5 comments about Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others.

1. I purchased this book because the reviews from other shoppers were so good. I was a little disappointed though because the book is more a basic dog training guide than how to get started in the business of therapy dogs. It just wasn't the right book for me.



2. I am very pleased with this book, it has given me many ideas of what to do as a therapy dog team and how I can help others. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in doing therpay dog work.



3. Book arrived quickly and in perfect condition.



4. Kathy Davis' book is wonderful!
   I am using it, along with one or two others, to train my own Therapy Dog for my office and local hospitals and nursing homes. (Feel free to visit at www.drferraioli.com)
   I think that Ms. Davis was right to structure her book in such a complete manner, including such topics as how to choose a dog that might be good at this kind of work, what constitutes a good therapy dog visit, safety tips, training and handling techniques, the benefits of therapy dogs, and the list goes on!
   Well written and sober, for those who are wanting to do the real thing out there!
   Be well,
   Dr. Ferraioli
   www.drferraioli.com
   Author, "Cobwebs And Ugly Wallpaper"



5. I'm just entering into the business of having a therapy pooch, and the text was helpful in understanding my role and lots of intricacies I hadn't thought of.

4 comments about Uncommon Fruits for Every Garden.

1. Lee Reich has complied a wonderful, detailed listing of "the fruits less planted". His style is very readable and the photos and illustrations compliment the written material very well. Detailed information on plant descriptions, cultivation, propagation and recommended cultivars. His vivid plant descriptions are enough to make your mouth water, and he has purposely focused on fruits that are relatively low maintenance and disease free. Plants also vary in size, so there are options for those who use containers to those who have room for full grown trees. I enjoyed the book very much, and look forward to adding many of these plants to our homestead.



2. This is a very well written book. There are 23 chapters, each devoted to a single fruit or berry -- all of which are considered "lesser known" to at least the American gardening culture. The chapters all contain a lot of information on lore, characteristics, planting, culture, propogation, and harvest.
   
   What is missing are: listings of particular cultivars that do well in certain regions of the country, certain microclimates, etc. Further, little attention is paid to climate in general with the exception of a few references to USDA zones.
   
   Still, I recommend this book to you with the caution: find out (from a grower or a high-quality nursery in your area) which cultivars are known to work in your area. Consider a line drawn from Monterey CA to Jacksonville FL. For those living above this line, the only real concern is which varieties taste better. For those living below this line, you have the additional question of which varieties will bear fruit and actually survive.



3. I've gleaned much useful information from this easily read item.
   
   The how-to illustrations are clear and should be easily understood both by old-timers like myself and novices in the greatest hobby known to mankind, HOME GARDENING.



4. Excellent book. Learned much. Plan to expand my traditional orchard. Will keep on my reference shelf.

4 comments about Chia: Rediscovering a Forgotten Crop of the Aztecs.

1. With 37 pages of documented references, Ayerza and Coates have established credibility with their findings of this old (but new) kid on the Essential Fatty Acid (EFA market. Chia seed, as well as hemp seed, is going to be a valuable source of EFAs in the not too distant future. Our waters are just too polluted and manufacturers too unscrupulous to keep up the facade that fish is the only source for the omega-3s our body needs. Ayerza and Coates goes into much detail on such subjects as the paradox of hunger and abundance; the importance of EFAs and the best sources of them as well as fats in general; why chia seed is one of the best sources of EFAs and many other nutrients; a detailed history of chia and where it seems to grow best (southern Mexico); the history of the Aztec people and their use of the seed; the various varieties and how to recognize them; and the oil's contribution to the preservation of art. The book also includes valuable tables of information and concludes with marketing ideas. Although the seed is a much needed food item, I fear that it can easily be exploited by manufacturers who see the value of the seed for other reasons than food. In this day and age of widespread hunger, food in general and good food (like chia and hemp seed) in particular, remains at the bottom of legislative concerns.



2. Have read all the chia information on the web. This book gives you the history, the facts and why chia is so important in the diet - both ours and animals. The authors compare chia to other sources of omega-3 and then discuss why chia is a better source. If you are interested in your health this is a must read.



