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Parasite Rex: Inside the Bizarre World of Nature's Most Dangerous Creatures Paperback – Illustrated, November 9, 2001

by Carl Zimmer (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 658 ratings
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Combining the literary sensibility of David Quammen with the scientific rigor of Stephen Jay Gould, Carl Zimmer reveals the power, danger, and beauty of the surprising creatures who dominate the earth: parasites.

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-forms—which 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, 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 universe—the laws of Parasite Rex.
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  1. Print length
    320 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Atria Books
  4. Publication date
    November 9, 2001
  5. Dimensions
    5.5 x 1 x 8.44 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    9780743200110
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0743200110
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Michael Harris Los Angeles Times A model of liveliness and clarity...a book capable of changing how we see the world.

Kevin Padian The New York Times With Parasite Rex, Zimmer proves himself as fine a science essayist as we have.

Mark Ridley The New Scientist A nonstop delight...Zimmer is a colorful writer, and takes full advantage of the macabre natural history of parasites.

Susan Adams Forbes Zimmer is such an accomplished, vivid writer that he is able to weave these revolting beasts into an engrossing story that you will read to the last page.

About the Author

Carl Zimmer, author of At the Water's Edge, is a frequent contributor to Discover, National Geographic, Natural History, Nature, and Science. He is a winner of the Everett Clark Award for science journalism and the American Institute of Biological Sciences Media Award. A John S. Guggenheim Fellow, he has also received the Pan-American Health Organization Award for Excellence in International Health Reporting and the American Institute of Biological Sciences Media Award. His previous books include Evolution: The Triumph of an Idea, Parasite Rex, and At the Water's Edge. He lives in Guilford, Connecticut.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 074320011X
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Atria Books; Illustrated edition (November 9, 2001)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780743200110
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0743200110
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1 x 8.44 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 658 ratings

About the author

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Carl Zimmer

Carl Zimmer

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Carl Zimmer is the author of fourteen books about science. His latest book is Life’s Edge: The Search for What It Means to Be Alive.

Zimmer’s column Matter appears each week in the New York Times. His writing has earned a number of awards, including the Stephen Jay Gould Prize, awarded by the Society for the Study of Evolution. His previous book, She Has Her Mother’s Laugh, won the 2019 National Academies Communication Award. The Guardian named it the best science book of 2018.

Zimmer is a familiar voice on radio programs such as Radiolab and is professor adjunct at Yale University. He is, to his knowledge, the only writer after whom both a species of tapeworm and an asteroid have been named.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
658 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book fascinating, engaging, and instructive. They appreciate the author's concise style and writing for the average person. Readers describe the book as incredible and scary. They say it covers important concepts and evolutionary twists. Opinions are mixed on the illustrations, with some loving them and others saying they lack diagrams.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

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Value for moneyWriting styleScariness factorParasite knowledgeIllustrationsAccuracy
61 customers mention "Value for money"61 positive0 negative

Customers find the book fascinating, engaging, and instructive. They say it's well-researched and brings interesting ideas to the mainstream.

"...A very engrossing read, If you enjoy science, don’t miss this, Only quibble, book was published over 20 years ago...." Read more

"...However, this book is still readily accessible (and fascinating) for those without a background in biology...." Read more

"...But that's a quibble.On the whole, a very good book that should interest anyone interested in natural systems and evolution, and..." Read more

"What a fascinating world! Easy to read, the author writes for the average person...." Read more

36 customers mention "Writing style"36 positive0 negative

Customers find the writing style concise, spectacular, and gifted. They say the book is easy to read, descriptive, and scientifically written. Readers also mention it makes a good reference for essays.

"Carl Zimmer is easily one of the best science writer around. Second book of his that I have read & time well spent...." Read more

"...However, this book is still readily accessible (and fascinating) for those without a background in biology...." Read more

"...Parasite Rex" has detailed footnotes, a "Further Reading and Selected Bibliography" section, and an index for those readers who would like to pursue..." Read more

"...The writing is clear and well organized, but goes on too long and is repetitive in places...." Read more

10 customers mention "Scariness factor"10 positive0 negative

Customers find the book incredible, shocking, haunting, and chilling. They appreciate the tactful handling of the disgust factor.

