Parasites: The Inside Story by Scott Lyell Gardner, Judy Diamond, and Gabor R. Rácz ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

November will be here before we know it and if you are participating in Nonfiction November then you need to start putting together your reading list. If you enjoy science nonfiction and looking to learn about parasites, then you should consider adding Parasites; The Inside Story to your list.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

November 2022; Princeton University Press; 978-0691206875
audio, ebook, print (224 pages); nonfiction

I work for a research center that focuses on parasitic diseases. So while I don't do the research, I do write about it so have a little more than a passing knowledge on parasites. But I'm always looking to learn more which is why I picked up this book.

It is a good primer on parasitology. It focuses more on parasitism and it's evolutionary history, using individual parasites as examples. The information about the parasites is pretty basic and at times I felt it was oversimplifying what is truly a very complex discipline. The information is presented so that it can be easily understood by non-scientists. 

The chapters are short - about 10 pages each - and many of the chapters have illustrations. There are also about 16 pages of full color photographs and about 18 pages of appendix that provides short descriptions and illustrations of the parasites mentioned in the book. 

I was a little disappointed that there wasn't more about current research in the field. Some of Gardner's research is discussed in the later chapters, but that's about it.

If you are more interested in how environmental changes impact parasites than in the individual parasites then this is the book for you.

Buy Parasites: The Inside Story at Amazon

Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour.

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