Parasites Books

As the author ends his tale from this introductory look into the world of parasites, "If we want to succeed as parasites, we need to learn from the masters." Yes, from one ecological point of view, the two-legged race acts as if it is a parasite. If true, then we can indeed learn a lot from these microscopic fellows that have a few hundred million years head start, up or down, the evolutionary path :)

Besides just the introduction of, let us say, the gross aspects of parasites, there are also quite a few benefits to many types parasites in the animal kingdom. As such and from my perspective, the highlight of this fine effort was in the last 1/3 of the book with Chapters 6 (Evolution From Within), Chapters 7 (The Two-Legged Host), and Chapters 8 (How To Live In A Parasitic World). Here we learn about some of those parasitic benefits. While reading, I wished that the chapters went on further and gave me more anecdotes. Nevertheless, it would appear that the right balance of either the small or large ecosystem can benefit with less pesticides if we indeed learn from the parasites.

I read the 2001 paperback of the 2000 book. It is very well written, which can't be said about all books on the topic. It is clear, at times funny, macabre, eye-opening, repulsive due to topic, fascinating and thought provoking.

Parasites outnumber other forms of life 4:1, are much more ubiquitous than commonly thought, have been essential for evolution and have directly influenced human DNA. (Not even considering mitochondria getting integrated in most forms of life.) Parasites make it necessary to revise the tree of life into a bush of many merging branches. Human cells within the average human are outnumbered by a factor of ten by non-human cells. Getting knowledgable about parasites is much more important a topic than the obvious peculiar yuk effect. Though I promise you that this book will fulfill the latter to the fullest as well.

I thought I knew a bit about parasites. For example those wasps which lay eggs in other invertebrates. To begin with, I didn't know that there were some 200,000 parasitic wasp species out there. I had also no idea, how EXACTLY some of them work. Like the species, whose two eggs, one female, one male, subdivide in the host, to produce ever more eggs, with the females developing into different classes of maggots, such as the soldier maggots whose only job it is to kill other parasitic wasps' maggots in the host - and all but one of the male siblings. Or that the social parasite, the cuckoo baby is able to mimic the sound of a CHOIR of eight singing host bird babies and the sign stimulus of as many youngsters in the nest to the parents' eyes. (Though the book doesn't mention that some birds cannot be fooled anyway and depose of the cuckoo (egg) and also doesn't mention that the near-by cuckoo parents may retaliate by killing all the hosts' surviving kids...) Or that there is something like plant bacteria, not as in bacteria of plants, but as in green bacteria. Being an essential part (originally parasite) of the parasite named "bad-air" aka malaria.

The book answers even the nagging question, wether there are homosexual parasites. (I wondered that ever since I read Biological Exuberance: Animal Homosexuality and Natural Diversity (Stonewall Inn Editions) about mammals and birds.) The flukes mentioned here are the first parasites I encountered (as in READING about them), which act homosexual in a benign way. To each other that is. (Other parasites - not mentioned in this book - may act homosexual in very twisted ways to procreate to the detriment of same-sex competitors.) Thinking about it: Shouldn't homosexual parasites of the former kind be our favorite parasites, if there is such a thing, because presumably they do NOT procreate, as in: in us? The book sure doesn't answer the question wether there are homosexual solidarity activists like there are for maltreated homosexual zoo animals.

Talking about questions I never knew existed: The book is full of them. Sticking with the homosexual topic, there's a fungus, which TURNS flies into necrophiliac homosexuals. As much as another parasite doesn't only fool crabs into believing that their attached parasite babies are crab babies to care for, but fooling male crabs to believe they themselves are females all of the sudden in order to (be able to) do that to begin with. If you ever sought a flabbergasting book, this will be it. Some animals have a bodyguard class against parasites (ants), others employ blind snakes as maids to free the nest of parasites (owls). And how much DNA itself can get parasitic in various ways sure wasn't on my radar of existing topics.