"...A related strength is the tactful handling of the disgust factor, although we do get descriptions of the unsavory behavior of parasites, there was..." Read more

"This book is crazy fascinating. Creepy. But fascinating...." Read more

"This book is absolutely fascinating and haunting in the best of ways!!..." Read more

"This well-written and well-researched book takes a sober, shocking, direct, and colorfully-stated view of parasites in nature...." Read more

8 customers mention "Parasite knowledge"8 positive0 negative

Customers find the book covers important concepts and evolutionary twists. They say it's an excellent review of the parasites among us. Readers also mention that parasites have shaped whole populations and can change the behavior of individuals within them.

"...On the whole, however, it covers the important parasite concepts and the evolutionary twists and turns in the battle between parasites and their..." Read more

"Though it sounds odd, this book gave me a profound respect for parasites – and an understanding of just how difficult it can be to study them...." Read more

"This book is wonderful! It covers many parasites, and is easy to understand. If you are interested in microbiology, I highly recommend it!" Read more

"...Why wouldn't you want to learn more? The book encompasses the evolutionary power of parasites...." Read more

7 customers mention "Illustrations"3 positive4 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the illustrations in the book. Some mention they're colorful and state a sober, shocking, direct view of parasites in nature. Others say there aren't enough illustrations and diagrams.

"...Perhaps the biggest flaw in the book is the lack of diagrams and its minimal number of photos...." Read more

"...LOVE the pictures. After reading this (based on a clip from This American Life), I ordered several more of Zimmer's book & this is by far my favorite." Read more

"...There are no ilustrations of trees to be seen in the Kindle Edition. At least I missed these 2 illustration if not more...." Read more

"...-researched book takes a sober, shocking, direct, and colorfully-stated view of parasites in nature...." Read more

6 customers mention "Accuracy"3 positive3 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the accuracy of the book. Some mention it's funny and engaging, while others say it's too anecdotal and unnerving.

"...a lot of information in this book, and it is often fairly scientifically sophisticated...." Read more

"...The book is too anecdotal for a hard science book, but this is a minor point...." Read more

"...Zimmer is funny and engaging and scientifically accurate--I HAVE GOT TO READ THIS AGAIN SOON." Read more

"...I also found that sometimes topics were thrown in together without relevance...." Read more

Very interesting read!!
5 out of 5 stars
Very interesting read!!
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Top reviews from the United States

Dave Kaverman
5.0 out of 5 stars Opens up an Amazing World!
Reviewed in the United States on March 11, 2023
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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.
3 people found this helpful
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dephal
5.0 out of 5 stars Makes for interesting dinner conversations!
Reviewed in the United States on March 29, 2006
Verified Purchase
When I was a Campfire Girl my troop went on a tour of a local hospital. During the tour, someone showed us a tapeworm preserved in a jar. That was over 30 years ago, but parasites have interested me ever since. Until I read this book, however, I had no idea just how fascinating they are.

In this book, Zimmer introduces us to the amazing array of parasites that exist on this planet. He discusses the history of parasitology, and convinces the reader that these creatures' importance has long been overlooked. In fact, he makes a convincing case that parasites may be responsible for a lot of complex animal behaviors, including perhaps sexual reproduction. So I guess next time you're feeling romantic, you have parasites to thank!

This book explores the many clever ways that parasites have evolved to exist within environments that are usually very specialized and often very hostile. Some use mind control. Some undertake amazingly complex journeys.

