Riddled with Life: Friendly Worms, Ladybug Sex, and the Parasites That Make Us Who We Are [Hardcover]

Marlene Zuk (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2, 2007

We think of disease as our enemy, something we try to eradicate; germs and infections are things we battle. But in this witty, engaging book, evolutionary biologist Marlene Zuk reveals that, in fact, disease is our partner, not our foe, and is responsible for everything from how we look to how we have sex.

Since the earliest days of life on earth, disease has evolved alongside us. Drawing on the latest research and studies, Zuk explains the role of disease in answering a fascinating range of questions such as: Why do men die younger than women? Why does the average male bird not have a penis? Why do we—and lots of other animals—get STDs? How is our obsession with cleanliness making us sicker? And how can parasites sometimes make us well?

Using her own work on sexual selection as well as a sampling of stories from the natural world, Zuk makes us reconsider the fearsome parasite.

Editorial Reviews

Review

PRAISE FOR SEXUAL SELECTIONS

"Fascinating and persuasive. Zuk is not an idealogue, just an unusually clear-eyed scholar."—THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW

"Zuk is a truly intelligent writer who is out to make a serious point: Humans often try to legitimize their own behavior by citing similar behavior in the animal kingdom . . . Not only rare but relevant."—THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

"[Zuk] understands that invasive creatures are, like thunderstorms, earthquakes, and gravity, irreducible parts of the human environment.  Living the good life, to Zuk, means reaching a kind of detente with the creatures that live around and in us... Her insight into disease is that, though some invasive microorganisms should be controlled, others can be endured, and still others may actually be helpful."

(Natural History )

"Parasites, Marlene Zuk informs us, have made us who we are. That may sound like science fiction, but Zuk, an eminent biologist and expert on parasites, makes a compelling case that it is true. Riddled with Life offers an entertaining but authoritative look at how parasites shape evolution, including our own."

(Carl Zimmer, author of Parasite Rex )

"In this fascinating book, Marlene Zuk - who happens to be one of the most talented scientists writing for the general public today - illuminates our long and surprisingly intimate relationship with the pathogens that live around us and inside us. I loved Riddled with Life right down to its funny last line."

(Deborah Blum, author of Ghost Hunters )

"RIDDLED WITH LIFE is a book full of astonishing stories. We are only beginning to appreciate the bizarre natural history of parasites and diseases, and their unexpected and subtle effects. Marlene Zuk has a majestic command of her diverse material, and an eloquent story-telling style. If she does not change your mind about cooling fevers, eating sushi and keeping cats, I''ll eat my hat (the bacteria in it will keep hay fever at bay)."

(Matt Ridley, author of Genome )

"What''s eating you? Or to put it more politely, "sharing your space," which happens to be your body? The answers are oddly consoling in evolutionary biologist Marlene Zuk''s witty "disease appreciation" course... [B]eguiling."

(O Magazine )

"Zuk''s book makes disease scintillating, wryly amusing and even sexy. Her enthusiasm and a hundred examples propel the reader to a deeper understanding of Darwinian medicine and the nature of life."

(Randolph M. Nesse, author of Why We Get Sick )

From the Inside Flap

"Zuk's book makes disease scintillating, wryly amusing and even sexy. Her enthusiasm and a hundred examples propel the reader to a deeper understanding of the nature of life."--Randolph M. Nesse, author of Why We Get Sick

We treat disease as our enemy, and germs and infections as things we battle. But what if we’ve been giving them a bum rap? In this witty, engaging book, evolutionary biologist Zuk makes us rethink our instincts as she argues that disease is our partner, not our foe.

From the earliest days of life on earth -- parasites spurred the creation of complex life forms -- disease has evolved alongside us, becoming not only natural but essential to our health. Drawing on the latest research and most unusual studies, Zuk explains the role of disease in answering a fascinating range of questions: Why do men die younger than women? Why are we attracted to our mates? Why does your average male bird not have a penis? Why do we--as well as insects, birds, pigs, cows, goats, and even plants--get STDs? Why do vultures have yellow heads and roosters have red wattles? Why do we have sex at all, rather than simply splitting off copies of ourselves like certain geckoes? And how is our obsession with cleanliness making us sicker?

