A riveting investigation of the myriad ways that parasites control how other creatures—including humans—think, feel, and act. These tiny organisms can only live inside another animal, and as McAuliffe reveals, they have many evolutionary motives for manipulating their host’s behavior. Far more often than appreciated, these puppeteers orchestrate the interplay between predator and prey. With astonishing precision, parasites can coax rats to approach cats, spiders to transform the patterns of their webs, and fish to draw the attention of birds that then swoop down to feast on them. We humans are hardly immune to the profound influence of parasites. Organisms we pick up from our own pets are strongly suspected of changing our personality traits and contributing to recklessness, impulsivity—even suicide. Microbes in our gut affect our emotions and the very wiring of our brains. Germs that cause colds and flu may alter our behavior even before symptoms become apparent. Parasites influence our species on the cultural level too. As McAuliffe documents, a subconscious fear of contagion impacts virtually every aspect of our lives, from our sexual attractions and social circles to our morals and political views. Drawing on a huge body of research, she argues that our dread of contamination is an evolved defense against parasites—and a double-edged sword. The horror and revulsion we feel when we come in contact with people who appear diseased or dirty helped pave the way for civilization, but may also be the basis for major divisions in societies that persist to this day. In the tradition of Jared Diamond’s Guns, Germs and Steel and Neil Shubin’s Your Inner Fish, This Is Your Brain on Parasites is both a journey into cutting-edge science and a revelatory examination of what it means to be human.

This Is Your Brain on Parasites: How Tiny Creatures Manipulate Our Behavior and Shape Society

Health, Fitness & Dieting

McAULIFFE, KATHLEEN

Mental Health

Eamon Dolan/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

“Engrossing … [An] expedition through the hidden and sometimes horrifying microbial domain.” —Wall Street Journal “Fascinating—and full of the kind of factoids you can't wait to share.” —Scientific American Parasites can live only inside another animal and, as Kathleen McAuliffe reveals, these tiny organisms have many evolutionary motives for manipulating the behavior of their hosts. With astonishing precision, parasites can coax rats to approach cats, spiders to transform the patterns of their webs, and fish to draw the attention of birds that then swoop down to feast on them. We humans are hardly immune to their influence. Organisms we pick up from our own pets are strongly suspected of changing our personality traits and contributing to recklessness and impulsivity—even suicide. Germs that cause colds and the flu may alter our behavior even before symptoms become apparent. Parasites influence our species on the cultural level, too. Drawing on a huge body of research, McAuliffe argues that our dread of contamination is an evolved defense against parasites. The horror and revulsion we are programmed to feel when we come in contact with people who appear diseased or dirty helped pave the way for civilization, but may also be the basis for major divisions in societies that persist to this day. This Is Your Brain on Parasites is both a journey into cutting-edge science and a revelatory examination of what it means to be human. “If you’ve ever doubted the power of microbes to shape society and offer us a grander view of life, read on and find yourself duly impressed.” —Heather Havrilesky, Bookforum

This Is Your Brain On Parasites: How Tiny Creatures Manipulate Our Behavior and Shape Society

Reference

Mariner Books

Pasozyty w twoim mozgu (Polish Edition)

Czarna Owca

Una apasionante investigacion periodistica sobre los ultimos descubrimientos acerca de los parasitos y otros microorganismos que influyen en como actuamos, sentimos y pensamos. Muchas enfermedades mentales, incluso la esquizofrenia pueden tener en los parasitos su origen. Tambien pueden llegar a influir en el tipo de cultura, costumbres y tabues que desarrollan determinadas sociedades. Una vez que leas este libro ya no volveras a verte como antes. / A riveting investigation on parasites and how these organisms we pick up from our own pets are strongly suspected of changing our personality traits and contributing to recklessness, impulsivity, and even suicide. Microbes in our gut affect our emotions and the wiring of our brains.

Yo soy yo y mis parásitos: Cömo criaturas minúsculas manipulan nuestro comportamiento y transforman sociedades (Spanish Edition)

Medical Books

Medicine

Indicios

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