Zimmer imparts a lot of information in this book, and it is often fairly scientifically sophisticated. However, this book is still readily accessible (and fascinating) for those without a background in biology. This book has changed how I view the natural world, and I have recommended it to several friends.
4 people found this helpful
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ealovitt
5.0 out of 5 stars The Alien was a penny-ante patzer compared to these critters
Reviewed in the United States on September 21, 2002
Verified Purchase
"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."
22 people found this helpful
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Spock
4.0 out of 5 stars Very interesting and important, if a bit plodding
Reviewed in the United States on September 24, 2007
Verified Purchase
The book its an excellent review of the parasites among us. It also does not miss any key topics, although some of them it glosses over a bit. For example, the chapeter on how these criters beat our immune system could have been much better and more detailed, particularly as this was for me one of the key quesitons I had as I continued to read. While we are told that basically it is too costly for organisms to proof themselves against even particular parasites, that was never explained in sufficient detail. On the whole, however, it covers the important parasite concepts and the evolutionary twists and turns in the battle between parasites and their hosts, and responsibly differentiates scientific speculation from experimental fact.

Perhaps the biggest flaw in the book is the lack of diagrams and its minimal number of photos. One of the coolest things about parasites is how gross they are and I wanted to see more of them. Also the same parasites seemed to keep coming up as examples of everything. Perhaps there are only so many types of parasites so it just doesn't matter whether one discusses blood flukes of humans or some other animal. But the book makes bold statements about how much more diverse parasites are than so called "free living" organisms, so it seemed a bit weird to continually be presnted with the "usual suspects" as examples of each of the parasitic principles.

The writing is clear and well organized, but goes on too long and is repetitive in places. This would probably have been a better book if were 30 pages shorter. But that's a quibble.

On the whole, a very good book that should interest anyone interested in natural systems and evolution, and parasites in particular.
14 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Daniel Pichardo
5.0 out of 5 stars Genial
Reviewed in Mexico on January 16, 2020
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Excelente libro, muy interesante.
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Cliente Amazon
5.0 out of 5 stars Appassionante e semplice
Reviewed in Italy on November 25, 2019
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Un libro meraviglioso che mostra un livello insolito e poco divulgato della vita. Una lettura che consiglio a chiunque voglia una visione non banale su un tema poco affrontato ma comunque cruciale in biologia.
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Keegan Smith
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read, great quality.
Reviewed in Canada on August 1, 2017
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Carl Zimmer's book is simply amazing - if you weren't aware of the importance of parasites in the Earth ecosystem, this will revolutionize your view! Animal behaviour will never look the same...

Book arrived in great condition, exactly as advertised.
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Lector ecológico
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantástico
Reviewed in Spain on August 28, 2016
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Un libro excelente sobre parásitos, lleno de información y muy bien escrito.

El tema es aparentemente desagradable pero el autor nos ayuda a verlo como fascinante y muy interesante, de modo que puede leerse de un tirón.
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I.C.U.
5.0 out of 5 stars Sehr interessantes Buch als Einführung, however...
Reviewed in Germany on June 28, 2012
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Parasite Rex von Carl Zimmer ist eine sehr gute Einführung in die geheimnisvolle Parallelwelt der Parasiten. Er versteht es hervorragend, den Leser zu fesseln mit einem Thema, von dem man am Liebsten nichts wissen möchte. Er gibt uns eine neue, fast sympatische Perspektive von Lebewesen, die schmarotzen, heimlich viel Schaden anrichten und freiwillig nie von uns lassen werden. Herr Zimmer vertritt dabei die Meinung vieler Wissenschaftler, dass Bewohner eines Lands mit Spültoiletten, Trinkwasseraufbereitung und Lebensmittelkontrollen keine Parasiten beherbergen können. Dies ist ein Irrtum. Es ist ebenfalls bedauerlich, dass Herr Zimmer anpreist, wie manche Ärzte meinen, chronische Darmerkrankungen mit Parasiteneiern behandeln zu können. Ich möchte ganz im Gegenteil behaupten: erst wenn dafür gesorgt wird, dass ein großer Teil der Parasiten aus den Betroffenen getilgt wird, können wir hoffen, einen Rückgang der autoimmun- und allergischen Erkrankungen zu erzielen.
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