Everything you ever wanted to know about parasites but were too horrified to ask
In What's Eating You? Eugene Kaplan recounts the true and harrowing tales of his adventures with parasites, and in the process introduces readers to the intimately interwoven lives of host and parasite.
Kaplan has spent his life traveling the globe exploring oceans and jungles, and incidentally acquiring parasites in his gut. Here, he leads readers on an unforgettable journey into the bizarre yet oddly beautiful world of parasites. In a narrative that is by turns frightening, disgusting, and laugh-out-loud funny, Kaplan describes how drinking contaminated water can cause a three-foot-long worm to burst from your arm; how he "gave birth" to a parasite the size and thickness of a pencil while working in Israel; why you should never wave a dead snake in front of your privates; and why fleas are attracted to his wife. Kaplan tells stories about leeches feasting on soldiers in Vietnam; sea cucumbers with teeth in their anuses that seem to encourage the entry of symbiotic fish; the habits of parasites that cause dysentery, river blindness, and other horrifying diseases—and much, much more. Along the way, he explains the underlying science, including parasite evolution and host-parasite physiology.
Informative, frequently lurid, and hugely entertaining, this beautifully illustrated book is a must-read for health-conscious travelers, and anyone who has ever wondered if they picked up a tapeworm from that last sushi dinner.
Eugene H. Kaplan is the Donald E. Axinn Endowed Distinguished Professor of Ecology and Conservation (emeritus) at Hofstra University. His many books include Sensuous Seas: Tales of a Marine Biologist (Princeton) and A Field Guide to Southeastern and Caribbean Seashores (Peterson Field Guides).
Table of Contents
Preface: Personal Parasites ix Acknowledgments xi Apologia xiii On the Sacredness of Life xv
Introduction. The Saline Solution—An Inner Sea 1 Chapter 1: Land of Smiles 6 Chapter 2: An Encounter with Jordan Rose 15 Chapter 3: I Had a Farm in Africa 25 Chapter 4: Death of a Mouse 33 Chapter 5: Intimate Relationships 40 Chapter 6: A Peek into the Anus of—My Child 48 Chapter 7: The Well-Hung Dog 58 Chapter 8: Fiery Serpent 69 Chapter 9: It Hardly Ever Happens 75 Chapter 10: The Anti-Semitic Tapeworm 82 Chapter 11: Mother Always Wanted Me to Be a Real Doctor 91 Chapter 12: Missus Murphy's Baby 98 Chapter 13: The Day I Flunked the Macho Test 109 Chapter 14: The Biblical Plagues 117 Chapter 15: Alley Cats and Seagulls 127 Chapter 16: A Better Mousetrap 137 Chapter 17: Scandals and Ghosts 144 Chapter 18: Spiny-Headed Monsters 155 Chapter 19: Bloodsucking Beasts 165 Chapter 20: Ode to a Cockroach 174 Chapter 21: Bats, Bugs, and Bloody Bites 184 Chapter 22: Little Fleas Have Littler Fleas 195 Chapter 23: How to Get Rid of Crabs 203 Chapter 24: Wild Virgins 211
Inexplicable Behavior: Some Relationships Are More Intimate Than Others 221 Chapter 25: Topsy-Turvy Worlds 224 Chapter 26: A Day in the Caribbean 235 Chapter 27: Tit, Tit, Tittie—Cuckoo 245 Chapter 28: The Game of Life: Name That Category 251 Chapter 29: Paean of Praise 257 Chapter 30: Tips for Travelers 268 Epilogue 277 Glossary 281 Selected References 293 Illustration Sources 295 Index 297
Kaplan stimulates readers to further explore these exciting organisms. He does this by weaving personal stories of people and parasites with information about the organisms. His storytelling approach entices nonscientists to venture into the world of parasites and appreciate their importance. The author's sense of humor comes through on virtually every page. — Lillian F. Mayberry, University of Texas, El Paso
From the Publisher
"Kaplan stimulates readers to further explore these exciting organisms. He does this by weaving personal stories of people and parasites with information about the organisms. His storytelling approach entices nonscientists to venture into the world of parasites and appreciate their importance. The author's sense of humor comes through on virtually every page."—Lillian F. Mayberry, University of Texas, El Paso
