Parasite+Rex

=//Parasite Rex// comments=



Comments:
//Parasite Rex// is a fascinating look at creatures that live not on land, not in the sea, nor in the air, but within other creatures. What I found particularly interesting is how parasites move from host-to-host, sometimes short-circuiting their hosts' survival instincts to enable another predator easier access so that the current host gets eaten, enabling the parasite to move along its preconceived Darwinian path. In other words, sometimes parasites take over another creature's brain and causes that creature to make, as counsellors sometimes put it, "bad decisions." A parasite's life cycle might consist of three different incarnations in three different hosting species.

For example, a waterborne parasite might bite and bore into a fish, move from its scales into its blood stream, take a trip to the brain, alter the fish's behavior so it starts drunkenly zigzagging on the surface. Now, it's easy prey for a bird, the parasite's intended new home. Once ingested by the bird, the parasite moves along the bird's bloodstream and develops into a different manifestation of its previous self. The incredible intricacies of such an epic journey and how these parasites "know" what to do is mind-boggling in itself.

Just last night, I noticed a tree frog on one of our windows as an insect flitted beneath the outside light. The frog made a tiny hop, and the insect flitted away, only to come back. The frog zapped it with its tongue. I couldn't help but wonder if either creature was hosting parasites. After reading this book, I'll never look at nature quite the same way. **Submitted by Wesley Moore.**

Personally I always thought that parasites were something that only existed in foreign countries or out in the wild. It was disturbing to realize that I might unknowingly be carrying a few myself at this very moment. It was daunting to hear about how common place they actually are and it made me wonder how they could be all around me without showing any signs of themselves. I had no idea how sophisticated their disguises and adaptations were. How they constantly evolved to stay alive within the immune system of another creature. The most shocking information that I read, however, was about how much influence these creatures have over their host's lives or even over entire ecosystems. For so long parasites were viewed the bad guys sucking the life out of innocent creatures when really they helped shaped the state of the world as it is today. submitted by Katy Burns

//Parasite Rex// is a well written book that gives vivid descriptions of the life of different parasites, and how they move from host to host. Before reading //Parasite Rex// i thought that parasites just lived in sick people and animals that were overseas, but i have come to find out that parasites live in our everyday life and are a vital part to it. what i found most fascinating was how first the parasite burrows its way into a snail, then rearranges the snails brain for its purposes, then it manipulates the snail to go out of its natural habitat so that it may be eaten by a fish. After it is swalloed by the fish the parasite makes the fish turn an orangish color, and makes it rise to the top of the water so it may eaten by a bird, the parasite continues this cycle until it dies. What makes parasite interesting is there ability to change their physical attributes to adapt to the body of its host and to camaflouge itself in different enviorments so that it goes virtualy undetected into its unknowing host. Parasites the worlds most bizare creatures that use their intelligence and cunning abilities to get from host to host. This book has opened my eyes to the mysterious world of parasites. submitted by K.J James

When I first decided to read Parasite Rex

I thought it would be a collection of the lifestyles and specializations of different individual parasites, which sounded like the perfect book for me. As I was reading through it I began to realize this book is not entirely about the individual but more about how it affects the ecosystem in which it lives. It’s the difference between saying this parasite lives here, eats this, sleeps now, etc. and telling how its exoskeleton might be eaten by another animal, whose droppings are home to a bacteria, that hop onto a snail, etc. I was also fascinated by the author’s utmost respect for the tiny beings he described. He spoke of them with a reverence akin to someone speaking about an endangered animal. I defiantly now share his respect. After reading and thinking about Parasite Rex

I found that I was most interested in how parasites could be used as pesticides in Africa and to make us stronger by getting rid of allergies. All in all this is an enlightening and descriptive book although it got confusing a few times. Submitted by Elliott Crosland

//Parasite Rex// An exquisite book that will change my point of view on nature and insects forever. When I first saw this book, I was ready for an exciting adventure of insects taking over the world, but it turns out that it was more than that. It was a book that described different parasites and thier behavior. There were some pretty amazing things that caught my eye as well. For example, I did not know that wasps laid their eggs in caterpillars or that they would actually put parasites in peoples bodies to see what would happen to them. While I enjoyed this book and found it interesting, it was hard to follow and somewhat confusing. Submitted by Aidan Hekker