3. I was so delighted with the Chia book. Not only does the author provide an excellent historical review of chia seed, and its uses - there is also a wealth of information about its nutritional benefits. Long time overdue. I eat chia seeds every day, and cannot believe the dramatic difference they have made in my overall health. Don't miss this one!



4. This was an objective overview of the history of Chia. Not a recipe or how-to book. A bit on the academic side but I enjoyed it. Also enjoy using chia as a supplement.

5 comments about Choosing and Keeping Chickens.

1. I love the book the photos are great and I found the information helpful. I would recommend this book the first time chicken owner or someone who has then for a while.



2. This is my second favorite chicken book. Great basic info. on setting up for chickens, keeping them, and, most importantly, on what breeds are best for your particular needs/desires. Nice photos, and good descriptions. Unfortunately, it is a British book, so it doesn't include a few American breeds I wanted to read about, but that's a pretty minor fault... All in all, a very concise, useful book.



3. Nice overview and great photography of the different chicken breeds. Has details on how chickens produce for eggs, meat of show.



4. This book has really great information about the many different breeds of chicken and answers many questions, such as:
   
   -Which breeds are gentle and docile/best for children?
   -Which breeds are aggressive or avoid humans?
   -Which are noisy or quiet?
   -Best or poor layers?
   -Difficult to breed?
   -Have special husbandry requirements (fencing, footing, housing, etc.)?
   
   This is a great book for those new to chickens or those considering a new breed. As we all know, "you can't judge a book by its cover"-- the same idea applies to chickens! This book can help families avoid choosing a breed for the wrong reasons (and thus avoid a negative experience with chickens). It also helps those new to chickens understand that not all breeds can live under the same conditions-- e.g. while some are happy in relative confinement, others will harm each other or be miserable when in close confinement and need to be allowed to range freely. Some chickens are cold-hardy while others are not suited to freezing winters. Etc. etc.!
   
   This book can help families find what they are looking for (a friendly pet, a great layer, a hen that will be happy being confined, etc.) in an interesting and appropriate breed.



5. I really love the layout and color of this book. But some of the info is just plain crazy -- like the overly complex method the author suggests when using a broody hen. That's the whole point of USING a broody -- making it simple -- mama does the work. Their instructions are just nutty on it.
   
   A lot of the more interesting breeds were not listed, like Araucana and Ameraucana.
   
   Several photos were very obviously mislabeled as hens when they were very much roosters.
   
   But overall a nice book for beginner-to-intermediate poultry hobbyists.

5 comments about Herbaceous Perennial Plants: A Treatise on Their Identification, Culture and Garden Attributes.

1. Armitage's book is a well organized, packed full of useful information, and yet simple to use reference which is perfect for the novice gardener, or professional horticulturist. It is well written, and understandable, giving a good idea of the particular merits and disadvantages of various species. Armitage's voice comes through the layers of facts, giving the reader a pleasant meander through the book. I highly recommend this well researched work to any who dabble in the plant world, or make their living through it. In addition, a good companion to this book would be "Manual of Woody Landscape Plants" by Michael A. Dirr. Both references should be on the bookshelves of those who are horticulturally inclined!



2. This is one of my absolute favorite references on perennial garden plants. Alan Armitage really gives you a "feel" for each plant, giving you the sense that you know its likes and dislikes before you've even seen one. He includes all the information you need: cultural information including cold and heat hardiness, identification information, and propagation. Much of this is provided in a descriptive format which is very useful because the minor quirks of each plant can be included. I have found his information right on target nearly 100% of the time. Of great value is his experience in a variety of climates. This makes it possible for you to judge accurately how a plant will perform for you. I have the first edition of this book as well. If you are familiar with that edition, this is nearly identical in style and format, but with expanded species and cultivar listings. A few species, such as ironweed, are new. Others, such as trillium, appear to be greatly expanded, with more information on identifying the species and varieties within the genus. Cultivar listings are greatly expanded and have been brought up-to-date. If you already have the first edition, I believe buying the second is well worth it if you are a dedicated gardener or gardening professional--but certainly not a necessity. The sections on lilies and peonies and iris, and other such plants that have their own societies and numerous books all their own, appear to be unexpanded (which is probably wise).