The book talks about allergies caused by the modern lack of parasites, complete fusions of life, the parasitic origin of sexuality, and that humans may be considered as parasites in the gaia concept. As stupid parasites that is, which are those defined who kill their host. Some readers may be a little lost with this spirituality capping ending of the book. As a Rasta, personally, I am not. As such, I was surprised to find welcome information on the spread of parasites through colonialism. Not only via the conquerors' imported bugs and slavery's transmission, but via relocating cattle within Africa. And via forcing the indiginous populations to live and work in areas unsuited for humans and/or their cattle. All of that having caused most severe and lethal epidemics. The Western apologetic lore has it that their colonial doctors brought healing power to their conquered new lands. (The book doesn't mention that some vaccines were necessary, because the diseases had been imported in the first place and that some FORCED cattle vaccinations occasionally caused more deaths in livestock than the diseases themselves, sometimes intended, sometimes not.) In today's shifted colonial world, the book warns (indirectly) against huge dams, which dramatically expand standing water, which in turn dramatically expands the habitat of dangerous to human parasite carrying snails. In case you are wondering how dams are colonial, please read Confessions of an Economic Hit Man. I find it also interesting to read that Konrad Lorenz didn't change his views of parasitism in the Nazi sort of way at all - even not a few days before his death in 1989. As celebrated as he gets in Western school books, it is usually not known (and not elaborated in this book) that he fully embraced the Nazi party and became an eager member immediately after Hitler marched into Austria. On a more enlightening subject around parasites, I didn't consider before I read this book that human (pre-)history can be reconstructed via tapeworms.

I have a little bit of criticism. Some things are sketchily mentioned only. There is a parasite which eats the flesh of the human face. Ok, horrid. But if I think about it after the initial impulse to turn the page immediately: How exactly do I have to imagine that? What consequences does this have? How is that livable? No answers in this book. The captions of the FEW black and white pictures on 16 pages in the middle of the book are sometimes not that precise. With that parasite, which replaces a fish's tongue, the caption is all we will ever read in this book about that parasite. How does it eat the tongue, i.e. getting into the mouth? How does the parasite help the fish grabbing food? How does the parasite mate? Does it cause infected fish to french kiss or what? If I want to research that, I would have appreciated the parasite's name. Or the name of the host. The caption only says a crustacean in a fish. Wow, that's precise! I don't even know, where on this planet I should look into a fish's mouth before eating it. Well, I was able to find some answers elsewhere nevertheless: The parasite is called Cymothoa exigua, lives in California and only in the mouths of Lutjanus guttatus aka spotted rose snapper. The parasite crawls under the tongue and severes its blood supply in a vampiric manner, causing the tongue to wither away to be replaced by the growing tongue with eyes. I still don't know how it procreates, so anybody who does know, please leave a comment with source. Five years after the book had been written, the first fish with second tongue was found in EU waters (in the UK). The book may not be that incredibly up to date, with some issues still pending when written. For example on the eradication of some parasites. As of 2008 some more countries could be added to the list of eradicated guinea worms, but with other countries still lacking behind.

The Hamilton-Zuk theory got its own book by Marlene Zuk herself: Riddled with Life: Friendly Worms, Ladybug Sex, and the Parasites That Make Us Who We Are, itself a great book about parasites, with little overlap. And if, it goes more in-depth, like with the fungus which attacks insects. If you like a coffee table book of the nasty treat, in which you can also read, which (utterly unexpected!) places in your household are the most yukky ones, "enjoy" the Canadian Human Wildlife: The Life That Lives on Us. If you are interested in more symbiotic body roomies, largely restricted to bacteria and in a systematic text book presentation, read the rather dry Microbial Inhabitants of Humans: Their Ecology and Role in Health and Disease. Much more grippingly written is Good Germs, Bad Germs: Health and Survival in a Bacterial World by a science journalist. Which is also about the history if antibiotic treatments and their failure due to mounting resistance. About former parasites, today our energy source and DNA family tree provider, mitochondria, read Power, Sex, Suicide: Mitochondria and the Meaning of Life. A more general biological approach of symbiosis is Liaisons of Life: From Hornworts to Hippos--How the Unassuming Microbe has Driven Evolution. A theoretic re-thinking, including reconstructing taxonomy and theories about gaia, read Symbiotic Planet: A New Look At Evolution.