Using her own work on sexual selection as well as an amazing sampling of stories from the natural world, Zuk makes us reconsider the fearful parasite.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; 1 edition (April 2, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0151012253
• ISBN-13: 978-0151012251
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #598,428 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fabulous Read on a Rather Ignored Subject, April 11, 2007

By 

Dr. Jonathan Dolhenty (Port Orford, OR United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Riddled with Life: Friendly Worms, Ladybug Sex, and the Parasites That Make Us Who We Are (Hardcover)

If you are an extremely squeamish person, this may not be the book for you. On the other hand, if you share as I do, an intense curiosity about the natural world and all its inhabitants regardless of their status and contributions to the natural order, then I think you'll find "Riddled with Life" to be an exciting journey into an almost-ignored and little-known world of fascinating creatures. Marlene Zuk, a professor of biology at the University of California (Riverside), studies parasites -- among other living things -- and not only knows about all these critters but can write about them in a style that is very readable and enjoyable. I have become impressed lately by the many talented academic scientists who have the ability to write for the ordinary reader. Zuk is certainly to be included among them.

Her book deals with parasites, worms, and other creatures, and also with disease and health. Interestingly, she has a positive point to make about disease. For instance, she points out that "Disease is not merely ubiquitous. It is normal. It is natural. It is even essential. Illness has shaped all living things for millions of years, and life as we know it -- we, as we know ourselves -- would not exist without disease." I had never thought about that, but the point she makes is explained and justified throughout the book.

She makes another important point which I found interesting: "Although most historians are probably blissfully unaware of it, one of the marked changes in our lives since the nineteenth century is in the number and kind of microorganisms we carry in our guts. We harbor hundreds of species of bacteria in our gastrointestinal systems when we are healthy, an internal forest of biodiversity." Most of us normally think of bacteria as "bad," probably the result of so much "antibacterial" advertising by manufacturers of such products. Zuk corrects this misconception and rightly so.

Speaking of bacteria and advertising, she does raise something early on in her book that I have spent some time thinking about for a number of years. And that is the "war on bacteria" promoted by the hundreds of advertised products on our TV screens and in our printed media. It has often seemed to me to be a case of "overkill." I am a more or less clean housekeeper -- wipe down the counters, clean the bathrooms regularly, etc. -- but, from the content of some of the advertisements one sees, you'd think we are in imminent danger of being destroyed by bacteria (or germs, if prefer). As I am approaching (all too rapidly, I must say) my biblically-designated threescore and ten years, I reflect on the fact that I was raised during a time when concern with "germs" was not a national obsession.

That is not to say that my generation was not concerned with being clean. I think we were. But we were not obsessed with it. Zuk warns regarding this point that in today's world, "The frightening consequences of our overzealous cleansing include resistance of common bacterial infections, like staphylococcus in hospitals, to most or all of the antibiotics we use to control them." In other words, there is a danger in being too obsessed with cleanliness. To drive this point home, Zuk has a section in her chapter on "friendly worms" which is titled "Cleanliness is Next to ... Sickliness?" Excellent choice of words.

Moreover, consider this gem from Zuk's book: "My own personal favorite of the germ-phobic ads is one for a line of antimicrobial products for the office, including computer keyboards and desks. The promotional material states, 'Researchers found that the average desk had 400 times more bacteria than the average toilet seat.' I had several reactions to this. First, my inner statistician wondered how one determines the 'average' desk, not to mention toilet seat (public restrooms? House with Toddlers? Fraternity?)." And as I have always suspected: "Even carefully controlled tests of many antibacterial products fail to find a benefit to their use." As a student formally trained in statistical analysis, I agree. So much for that obsession.

Many readers will probably really enjoy, as I certainly did, Chapter Four of "Riddled with Life." Its title is "The Race With Sex That's Never Won." On the other hand, many readers may be repulsed by Chapter Five which is titled "When Sex Makes You Sick." Not a good thing to read about, but Zuk does make it interesting and informative. But (here's more sex!), reading Chapter Six -- entitled "The Sicker Sex" -- was somewhat disturbing, at least for me, because I found out that I was a member (as a male) of the sicker sex. What? Yes, 'tis true, being male, according to Zuk, is a health risk. You'll have to read the book to find out all the details, but it seems to have something to do with something we males are usually proud of or bragging about.