3. This perennial encyclopedia is written in a wonderfully engaging conversational tell it like it is style that is very entertaining to read. For example, of the Meconopsis poppy he writes "...the Himalayan Blue poppy elicits classic garden emotions of beauty, grandeur, awe and most of all, frustration and failure." But beyond his wicked wit is an absolute wealth of valuable information. My primary interest is in starting perennial flowers from seeds and I have found more good information here in this one book than in all my propagation books combined--I can see it is going to be my perennial "Seed Bible" for years to come. I always feel a little nervous when pulling the trigger (and purchasing) any book at this price--but this one is a gem that is bursting with information, wit and wisdom and I consider it an extraordinary value.



4. Allan Armitage knows his plants. That's what I've always heard, and this book amply demonstrates it. This book covers just about every garden perennial grown in North America, including many that most of us would consider annuals or at best tender perennials (e.g., cannas). Armitage isn't afraid to tell his opinion of any plant, straightforwardly telling the reader that that's exactly what he's doing--something I especially appreciate as gardening is such an individual and idiosyncratic activity. Anybody who feigns objectivity with regard to gardening is being disingenuous at best.

   There are two major drawbacks with this book. The first, and most forgivable, is the dearth of color photos. There are just a few tucked in the middle of the book, illustrating a small minority of the plants discussed in the text. Color photos are expensive, and given a choice between pretty pictures and informative text, I'm at a point in my gardening life where I'll go with the text. I can always look up the pictures in the other gardening books I have, which often have precious little information to go with them. Unfortunately, this will probably discourage many a casual book browser from buying this book--people want to see the pretty pictures, darn it! But that's not the author's fault, and it's a shame, since this book has so much good information. Unfortunately, the line drawings that stand in for photos of many of the plants are very uneven in quality, and some are worse than no picture at all.

   The second major fault, and one that I found very frustrating and far less forgivable given that Armitage is an expert in his field as well as a professional, is the large number of typographical errors, misspellings, and other errors in the book. Did anybody bother to proofread this thing??? Both plant names and other words are misspelled. In more than one case, a word or name is misspelled the same way more than once (e.g., "Hildago" for "Hidalgo", Yucca "filimentosa" for "filamentosa"), suggesting that they are not simple goofs or typos. Gardeners have a hard enough time spelling plant names without being misled by the pros! These errors mar what is otherwise an excellent and informative book.




5. This is my go to reference for perennial plants. Informative, witty, just a good read for serious gardeners. More information on culture of specific cultivars than any other.
   
   Unfortunately, I'm told that Dr. Armitage has retired from the University of Georgia and is now turning his attention to shrubs, so I suspect we will not see another edition of this book. If you love gardening, get this one while you can.
   
   A Virginia Gardener

5 comments about The Reef Aquarium: Science, Art, and Technology, Vol. 3.

1. This is a book that every one should own, that want's or has a reef Aquarium. This book go's into great details.



2. very informative and comprehensive, would strongly recomend it for beginner and experienced reefer. Well worth the money



3. Great read with all the information you would need to create, maintain, and sustain a reef tank. However, the book can be overwhelming with information about every theroy out there about filtration, etc., with out really recommending the best approach/technology to maintaining reef systems. For a beginner, it was a lot of reading to get what I needed. Overall, I would buy it again.



4. This book is very good for the saltwater hobby. I know English language not so well, but I read this book with pleasure and to me almost all was clear without the dictionary.



5. Excellent book. You do not need any other for set up design or reference.

1 comments about How To Raise Cattle: Everything You Need To Know (How to Raise...).

1. Whether your goal is to raise one cow or a larger herd of dairy or beef cattle, HOW TO RAISE CATTLE: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW offers easy directions for any who would house, feed, choose breeds and raise cattle and calves. From basic health issues to showing cattle at fairs, over 200 color photos accompanies basic details any would-be cattle owners will find invaluable. Rural library holdings or college-level collections strong in agricultural sciences will find it a top primer introducing the topic.

