IMAGINE A WORLD where parasites control the minds of their hosts, sending them to their deaths. IMAGINE A WORLD where parasites masterfully use chemical weapons and camouflage themselves behind the molecules of their own host. IMAGINE A WORLD where parasites set the direction of evolution and most species lead parasitic lifestyle. PRESENTED? Welcome to Earth!

For many hundreds of years, parasites lived in nightmares, horror films and the dark corners of science. Nevertheless, these creatures are among the most successful and sophisticated organisms in the world. Skilfully navigating scientific data and its gruesome details, Carl Zimmer takes us on a fantastic journey. Taking the reader from the rainforests of Costa Rica to parasite paradise in South Sudan, Zimmer shows how parasites can change DNA, rewire the brain, make men more distrustful, women more sociable, and turn their host into a living corpse. This thorough and beautifully written book brings parasites into the open and reveals what they can teach us by mastering the most basic techniques for surviving in our world.

People simply do not realize how complex and bizarre the world of parasites is - the most dangerous creatures of nature, living at the expense of others, and how great their role is in our lives. They feed on the flesh and blood of their victims, influence the biological and social behavior of entire species, population sizes, and ultimately direct the evolution of flora and fauna. In a world where everyone feeds their own parasite, it is sometimes even difficult to draw the line between it and its victim. Do we need to destroy all parasites or are they a necessary element of the ecological system? Carl Zimmer, one of the best science journalists of our time, makes the most complex scientific theories accessible and describes the life of parasites as a fantasy novel with inscrutable, sinister, and sometimes empathetic characters.

“A pleasure from beginning to end. Zimmer is a superb writer who takes full advantage of the eerie natural history of parasites." Mark Ridley, The New Scientist

"Parasite shows Zimmer to be one of the best science journalists of our time" Kevin Padian, The New York Times