"Parasite Rex" is great science writing. For readers familiar with evolutionary and ecological theories, they will meet these theories in a new guise. For readers not familiar, Zimmer has a talent for explaining complex ideas in a very simple fashion. In only one case did I detect a minor oversimplification: there is more to generating novel antibodies than shuffling genes. My only complaint about style is that Zimmer sometimes tries to make the reader horrified at what parasite does to prey, and when the prey is a lower order animal like a caterpillar, I am doubtful that having its insides eaten is as horrible as it sounds. I say this as a person who only eats free range meat. As regards content, fewer case histories of individual parasites would suffice to illustrate the ideas, and for me at least, make for an even more interesting book.

I was very surprised to learn of the strong environmental component to such autoimmune diseases as Crohn's: while once thought to be characteristic of a few ethnic groups, e.g. Jewish, it has become much more common in other groups as sanitation has improved, and the immune system has fewer parasites to fight off. Zimmer suggests parasites play a critical role in ecological balance, and points to some compelling case histories. Parasites are often able to control behavior of their hosts, and thus are a potentially important source of new behavioral drugs.

I bought this book quite a long time ago and forgot to review it until now...I am a parasitologist and this is one of my favorites. Zimmer is funny and engaging and scientifically accurate--I HAVE GOT TO READ THIS AGAIN SOON.

Another excellently-written work from Carl Zimmer. This book will give you a bad case of the creepy-crawlies in parts. It will also completely change your outlook on the nature of life, because you will learn that parasites are not really the gross, "devolved" hangers-on that most think of them as, but rather a vibrant, important part of the web of life...

... that is sometimes really disgusting.

Still, an outstanding book, one that give parasitology a much-improved face. Written in Zimmer's usual clear, very readable style.

This book is absolutely essential for the library of anyone has more than one pet reptile in their care. While home diagnosis shouldn't take the place of a veterinarian, this book teaches you exactly how to view fecal floats and smears under a microscope, and identify a variety of different parasites. With practice, you can screen your own collection, and know when you SHOULD take them to a vet. It also gives medications and doseages for treatment of different parasites. This version of the book is still valid, but I'll be buying the newer, updated version for myself today.

I just wish this book was longer! I learned a lot from such a small book.

And, at Amazon's price, you can afford to buy two of them--one for you and one for your vet! I did! My vet can't thank me enough, and now I don't have to loan him my book every time I want him to see my veiled chameleon. It would be great to live in a big city with vets that specialized in herps/reptiles; but here in the rest of the real world, there are furry pet vets on every corner who can give excellent medical care to your reptiles and amphibians using Dr. Klingenberg's book.

Key features for you and your vet: 1. Medicine names, dosage for types/weight of different animals, means of administering, side effects, and uses. 2. Photographs of extracted worms and of microscope slides showing various micro-parasites & their eggs. 3. Sketch showing all the worms & parasites in relative size to each other. 4. Tips on "shot-gun" approach to parasite & disease treatment in wild-caught animals, discussion of various cures, discussion of the effects of diseases on your herp, and practical husbandry/keeping/handling/feeding info on how to prevent future reoccurances.

I got this book when I bought my first frog "just-in-case," but I never needed it, never used it, until this year when my chameleon was sick with worms. I was glad I had it and that is when I decided to buy a second copy for my vet's clinic. You can't afford to wait to buy this book until you need this book. You need it now while your animals are healthy!!!

Consider yourself a true reptile lover? Then you should concerned about the well being of your pet. A healthy pet is a happy pet. Keep your pet well-fed and in good hygienic condition is essential. However, it is possible that the reptile may be suffering from parasites without our knowledge (such as through food). This book tells the pet lover what are the various parasites, what symptoms, what cures, etc. It is truly a good book on the topic.

The words, of what I would consider in ideal size, are printed on good quality "glossy" paper and very professional.

I have a copy and I think it's the best book available I can find about the topic. This book that's good in appearance and content. Get it if you are a true reptile lover.

And you should have it before you need it--as in, before you animal is sick. This is a complete and well done reference guide for those of us who don't need to know the vet manual's textbook explanations and can't afford to own those massive volume collections anyhow. It covers basic diagnosis, examination, equipment, internal and external parasites, medicines, dosages, tips for treating, how to administer meds to differnt types of animals, hygiene information, and, best of all to help your vet out, it contains photographs of microscope slides of what the nematoads or protozoans will look like and sketches of them for identification of relative size.