5 comments about Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations.

1. This should be essential reading for any resource planner, all levels of elected policy makers and anyone that has read Jared Diamond, i. e. Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed



2. This is an important mutidisciplinary book. It is relevant to many areas of civilization studies. Equally, it is relevant to the sciences. If I ran a highschool, it would be required reading, same thing if I ran the US Congress.
   For me, it is important on a moral level as well. I think we should help provide for future generations. Factual history is a good place to start that journey.



3. as an anthro/archaeology major (albeit years ago), history buff, lover of geology/mother earth and tree whisperer, words fail me to adequately express the impact this small book had on me and a small cohort of friends. it is far more than a wakeup call; it is a call to learn from our collective past and take responsibility for our actions so as to safeguard the future of our children and generations to come.
   
   read it; recommend it; give it as a present; make a plan and take action
   
   if not now, when? if not us, who?



4. I liked it.
   
   I have to agree with the other reviewers that the author repeated himself, showing example after example with the same theme. I'd almost wish he'd summarized more of that part, and expanded more on the soil science in the early chapters - wading through that dense explanation took concentration. I felt more educated on the topic of soil abuse at the end, but really didn't have any handle on What Could Be Done to Fix The Issue. Probably because no one else does either.
   
   I read this shortly after a couple of Micheal Pollan's earlier books, and would recommend the pairing (Omnivore's Dilema and Botany of Desire) for a more holistic view.



5. Just finished this book, and it's a 'must have'.
   
   A masterly synthesis of ideas! If you have a background in any ONE of
   agriculture, soil science, history, geology, anthropology, geopolitics,
   or public policy, this book may well 'keep you up at night'. I found
   certain passages so exciting I had to read them aloud to others.
   
   He covers a broad swath of history, from dozens of millenia ago, up
   the present day. Montgomery snaps his prose into sharp temporal
   detail when necessary, and pulls back focus to general scientific principles as needed to illustrate points. I actually learned things
   about the Civil War which deeply enlightened and informed
   the military and economic and social information I already had. Heck, I
   learned things about tobacco and cotton I didn't know!
   
   I grateful that despite the fact that he touches on all manner of
   'hot button' issues -- on climate change, genetically-modified organisms, government programs, slavery, and public policy, he is never
   polemical, never preachy. Any of these topics could have easily turned
   into a polarizing 'rant' and diluted the fine scientific tone of his
   work, but he steers far, far clear, presenting facts, context,
   references and a flow of events all in an extremely readable, almost
   conversational tone.
   
   If you are interested in any aspect of food, history, culture, public
   policy, agriculture, or geomorphology, I recommend this book very
   very highly indeed.
   
   I truly hope you read it and if you enjoy it even one-tenth as much as I did, you'll be glad you did!

5 comments about Parasite Rex : Inside the Bizarre World of Nature's Most Dangerous Creatures.

1. I bought this book quite a long time ago and forgot to review it until now...I am a parasitologist and this is one of my favorites. Zimmer is funny and engaging and scientifically accurate--I HAVE GOT TO READ THIS AGAIN SOON.



2. "Parasite Rex" is great science writing. For readers familiar with evolutionary and ecological theories, they will meet these theories in a new guise. For readers not familiar, Zimmer has a talent for explaining complex ideas in a very simple fashion. In only one case did I detect a minor oversimplification: there is more to generating novel antibodies than shuffling genes. My only complaint about style is that Zimmer sometimes tries to make the reader horrified at what parasite does to prey, and when the prey is a lower order animal like a caterpillar, I am doubtful that having its insides eaten is as horrible as it sounds. I say this as a person who only eats free range meat. As regards content, fewer case histories of individual parasites would suffice to illustrate the ideas, and for me at least, make for an even more interesting book.
   
