Our Bodies, Our Planet A Parasite's History of Us

About this book

Parasites and parasitic relationships are fundamental to life on Earth and to human history. Our Bodies, Our Planet explores how vital they are. Unlike harmful pathogens, parasites may produce no ill effects and may even improve our wellbeing and the lives of the creatures that surround us. Marcus Hall shows how our fellow travellers have evolved to help keep us alive, else they themselves will perish.

Parasitism is a phenomenon of partnership, and the association of parasite and host has had far-ranging cultural, biological and possibly geophysical consequences. From Ascaris to Zika, we are instinctively repulsed by these little freeloaders, but what collateral effects do they have on our lives, lifestyles and imaginations? As Hall demonstrates, we disregard our parasites at our peril.

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Biography

Marcus Hall is a Professor of Environmental History at the University of Zurich. His books include Earth Repair (2005), Restoration and History (2009) and Mosquitopia (with Dan Tamïr, 2021).