If you don't have an exotics or herp vet near you, this will help your furry pet vet help your herp. Believe me, I am thankful every day that I got this book when I didn't really need it because it meant the small town horse and dog vet clinic could see my old world chameleon and HELPED me, like they would not have been able to without this book.

Parasites by H.B. Marcus is the third book of the Spider and Smokey Series. Spider and Smokey are two bumbling, dimwitted, stoned janitors who solve mysteries and battle enemies not through cunning and intelligence but through shear dumb luck. In the past Spider and Smokey have triumphed over a serial killer and outwitted the police. In Parasites, the two must outmaneuver a parasitic ghost.

Strange things are happening at the Brasher Manor. Rumors emerge that Brasher Manor is haunted. Next, the new owner of the house suddenly dies by apparently inhaling a towel. Then, things get weird. Spider and Smokey are on the case with a little help from their friends. Hilarity ensues.

Parasites is a extremely funny spoof. Spider and Smokey get themselves into and out of trouble in the most unusual ways. The situations are ridiculous turning subtle, clever, ironic gags into gut wrenching laugher. Then there's Spider and Smokey. The book describes the two best as " dumb enough to be hilarious".

H.B."freakin" Marcus rides again..I borrowed a copy of Parasites to read, and I was amazed at the comic genius of H.B.I laughed until my sides hurt !!This book is "over the top".It's slap stick humor with a style that is reminiscent of the three stooges. HB. is a funny man..Look out Comedy Central..

H.B. Marcus "Parasites" once again thrills, chills,and delights with another mad cap adventure with his chemi-head heros, Smokey and Spider, from "Crispy" and "The Joe Schmoe Show," as they
once again set out to save the world.

Jack spends most of his time as a reporter for his college newspaper debunking the psychics, ghosts, and hauntings his buddy, Phil, studies and writes up for the physical sciences department.

Agnus Pinchot has died and left the local haunted manor to her daughter Barbara. Now Barbara is dead too. The college gets the house, and Jack's editor has hooked him into another story on Brasher Manor, and just how Barbara wound up with a bath towel in her lungs.

Jack meets Phil at the manor, where his friend is already conducting a search for The Vapid Wraith Panacea-the book of the dead-rumored to be hidden there. Things are a little spooky, but explainable and going well until Spider and Smokey, the new janitors from the paper's offices, show up and tick off the parasitic poltergeist now residing in the house.

Smokey and Spider continue to confound, confuse, amuse, and annihilate a new cast of delightful characters in HB Marcus'third book Parasites. It's filled with action and edge-of-your-seat plotting. But...WARNING...wear a seatbelt. Parasites is also filled with HB's talent for witty inner dialogue and the roll-on-the-floor-laughing humor he does so well.

Well golly-gee willickers, I read this book and I couldn't stop laughing. No one writes comedy like H.B. Marcus. I thought Crispy was excellent, the Joe Schmoe Show phenomenal and this book was like the second fricken coming of hilarity. Pick this one up today!!!!!

After the mysterious death of a young woman in her supposedly haunted house, a young newspaper reporter named Jack is assigned to investigate the tragedy. The skeptic Jack enlists his friend Phil, a scientific expert with all kinds of gadgets and equipment for these types of occasions, to help. Not only does Phil want the opportunity to investigate the ghosts and spirits of the house, but he also wants access to a rare and priceless book. Phil assembles of a team to help with the investigation, a team that includes psychic expert Kurt Schroeder and an odd and obnoxious pair of janitors named Spidey and Smokey. This sets the stage for "Parasites" a new suspense/humor book from Ohio writer H.B. Marcus (Crispy & The Joe Schmoe Show).


As the story unfolds, Jack and Phil use their investigative skills and wits to uncover the mysterious death of Barbara Pinchot. When the pair first visit the spooky home, they are faced with all kinds of things that go bump in the night. Further visits with the Phil's team reveal even more strange happenings, such as doors that shut by themselves, equipment that does the same, and ghosts that don't necessarily respond to angry taunts and machine gun blasts but lose it when the word "dude" is spoken. The strange and hilarious duo of Spidey and Smokey provide the shots, shouts, and "dude" utterances. The team try to find the truth before it kills them.


