Parasite Rex

In this re-issued paperback edition with a new epilogue, Carl Zimmer reveals the power, danger, and beauty of parasites in a book capable of changing how we see the world ( Los Angeles Times ). For centuries, parasites have lived in nightmares, horror stories, and the darkest shadows of science. In Parasite Rex, Carl Zimmer takes readers on a fantastic voyage into the secret universe of these extraordinary life-formswhich are not only among the most highly evolved on Earth, but make up the majority of lifes 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. His vivid descriptions bring to life 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, gracefully written book brings parasites out into the open and uncovers what they can teach us all about the most fundamental survival tactics in the universethe laws of Parasite Rex.