Another chapter that most readers will find interesting is one entitled "Parasites and Picking the Perfect Partner." Just to demonstrate how good Zuk is at tempting the reader to continue reading, let me provide you with the opening sentences to this chapter: "We were crouched in the shrubbery outside the men's bathroom in a park in Western Australia, binoculars at the ready. Periodically one of us would exclaim, 'Wow, that was a really good one,' or 'Look at him now, he's really going at it!'" Now if that doesn't force the reader to continue on with the text, I don't know what would. Very clever writing! Yet, the information provided in this chapter is fascinating and I'll never look at dating the opposite gender -- or at the subject of the birds and the bees -- quite the same again.

All in all, this is a delightful and enlightening book. I cannot imagine a reader (except, of course, the obvious "Yuckies") failing to find "Riddled with Life" a valuable addition to his or her personal library. It is full of engrossing information and Zuk has provided over twenty pages of references for further reading, as well as a helpful index to the text. Highly recommended!

20 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Humans and Parasites Have a History Together...., April 22, 2007

By 

M. L Lamendola (Merriam, KS USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Riddled with Life: Friendly Worms, Ladybug Sex, and the Parasites That Make Us Who We Are (Hardcover)

My life began with a years-long struggle against life-draining parasites (I refer to viruses and bacteria, not members of Congress). Unlike most kids, I spent most of my first decade making my parents wonder if I'd see another birthday. As you might suspect, this book is very interesting to me on a personal level.

And that brings us to the question of whether this book would be interesting to you. If you have spent much of your life fighting off one disease after another, then obviously yes. But what if you're the typical person who had the usual childhood illnesses and occasionally gets a cold? You take all of the precautions, and you even use antibacterial soaps. If that's the case, then this book is even more applicable to you than it is to me.

Zuk tackles one myth after another, to help the reader gain valuable perspective. I haven't seen any negative reviews of this book so far, but invariably someone will cherry-pick excerpts and argue that Zuk is contradicting herself. Zuk says our bodies and environments are so full of bacteria and other parasites that obsessing over getting rid of them is rather pointless and probably harms us. But she also talks about the benefits of sanitation and hygienic practices.

So, is she trying to have it both ways? This is like asking if it makes sense to get both rest and exercise, which are two seemingly contradictory activities. In fact, they are complementary activities. You need a balance of each.

Balance is exactly what Zuk brings to the discussion of parasites. She gives the example of installing an antibacterial welcome mat for the "safety" of your baby. This might make a parent feel good, but serves no other purpose. But such an act isn't necessarily harmless--it can tilt the balance of the bacterial population such that the baby encounters only superbugs. This type of problem exists on many fronts, and Zuk makes a fascinating exploration of them.

Not all bacteria are bad, and Zuk is quite clear about this. The harsh chemicals that saved my life on several occasions (while also running up large medical bills) destroyed more than the harmful bugs. One of the side effects was the inability to digest foods like nuts--the little nut parts would go straight through, exiting in exactly the condition I swallowed them (sharp edges and all).

You can simulate the feeling of passing undigested nuts (with their tiny sharp edges) by using 60 grit sandpaper on your rear end. I don't recommend that you stop and do it right now, but if you're so inclined then that's fine. Most of us can simply appreciate the concept and understand the point being made. It's also true some folks get an approximation of this from the cheap paper provided by their employer....

It took many years to correct just this one side effect from killing bugs. In my case, the initial problem was a necessary side effect of a life-saving measure. But today, people are indiscriminately applying harsh chemicals and creating all kinds of unpleasant and presumably unintended consequences. And not just for themselves. Nuking every little critter isn't a wise strategy. In fact, many of those little critters may be your ticket to health.