   I was very surprised to learn of the strong environmental component to such autoimmune diseases as Crohn's: while once thought to be characteristic of a few ethnic groups, e.g. Jewish, it has become much more common in other groups as sanitation has improved, and the immune system has fewer parasites to fight off. Zimmer suggests parasites play a critical role in ecological balance, and points to some compelling case histories. Parasites are often able to control behavior of their hosts, and thus are a potentially important source of new behavioral drugs.



3. I read the 2001 paperback of the 2000 book. It is very well written, which can't be said about all books on the topic. It is clear, at times funny, macabre, eye-opening, repulsive due to topic, fascinating and thought provoking.
   
   Parasites outnumber other forms of life 4:1, are much more ubiquitous than commonly thought, have been essential for evolution and have directly influenced human DNA. (Not even considering mitochondria getting integrated in most forms of life.) Parasites make it necessary to revise the tree of life into a bush of many merging branches. Human cells within the average human are outnumbered by a factor of ten by non-human cells. Getting knowledgable about parasites is much more important a topic than the obvious peculiar yuk effect. Though I promise you that this book will fulfill the latter to the fullest as well.
   
   I thought I knew a bit about parasites. For example those wasps which lay eggs in other invertebrates. To begin with, I didn't know that there were some 200,000 parasitic wasp species out there. I had also no idea, how EXACTLY some of them work. Like the species, whose two eggs, one female, one male, subdivide in the host, to produce ever more eggs, with the females developing into different classes of maggots, such as the soldier maggots whose only job it is to kill other parasitic wasps' maggots in the host - and all but one of the male siblings. Or that the social parasite, the cuckoo baby is able to mimic the sound of a CHOIR of eight singing host bird babies and the sign stimulus of as many youngsters in the nest to the parents' eyes. (Though the book doesn't mention that some birds cannot be fooled anyway and depose of the cuckoo (egg) and also doesn't mention that the near-by cuckoo parents may retaliate by killing all the hosts' surviving kids...) Or that there is something like plant bacteria, not as in bacteria of plants, but as in green bacteria. Being an essential part (originally parasite) of the parasite named "bad-air" aka malaria.
   
   The book answers even the nagging question, wether there are homosexual parasites. (I wondered that ever since I read Biological Exuberance: Animal Homosexuality and Natural Diversity (Stonewall Inn Editions) about mammals and birds.) The flukes mentioned here are the first parasites I encountered (as in READING about them), which act homosexual in a benign way. To each other that is. (Other parasites - not mentioned in this book - may act homosexual in very twisted ways to procreate to the detriment of same-sex competitors.) Thinking about it: Shouldn't homosexual parasites of the former kind be our favorite parasites, if there is such a thing, because presumably they do NOT procreate, as in: in us? The book sure doesn't answer the question wether there are homosexual solidarity activists like there are for maltreated homosexual zoo animals.
   
   Talking about questions I never knew existed: The book is full of them. Sticking with the homosexual topic, there's a fungus, which TURNS flies into necrophiliac homosexuals. As much as another parasite doesn't only fool crabs into believing that their attached parasite babies are crab babies to care for, but fooling male crabs to believe they themselves are females all of the sudden in order to (be able to) do that to begin with. If you ever sought a flabbergasting book, this will be it. Some animals have a bodyguard class against parasites (ants), others employ blind snakes as maids to free the nest of parasites (owls). And how much DNA itself can get parasitic in various ways sure wasn't on my radar of existing topics.
   
