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“Extraordinary. . . . takes the reader into the overlap of medicine, ecology, and evolutionary biology to reveal an important domain of the human condition.” —Edward O. Wilson, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Anthill and The Future of Life
We evolved in a wilderness of parasites, mutualists, and pathogens, but we no longer see ourselves as being part of nature. In the name of progress and clean living, we scrub much of nature off our bodies and try to remove whole kinds of life—parasites, bacteria, mutualists, and predators—to allow ourselves to live free of wild danger. Nature, in this new world, is the landscape outside, a kind of living painting that is pleasant to contemplate but nice to have escaped.
The truth, though, according to biologist Rob Dunn, is that while “clean living” has benefited us in some ways, it has also made us sicker in others. As Dunn reveals, our modern disconnect from the web of life has resulted in unprecedented effects that immunologists, evolutionary biologists, psychologists, and other scientists are only beginning to understand. Diabetes, autism, allergies, many anxiety disorders, autoimmune diseases, and even tooth, jaw, and vision problems are increasingly plaguing bodies that have been removed from the ecological context in which they existed for millennia.
In this eye-opening book, Dunn considers the crossroads at which we find ourselves. Through the stories of visionaries, Dunn argues that we can create a richer nature, one in which we choose to surround ourselves with species that benefit us, not just those that, despite us, survive.
“A pleasure to read.” —Boston Globe
“[Dunn’s] sure use of language, scientific research, and humor . . . keep the reader highly engaged.” —New York Journal of Books
“Not merely interesting but gripping.” —Booklist, starred review
ASIN : B004MMEIHS
Publisher : HarperCollins e-books; Reprint edition (21 Jun. 2011)
Language : English
File size : 3749 KB
Text-to-Speech : Enabled
Screen Reader : Supported
Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
X-Ray : Not Enabled
Word Wise : Enabled
Print length : 309 pages
Customers say
Customers find the book interesting and informative. They appreciate the compelling research and exciting ideas. The book is readable and accessible for the general reader, with no repetition or overwriting. Readers praise the author as a good writer who understands his audience.
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