Though the book could stand alone as a mystery/suspense novel, it is the humor that makes it worthwhile. While Spidey and Smokey serve as the comic relief in the book, it is at its hilarious best when Marcus provides Jack's first-person narration. Upon the first visit to the mansion, the author writes after hearing a strange voice ask for help:


"Help me open the door!" he grunted. "What the hell is taking you?"

I could almost hear Richard Dawson yell, "Survey says...paralyzing fear!"


H.B. Marcus writes in a fun and imaginative style you'd expect to find in a Farrelly Brothers script. The style is also reminiscent of the classic writings from 60's sitcoms like The Dick Van Dyke Show and I Love Lucy. Though the length of the book may be a little shorter than a novel intended for an adult market, Parasites is still intriguing and laugh out loud funny. This book, which could be categorized as a Scooby-Doo for grown-ups, gave me a legitimate reason for using the letters LOL!

Highly Recommended

We rescue an average of 1000 birds a year and we owe a lot of our success to Robert Stroud. We use all his methods and we average about a 12 percent loss in our birds. He is our mentor and we have proven his methods work. The national rate for losses in wild birds is 33 percent we have averaged out to 12 percent. If you don't buy and then use Stroud's methods you will loose out.

As a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine I have found this book of both practical and historical interest. It is still considered a standard work of the diagnosis and treatment of Avian diseases. A modern bird breeder would not be at fault in following Mr. Stroud's advice. While browsing the library of a retired colleague, I found what I believe to be a first edition of Stroudt's Digest. Can anyone tell me how to confirm this? The edition I have bears the copyright date of 1943, the dedication and forward are dated 1939. Was there a printing between 1939 and 1943?

Mr. Stroud spent, according to the publisher's notes, 54 years in solitary confinement--All of it devoted to the study of how to identify and cure the diseases of birds. This book although written many years ago, is still a comprehensive study of the diseases, injuries, ailments and conditions of birds. There are few vetinarians who have studied bird ailments so intensively, or can give such detailed and practical information on how to identify what is wrong with them. I suspect the modern state of avian medicine owes a great debt to the work of Mr. Stroud. The text is clear and even when technical, explains the condition, symptoms, cause or suspected causes and known or possible treatments in practical terms. Mr. Stroud's book was written when there were few avian veterinarians available to help bird breeders and owners. That problem persists to this day. The information provided covers the entire range, from the mundane to the exotic. I would not be surprized to learn that Mr. Stroud's techniques, discoveries and research are the backbone of all modern avian medicine and avian veterinary curriculum. The book also provides detailed vitamin requirement analysis and food sources as well as descriptions of vitamin deficiency ailments. It is amazing that so much information is packed into one book. I have seen nothing in any owner handbooks that I did not find in Mr. Stroud's book with more detail and clarity. As any bird owner who has had a sick bird knows, birds can progress from barely noticable illness to death while searching for a vet who knows anything about avian medicine at all. Mr. Stroud's book should be perused by all bird owners. And if one proceeds with caution regarding the suggested medications of Mr. Stroud which may be outdated or have better alternatives available in this modern day, this book can still provide health giving and life-saving information that one can apply while one is waiting for the vet to call back.

This is the book written by the famous "Birdman of Alcatraz", a convicted 2-time murderer in Alcatraz who kept pet birds and treated their injurries. This is a large and elaborate book on bird diseases. It looks quite technical, but I am not a veterinarian and cannot offer any comments on its technical validity. The book is an absolute classic and a must-have for any collection of bird books. Stroud has been dead since 1963, so I see no reason to hesitate to buy the book just because the author was a murderer.

This treasured book stands as a profound meditation on human existence in relation to the world, the manifold scales at which power operates, shading from literal to allegorical, then to economic to revolutionary, and yet all seemingly one vibrating phenomenon, that of host to parasite. Prepare yourself for an enlightening exposition of this theme, go ahead and try to prepare--this book will still blow your mind. I've never been able to escape the force of his argument yet. This is one of the books that changed the way I look at the world.

Serres the polymath strikes again, with an extensive and detailed examination of the history of the concept of parasitism in history, philosophy, science and literature. The discussion of the literary parasite is especially useful for Anglo-American readers that might not be familiar with the concept. Try to find this at a good university library, or order it online if you can.