//Parasite Rex// Though at times a little difficult to understand, Carl Zimmer paints a portrait of a truly fascinating world full of life existing in our own bodies and the bodies of other plants and animals around us. Zimmer describes this world with a combination of specificity, incredible knowledge of the subject only rivalled by his passion for it. He begins by giving a fundemental overveiw of all the different plants, animals, fungi, and other organisms that follow the parisitic way of life and how they can cause people to get sick. He then presents the theory of evolution and how parisites came to evolve to live in the bodies of other organisms. He then addresses the fundemantal fear of parisites that people have had for generations with examples from popular movies such as //Alien//. Zimmer demonstates that parasites can seem revolting, that they are actually crucial to a healthy ecosystem. In fact, all ecosystems are full of parasites and only recently are we beginning to realize this. While the book also serves a scientific purpose to show how parasites cleverly outmanouver the host's immune system and move from host to host, it also serves as a warning. Ecosystems, believe it or not, simply cannot function without parasites. Without parasites to moniter the number of certain plants and animals the ecosystem would be destroyed. Zimmer then presents the argument that humans themselves are, in more ways then one, parasites with Earth as our host.

This book presents parasites in a new light we have never seen before, in some ways welcome and in some ways not. After reading the book I couldn't help but wonder if I had any creatures slithering through my body and it gave me the chills. While this is absolutely disgusting, I had to remind myself that parasites are a part of nature. We simply have to stop thinking of parasites in the Hollywood sensed, but in a way that they are part of our lives//. Parasite// Rex demonstrates a world full of parasites and their implications on evolution, medicine, agriculture, and many things besides. They are in some way ingrained in almost every aspect of our day to day lives. I would recomend this book to anyone who can handle the comlplex subject matter, it was one of the most startlingly interesting books I have ever read. Submitted by Matt Schultz

//Parasite Rex// is an engaging story that brings us on a journey to explore the world of the fascinating creatures that control our lives. These bizarre animals have molded and remolded the nature and the world of their hosts to create themselves a more comfortable life. These amazing creatures have even shaped human nature itself to get to where it needs to go. I was completely unaware of the abundance of parasites in our world. Before I read //Parasite Rex// I naively thought that parasites were just rare horror stories in third world countries and that I could never be carrying these creatures. The knowledge that I’m probably carrying a multitude of these parasites is unsettling yet kind of cool. I am a walking host. For I long time I thought of parasite as life sucking evil-doers but I now know that these creatures help fight off world wide sicknesses such as malaria. The tiny beings, which I once viewed as bad guys trying to kill and suck the life out of us all, are actually the architects of our world, molding it to the shape that pleases it most. Submitted by Carly Walter

//Parasite Rex// was a truly well thought out book that tells us about the many different lifeforms that live within us. I had no idea that these parasites could basically have control over the thoughts and actions over so many different beings. I was alarmed at the thought of parasites that could get in to your body by going through a hole in your body such as a cut or a scrape. The illustrations that were in the book sent shivers down my spine every time I looked at them. The idea that a parasite can virtually change the genes of living beings was an amazing thing! I thought that it was near impossible for a living organism to do that. If scientists could find out how to do it, we could change say a weed into a tomato plant. Then I thought, "Why don"t we get rid of parasites since they are so destructive?" After I read a little more, I found out that some parasites can help us get rid of many diseases that have been found. //Parasite Rex// was a marvel to read and the information that it held was so invigorating. Submitted by Cameron Merriken

There are very few books that have the power to change how you perceive the world around you. One of which is Parasite Rex by Carl Zimmer. In the book, Zimmer uses carefully constructed anecdotes that help magnify these tiny creatures that some Biology textbooks might overlook. Strange examples include the fluke-ridden ant that crawl on top of grass, the DNA changing wolbachia, and the trematodes that cause their snail host eye to turn red in order to attract birds. With these examples, Zimmer defends a very sensible argument that these microscopic, yet numerous (they outnumber humans 4 to 1), organisms have a huge impact on our world. Due to their adaptability, they are the reason our world has existed in a somewhat harmonious state for the past 4 billion years. So, try as you might to sing “happy birthday” as you wash your hands or flood farmlands with chemicals, these parasites are here to stay. - Submitted by Elizabeth Thompson