I was born with an immune deficiency and still have it. Yes, I keep my home very clean. But Zuk would be proud of me because I work in the soil, gardening with bare hands. As a little kid, I also spent a lot of time playing in the dirt. I needed something in that prairie soil, and apparently I got it. I haven't been sick now since 1971--even with my immune deficiency. Bacteria. You can't live with 'em and you can't live without 'em. (Note my wellness isn't just from playing in the dirt. [...].

Now that I've addressed the major sticking point of this book (the only good bug is a dead bug--not true!), I want to comment on Zuk's writing style. She laces her prose with a subtle humor that immediately reminded me of some friends in New Zealand. Now I can get in big trouble for saying this, but Aussies and Kiwis are similar in many ways. I wasn't surprised when she revealed that she had spent considerable time in Australia.

So, what's really in this book? Lots of amazing facts, for sure. It has 11 chapters, extensive references, and a thorough index. Good insights, thought-provoking questions, interesting anecdotes, and a crisp writing style sprinkled with humor all work together to make it both useful and enjoyable.

This book addresses several complex topics, and presents them in a manner that allows the layman to follow along and understand. It's hard to pick out just one topic and address it properly, so I'll just name a few topics. If you read the book, you'll enjoy Zuk's explanations. Topics include:

* Testosterone poisoning.
* Why roosters have red combs.
* The upside of eating worms.
* Why not completing a medication protocol even though you now feel fine is a bad idea.
* Why you can't possibly make yourself sick by violating some of today's commonly accepted rules of hygiene.
* Health products that are a complete rip-off (and why).
* The evolutionary interaction between parasites and their hosts.

And everyone's favorite topic. I speak, of course, of sex. Each of four chapters is devoted to a different aspect of the this topic, and other chapters also cover it in some way or another. Yes, even sex has been influenced heavily by bugs. In fact, bugs may be the very reason for it. Who woulda thunk? Maybe we should establish Thank A Bacterium Day.

Bacteria and viruses are intertwined with us, and Zuk makes a good case for the concept that our bodies are what they are because of the critters rather than in spite of them. But, it doesn't stop there. Zuk also presents strong evidence that our very minds are influenced by parasites (thus explaining the US Tax Code). The final chapter of the book and Zuk's closing remark may well reshape your view of the world and other people in it.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Is sex necessary?, May 27, 2007

By 

E. A. Lovitt "starmoth" (Gladwin, MI USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Riddled with Life: Friendly Worms, Ladybug Sex, and the Parasites That Make Us Who We Are (Hardcover)

I can still close my eyes and see Thurber's little cartoon guy slouching dispiritedly past an embracing couple on the park bench, and asking his famous question.

If he knew that most complex organisms evolved into two sexes because of parasites, he would probably have thrown his jacket over his head and screamed.

Marlene Zuk, a professor of biology at the University of California, provides `parasites' as the answer to many evolutionary conundrums, as she brings us face-to-proboscis with some of the natural world's most bizarre adaptations surrounding the continued survival of genomes, including our own.

What causes auto-immune diseases? Why do female peacocks go for males with the fanciest tail feathers? Are some people more accident-prone than others? Why did Debbie Estis Greenspan invent Dr. Doormat?

Are all of these phenomena caused by parasites? `Yes,' according to Professor Zuk.

If you don't believe that parasitized people have more accidents, read the chapter "Bad but Not Weird: The Real Emerging Diseases." Not only might the parasite that causes toxoplasmosis be responsible for a higher automobile accident rate, it might also trigger schizophrenia:

"Children of mothers who were infected with toxoplasmosis during pregnancy show higher levels of mental retardation, brain malformations, and seizures. Ewald and coworkers believe that the reason more people with schizophrenia are born at certain times of year is that their mothers were more likely to have come into contact with cats and their feces."

"Riddled with Life" presents a very clear thesis: evolution is driven by parasitism. It is backed up by fascinating proofs. I read this book while I was a guest at a friend's house, and couldn't help quoting example after example from Dr. Zuk's research.

The probable driver for the evolution of bedbug sex is particularly bizarre...I just hope I don't reincarnate as a lady bedbug.

Read this book and gross out your own friends. You may never be invited to stay over again, thanks to Professor Zuk's unforgettable examples of parasites in action.