Parasite Rex: Inside the Bizarre World of Nature's Most Dangerous Creatures

Name: Parasite Rex: Inside the Bizarre World of Nature's Most Dangerous Creatures
SKU: 165290
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4.5 | 662 ratings

Price: 21.49

Last update: 01-29-2025

About this item

For centuries, parasites have lived in nightmares, horror stories, and the darkest shadows of science. In Parasite Rex, Carl Zimmer takes listeners on a fantastic voyage into the secret universe of these extraordinary life forms that are not only among the most highly evolved on Earth, but make up the majority of life's diversity. Traveling from the steamy jungles of Costa Rica to the parasite-riddled war zone of southern Sudan, Zimmer introduces an array of amazing creatures that invade their hosts, prey on them from within, and control their behavior. He also vividly describes parasites that can change DNA, rewire the brain, make men more distrustful and women more outgoing, and turn hosts into the living dead. This comprehensive audiobook brings parasites out into the open and uncovers what they can teach us all about the most fundamental survival tactics in the universe - the laws of Parasite Rex.

ealovitt

The Alien was a penny-ante patzer compared to these critters

Reviewed in the United States on September 21, 2002

"Whence, thinkest thou, kings and parasites arose?" (Percy Bysshe Shelley, "Queen Mab").
"Parasite Rex" is an interesting look at the evolution and biology of parasites--but only for the strong of stomach.
In a sense it was comforting to read that we are not the most savage, efficient predators on Earth. Witness the parasite Sacculina that turns crabs into zombies--the slug-like female enters the crab through a convenient leg joint and gradually fills its whole body cavity, even wrapping roots around its host's eyestalks. The crab continues its shadow-crab life, sidling through the surf, eating mussels and clams. However, it stops moulting and growing as these activities would funnel energy away from Sacculina. If the parasite becomes pregnant, it doesn't matter whether the crab started out as male or female--it will brood and hatch the next generation of Sacculina as if the tiny larvae were its own children.
Sacculina's life-style is rather hard on the crab, but it is only one of the amazingly efficient (and bizarre) parasites described in this book. Other parasites have adopted Sacculina's method of eliminating their host's unnecessary functions such as reproduction (unnecessary to the parasite, that is) while leaving the host enough brain, nervous system, and digestive tract to go on feeding.
I imagine if there were a Sacculina-type parasite for humans, we would soon lose our urge to play football or go swimming. We would lie in front of the TV all day long, stuffing ourselves with---wait a minute, here! Is it possible...?
Zimmer also describes the stratagems that potential hosts have evolved to eliminate, or at least confuse the parasites that view them as mobile homes with well-stocked refrigerators:
"Consider the leaf-rolling caterpillars. They're pretty ordinary insect larvae with one exception: they fire their droppings like howitzers...What on Earth could have driven the evolution of an anal cannon? Parasites could. When parasitic wasps home in on a larva such as the leaf-roller caterpillar, one of the best clues is the odor of their host's droppings...The intense pressure put on leaf-roller caterpillars by [parasitic] wasps has pushed the evolution of high-pressure fecal firing. By getting their droppings away from them, the caterpillars have a better chance of not being found by wasps."
Even plants have evolved defenses against parasites, usually by creating poisonous chemicals that the parasite ingests as it chomps on the plant. Some plants will even emit a scent that attracts predator wasps to the caterpillar that is munching on their leaves (so much for high-pressure fecal cannons).
Be sure to read Chapters seven and eight: "The Two-Legged Host; and "How to Live in a Parasitic World," and ponder the statement, "A parasite that has no self-regulation is going to put itself out of existence and may take its host with it."
Could we humans be considered parasitic to Earth, itself?
"Parasite Rex" has detailed footnotes, a "Further Reading and Selected Bibliography" section, and an index for those readers who would like to pursue this fascinating subject. Carl Zimmer has also written, "At Water's Edge" and is a frequent contributor to "Discover," "National Geographic," "Natural History," "Nature," and "Science."

David B Richman

Just When You Thought it Was Safe.......

Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2005

Parasitology is a subject that makes the average person blanch. When I was at the University of Florida many years ago I would sometimes get into a discussion of the more gruesome aspects with another person who was interested in the biology of parasites. In the process we could easily totally gross out any others listening. Still, as Carl Zimmer points out in "Parasite Rex" parasites are the norm, not the exception and that should be a major reason to read about them.

Zimmer is an excellent writer on popular biological science and this book shows his talent well. In nearly 250 pages of text he describes the fascinating and often disturbing world of parasites, from blood flukes in humans to crustaceans that eat fish tongues and then act as a replacement. Wherever you look there are parasitic worms, arthropods, and even birds. Blood-sucking, organ-destroying and skin-eating creatures exist in amazing variety and in some areas cause untold misery. The average person maintains a host of relatively benign creatures, some of which can become problems under the right circumstances. In addition, a person can easily pick up some much nastier critters (such as malarial parasites) while traveling, or even in one's own back yard, where parasitic worms and protozoans may be lurking. Hookworm used to be a major problem in some parts of the American South and filariasis was even briefly a problem in Charleston, South Carolina (a nasty result of the slave trade). These days modern airplanes can transport parasites in or on their hosts quite far from their place of origin and in a very short time.

That we have a morbid fascination for such creatures is well shown by various science fiction movies and TV shows where the "Alien" and fungal pathogens become objects of terror. We should also be fascinated by the often bizarre lives and shapes of real parasites and parasitoids (those that normally kill their hosts) on the planet that we share with them

Not for the squeamish, this book should still be read by anyone who wants to be knowledgeable about the subject. You never know, it could help the reader avoid a nasty problem, while serving as a really good read at the same time!

Dave Kaverman

Opens up an Amazing World!

Reviewed in the United States on March 11, 2023

Carl Zimmer is easily one of the best science writer around. Second book of his that I have read & time well spent. The sheer number and impact of parasites on all life were two of the most important facts Mr. Zimmer expertly documented. A very engrossing read, If you enjoy science, don’t miss this, Only quibble, book was published over 20 years ago. An update on what more has been learned in that time would be week worth while.

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