Written by history and science professor Michel Serres, and expertly translated from the original French by professor of French Lawrence R. Schehr (no simple feat, as Serres often expressed himself in unusual styles and multilingual puns), The Parasite is an eyebrow-raising treatise that compares how human relations are frequently identical to the relationship between a parasite and the host body. Serres does not decry this situation as universally deleterious; to the contrary, he points out that by being vocal pests, small groups can raise their collective power to influence public dialogue, engendering the diversity and complexity vital to vibrant human thought and culture. "The position of a parasite is to be between. That is why it must be said to be a being or a relation. But the attribute of the parasite... is its specificity. It is not just anything that troubles a passing message. It is not just anyone who is invited to someone's table. A given larva develops only in a certain organism and is carried only by a certain vector." Originally published in 1982, this re-release of a classic philosophical text is highly recommended especially for college library philosophy shelves and scholarly reading lists.

I read this book as a counselor in training and found it very beneficial. It gave me great insight into what being an adult survivor of abuse is like. Throughout the book, the author is speaking directly to those who have been abused; it seemed as if I was witnessing a counseling session. Most books I have read about abuse do not discuss the spiritual aspect of healing; however, I was very thankful that this one did. I thought this technique was very important and would be helpful to a client. Overall this book was a joy to read, yet still held a lot of useful knowledge. I would definitely recommend this to victims of any type of abuse and to counselors as well.

When the concept - "the parasite of abuse" - first came to my attention, I felt, "how could a leach, or a worm be related to contaminated love, and latch onto its host"?

After reading the text, A Mind of Its Own: Healing the Mind and Heart of the Parasite of Childhood Abuse, by Dr. John J. Lemoncelli, a whole new perspective and world was opened for me. Knowing little about the topic of abuse, I was pleasantly surprised of how much knowledge I had gained when the last chapter of the book commenced.

Dr. Lemoncelli did a wonderful job navigating through issues that clients, or just ordinary people, encounter. His metaphors are powerful, allowing ones mind to wonder thinking about them. When you read on, you are brought back with a "dynamite" effect, leaving a great impression.

Inspirational and understandable, this book gives hope, a new perspective, and knowledge, to not only victims of abuse and professionals in the field, but also the average persons. Although perfection to some may be impossible to achieve, this book without a doubt was perfect!

This book, I feel, is highly recommended to anyone who is researching or acquiring knowledge on this subject.

R.C.

This informative book gives abuse victims the knowledge of how to put the pain and the blame on "the parasite" instead of on themselves. Dr. Lemoncelli explains in his book, as uniquely and compassionately as he does in his office,how to find this parasite within you and stop it from running your life, leaving you able to live a more fulfilling life and begin the healing process. Dr. Lemoncelli's theory of "the parasite" will not only help abuse victims but also can be applied to other life situations where we are hurt by someone or something, through absolutely no fault of our own, but put all or some of the blame on ourselves. We can learn to shift the blame to the parasite and stop punishing ourselves.
On behalf of "all victims", thank you and God Bless!

The term "parasite" usually evokes the image of some little critter feasting off some "host" unable to reject it or cast it away. Claude Combes wishes us to revise that simplistic description in favour of a more realistic view. "Parasitism" needs better definition. He prefers a more descriptive term, "mutualism" which covers more biological territory. In this wonderfully conceived and beautifully written account of what science has learned about parasites, he explains how species interact, sometimes to mutual benefit.

The "art" of being a parasite resides in their evolutionary history. Some creatures, once free-living, have managed to occupy others at various surface contact areas or internally. The mitochondria in our cells, the "energy engines" were clearly once free-living bacteria. Invading cells, they paid a "rent" of genes donated to the main genome in the nucleus. The arrangement is apparently incomplete, as mitochondria still make bids for independence. In some cases, the intruder merely occupies the host, generally on its way to another species to enter its reproductive phase. Other invaders proved to interact so well with their hosts that they have become entirely dependent on each other for survival. Combes lays all these situations out for us, describing the process as part of the "evolutionary arms race". That arms race has other applications such as predator-prey interaction, but the result in that scenario has no mutual benefit - the predator wins, eating the prey, or loses and goes hungry.

