low-life, lazy creatures unable to fend for themselves in the "real" world, living off a host. That was before. These days, scientists have come to realize that many parasites in fact are incredibly sophistacted and are able to manipulate their hosts' behavior. Scary, scary thought. For example toxoplasma a parasite that has rats as its first host and cats as its second: it makes the rats lose its fear of cat urine and open sp...more
Gruesome and fascinating, if a bit long and unstructured. Most of these freaks I had known about before, but if you don't know about the Guinea worm, the lancet fluke or the life of parasitic wasps, this is a must - if you care to know about such things at all. Which of course you do.
I was most intrigued by the fact that some plants manufacture chemicals that attract the parasites of specific insect that are just then feeding on them. It echoes one of the quotes from the book, where an editor of...more
I was most intrigued by the fact that some plants manufacture chemicals that attract the parasites of specific insect that are just then feeding on them. It echoes one of the quotes from the book, where an editor of...more
Everyone should read this book. It challenges some of the most popular and well-established theories of biology, and it seems clear that what we think we know about evolution and ecosystems, we don't. I picked up Parasite Rex at the recommendation of a friend because I knew a little bit about parasites and thought they were neat, and different. Turns out they might be everything, and they're more complex and alien than I ever imagined. What other creature has a completely different form and func...more
Trypanosomes are one-celled eukaryotes (not bacteria or viruses) that are spread by the tsetse fly and cause sleeping sickness in humans. They also infect cattle, making it difficult to raise cattle in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa. When Western colonists, ignorant of this fact, forced the Africans to raise cattle in areas with tsetse flies, they caused epidemics which killed millions of Africans. The parasite damages the part of the brain that regulates the sleep cycle.
One type of antibody,...more
One type of antibody,...more
This could be the most frightening book ever written. It is also the most eye-opening and educational I've ever experienced. Zimmer seems to pick book topics that people don't ponder in their everyday lives, but should upon deep reflection. A spectacular aspect of this book is the sheer amount of information and knowledge crammed in, which Zimmer relays breezily, as if it's second nature to him, which is admirable and awesome. The research is extensive, yet he distills it all beautifully. Marvel...more
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| The Aspiring Poly...: Parasite Rex | 2 | 16 | Aug 11, 2012 08:18am |
Carl Zimmer is an award-winning science writer. He writes regularly for the New York Times and is the author of several books, including Parasite Rex, Soul Made Flesh, and A Planet of Viruses.
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“Some ancient eukaryote swallowed a photosynthesizing bacteria and became a sunlight gathering alga. Millions of years later one of these algae was devoured by a second eukaryote. This new host gutted the alga, casting away its nucleus and its mitochondria, keeping only the chloroplast. That thief of a thief was the ancestor or Plasmodium and Toxoplasma. And this Russian-doll sequence of events explains why you can cure malaria with an antibiotic that kills bacteria: because Plasmodium has a former bacterium inside it doing some vital business.”
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