MNA Online Book Club — Parasite Rex by Carl Zimmer

Join us online Sunday March 8th at 2 p.m. to discuss Parasite Rex: Inside the Bizarre World of Nature's Most Dangerous Creatures by Carl Zimmer.

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.

*****

Tentative future books:

The Longest Con: How Grifters, Swindlers, and Frauds Hijacked American Conservatism by Joe Conason
Overthrow: America's Century of Regime Change From Hawaii to Iraq by Stephen Kinzer
Starry Messenger: Cosmic Perspectives on Civilization by Neil deGrasse Tyson
The Wisdom of Plagues by Donald McNeil
White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo

If you are interested in any of these titles, or have other book suggestions, please message me or leave a comment below.

Please note: The link for joining the meeting is only visible to those on the attending list. If you are on the wait list you will not see the link unless a spot opens up and you are moved to attending.