The key to parasite-host relations lies in two filters. The invader must pass an encounter filter, which might reflect little more than availability. If a potential host is not close to the parasite, there's nothing to attach itself to. If the parasite is species specific - as is the case with the wasp-fig associations, the potential parasite will expire. The host may have mechanisms in place to resist the intrusion. If the parasite gains entry, a "compatibility" filter situation arises. The host may have immunity elements that cast off the intruder. Both these filter systems are the basis of the evolutionary arms race between parasite and host. That situation has been credited with being the foundation for all evolution. The erection of the filters by the host and changes to circumvent them by the parasite may have brought about selection changes. This is the basis for much of what's called "coevolution" - an ongoing process over time in which each species changes in response to changes in the other.

While "parasitism" is generally considered to be one species utilising another's resources - even if the parasite is using the host as a way-station to another host - there are many cases in which the arrangement is more mutual. The wasp-fig liaison is fairly well known now with the wasps acting as pollinators between the fig plants. Except that the wasp lives in galls formed in the fig's branches, it resembles the action of bees with flowers. A less known mutual arrangement is the inhabiting of molluscs by bacteria. The mussel provides a sheltered environment, but feeds on the bacteria. Yet enough are permitted to survive to allow them to reproduce and infest other mussels. As Combes notes, "Who is exploiting whom?" It's a big question, since "parasites" make up more than half the planet's biomass and human beings are subject to more parasites than any other species.

Not all parasites are microscopic nor even small. One of the more recognised "parasites" are the cuckoos of Europe and cowbirds of North America. Both lay eggs in the nests of other species. These, in turn, have sometimes learned to recognise the intruder's eggs and cast them from the nest, or the nest is abandoned with the mating pair relocating to a new site. Less commonly known is a tapeworm inhabiting whale intestines. Combes declares it to be the longest creature living - at 40 metres!

All these elements are presented in a beautifully written [thank you, David Simberloff for an excellent translation] and effectively illustrated book covering a topic many would avoid. They shouldn't. Given that parasites are so complex and prevalent they are creatures and lifestyles we need to know more about. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

The Art of Being a Parasite. Claude Combes, translated by Daniel Simberloff. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL, 2005. 291 pp. $25.00 (0226114384 paper).


Parasitology books are traditionally compendia of the bizarre and macabre-page after page of sinister pathogens infecting obscure hosts and undergoing complex metamorphoses via stages with esoteric names. Combes's book is appropriately replete with these details, covering a wealth of natural history, anatomy, life history and behaviour. What sets this book apart is the way in which this information is presented. Rather than merely catalogued, host-parasite interactions are used to illustrate broad ecological, evolutionary and philosophical discussions. After each chapter, one comes away both with a detailed knowledge of current parasitological research, but also with a deeper and broader grasp of fundamental conceptual issues in the biological sciences generally.
Rather than restricting himself to the usual suspects-nematodes, flukes, trematodes and tapeworms-the reader is presented with an unprecedented breadth of examples. This book is the first parasitology text that considers mitochondria, mycorrhizae and mistletoes; cuckoos, cyanobacteria and chromosomes as worthy examplars of parasitism. Many biologists will be startled to find their study organisms included in a parasitological treatise, and Combes is to be credited for working from such a broad literature base. This breadth makes the emergent generalities and widely supported patterns all the more remarkable. A pertinent example is this passing comment: "this is why we know of no parasite (at least among the multicellular species) that has evolved to become free-living, even if such a passage appears to be theoretically possible", p 34; pointing out that the route to parasitism is necessarily a one-way street.
In addition to novel examples, many case studies are well known-leaf cutting ants and their fungus gardens, Madagascan orchids and their moth pollinators, ungulates and their blood-borne trypanosomes. By incorporating recent findings and drawing comparisons with analogous systems, Combes presents many of these "text-book examples" in a new light, often revealing these interactions to be more convoluted than first thought. Hence, in the review of cuckoos and other nest parasites, we learn that cuckoos do not pick up ectoparasites from their adoptive parents-it is only when they mate in their second year that they acquire lice and mites from conspecifics. Hence, the very act of being a parasite confers a cuckoo immunity to parasitism until maturity. Even the footnotes are replete with parasitological gems: reminding us that the reason prized Woodcock are best consumed whole is to ensure the flavour of "millions of small tapeworms in the genus Amoebotaenia" residing in their intestines infuse the meat during cooking.
A persistent theme throughout the book relates to the two filters or diaphragms defining the evolution of host-parasite systems: the encounter filter and the compatibility filter. Originally introduced in his 1995 book, this theme is well integrated and makes a significant contribution to the conceptual basis of understanding host-parasite interactions. There is a thoughtful clarification of the distinction between virulence and pathogenicity, an excellent précis of the Red Queen Hypothesis and a succinct summary of adaptationism, although he perpetuates the misuse of the term spandrel (c.f. pendentive, after Houston 1990). Closer to home, Combes discusses why humans play host to more parasites than any other species and, far from being merely a sampling artefact, elucidates the many facets of human history, behaviour, distribution and lifestyle that pre-dispose us to infection. This has dramatic consequences for human health and, more surprisingly, the health of our domestic animals. Taenia saginata and T. solium (the beef and pork tapeworms respectively) were both human parasites first, passed horizontally to these animals soon after domestication.
The writing style is accessible, lucid and surprisingly engaging, using occasional anecdotes and asides to punctuate the text. Originally published in French, Daniel Simberloff translated the book into English, and his voice is almost imperceptible-the hallmark of a skilled translator (although I doubt Voltaire would have approved of his satire "Candide" being referred to as a pamphlet!). The French character of the book is still retained-the text is replete with idioms and analogies familiar to francophones. More importantly, Combes cites the French parasitological literature extensively, revealing a wealth of hitherto under-appreciated literature to monolingual researchers.
While I was pleased at the inclusion of a glossary, it was all too brief (four pages) and many terms defined in the text were not included, including the subtle differences between endoparasites and mesoparasites, and the distinction between allomones and kairomones. The book is well illustrated with half-tone diagrams, flow-charts and graphs, all of a consistently high standard, and index is comprehensive.
While the engaging style and uncluttered language make this book accessible to a general audience, this book is aimed squarely at non-parasitologist professional biologists, emphatically underscoring the relevance of parasitology to evolutionary biology and the life sciences generally. Combes demonstrates that there are few, if any clear-cut distinctions between predation, parasitism, commensalism, and mutualism. Rather, they are presented as a continuum, challenging current typological approaches to their study. Any biologist interested in interspecific interactions of any kind should read this book-it will change their view of what is (and isn't) a parasite, broaden their taxonomic horizons and remind them that there is a wealth of primary scientific literature written in other languages awaiting the adventurous explorer.


DAVID M WATSON
Institute for Land, Water and Society
Charles Sturt University
Albury NSW 2640, AUSTRALIA

References cited
Houston, A. 1990. Matching, Maximizing and Melioration as Alternative Descriptions of Behaviour. Pages 498-509 in Meyer JA, Wilson S, eds. From Animals to Animats. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

I liked your book when iread it, and i would like to translate it into the arabic languauge for teaching purposes, the copy i have is edited on 1985. please, if you accept that i can translate your book, send me a letter of your approval.

thanks in advance,

nasser abbas

deseo saber si tienen el libro de parasitologia clinica del autor brown en español...de ser asi porfavor me escribe que estoy muy interesada en comprarlo, gracias.

It is a summary of what a laser crystal or better a rare heart doping material could do. Special solution on particular wavelength could be found on this book.

The book "Laser Crystals" is dealing with the basic properties of doped single crystals. Stark level splittings, some (low resolution) spectras, any demonstrated laser transition (with temperatures) gives a survey of this topic, some new materials and dopands are not included (published 89), over 900 references! Unfortunately out of stock.END

David G. Baker edits FLYNN'S PARASITES OF LABORATORY ANIMALS, 2ND EDITION, an excellent college-level reference for advanced students of veterinary science. From the biology of the protozoa to parasites of rabbits and hamsters, mice and birds, reptiles to dogs, cats and even sheep, edits FLYNN'S PARASITES OF LABORATORY ANIMALS offers up extensive chapters packed with black and white photos, tables and charts, diagnosis, hosts, lifestyle, and pathologic effects, and more.

Dr. Baker has done an outstanding job of updating and expanding the classic Flynn's Parasites of Laboratory Animals. This new edition has chapters summarizing the biology of each class of parasites as well as a chapter for each commonly used laboratory animal. This is the definitive text on the subject, and will likely remain that way for many years like its previous edition.