   The book talks about allergies caused by the modern lack of parasites, complete fusions of life, the parasitic origin of sexuality, and that humans may be considered as parasites in the gaia concept. As stupid parasites that is, which are those defined who kill their host. Some readers may be a little lost with this spirituality capping ending of the book. As a Rasta, personally, I am not. As such, I was surprised to find welcome information on the spread of parasites through colonialism. Not only via the conquerors' imported bugs and slavery's transmission, but via relocating cattle within Africa. And via forcing the indiginous populations to live and work in areas unsuited for humans and/or their cattle. All of that having caused most severe and lethal epidemics. The Western apologetic lore has it that their colonial doctors brought healing power to their conquered new lands. (The book doesn't mention that some vaccines were necessary, because the diseases had been imported in the first place and that some FORCED cattle vaccinations occasionally caused more deaths in livestock than the diseases themselves, sometimes intended, sometimes not.) In today's shifted colonial world, the book warns (indirectly) against huge dams, which dramatically expand standing water, which in turn dramatically expands the habitat of dangerous to human parasite carrying snails. In case you are wondering how dams are colonial, please read Confessions of an Economic Hit Man. I find it also interesting to read that Konrad Lorenz didn't change his views of parasitism in the Nazi sort of way at all - even not a few days before his death in 1989. As celebrated as he gets in Western school books, it is usually not known (and not elaborated in this book) that he fully embraced the Nazi party and became an eager member immediately after Hitler marched into Austria. On a more enlightening subject around parasites, I didn't consider before I read this book that human (pre-)history can be reconstructed via tapeworms.
   
   I have a little bit of criticism. Some things are sketchily mentioned only. There is a parasite which eats the flesh of the human face. Ok, horrid. But if I think about it after the initial impulse to turn the page immediately: How exactly do I have to imagine that? What consequences does this have? How is that livable? No answers in this book. The captions of the FEW black and white pictures on 16 pages in the middle of the book are sometimes not that precise. With that parasite, which replaces a fish's tongue, the caption is all we will ever read in this book about that parasite. How does it eat the tongue, i.e. getting into the mouth? How does the parasite help the fish grabbing food? How does the parasite mate? Does it cause infected fish to french kiss or what? If I want to research that, I would have appreciated the parasite's name. Or the name of the host. The caption only says a crustacean in a fish. Wow, that's precise! I don't even know, where on this planet I should look into a fish's mouth before eating it. Well, I was able to find some answers elsewhere nevertheless: The parasite is called Cymothoa exigua, lives in California and only in the mouths of Lutjanus guttatus aka spotted rose snapper. The parasite crawls under the tongue and severes its blood supply in a vampiric manner, causing the tongue to wither away to be replaced by the growing tongue with eyes. I still don't know how it procreates, so anybody who does know, please leave a comment with source. Five years after the book had been written, the first fish with second tongue was found in EU waters (in the UK). The book may not be that incredibly up to date, with some issues still pending when written. For example on the eradication of some parasites. As of 2008 some more countries could be added to the list of eradicated guinea worms, but with other countries still lacking behind.
   
   The Hamilton-Zuk theory got its own book by Marlene Zuk herself: Riddled with Life: Friendly Worms, Ladybug Sex, and the Parasites That Make Us Who We Are, itself a great book about parasites, with little overlap. And if, it goes more in-depth, like with the fungus which attacks insects. If you like a coffee table book of the nasty treat, in which you can also read, which (utterly unexpected!) places in your household are the most yukky ones, "enjoy" the Canadian Human Wildlife: The Life That Lives on Us. If you are interested in more symbiotic body roomies, largely restricted to bacteria and in a systematic text book presentation, read the rather dry Microbial Inhabitants of Humans: Their Ecology and Role in Health and Disease. Much more grippingly written is Good Germs, Bad Germs: Health and Survival in a Bacterial World by a science journalist. Which is also about the history if antibiotic treatments and their failure due to mounting resistance. About former parasites, today our energy source and DNA family tree provider, mitochondria, read Power, Sex, Suicide: Mitochondria and the Meaning of Life. A more general biological approach of symbiosis is Liaisons of Life: From Hornworts to Hippos--How the Unassuming Microbe has Driven Evolution. A theoretic re-thinking, including reconstructing taxonomy and theories about gaia, read Symbiotic Planet: A New Look At Evolution.



4. Some other customer reviewers treat this book as if it was a horror novel by Stephen King, and both the title and the back matter certainly gives that impression. "Imagine a world where the parasites control the minds of their hosts, sending them to their destruction...where parasites steer the course of evolution, where the majority of species are parasites. WELCOME TO EARTH".
   
   In reality, Carl Zimmer's "Parasite Rex" is a perfectly serious, popular science book about parasites and their impact on evolution. But yes, the book *is* scary on a philosophical level. Zimmer, and presumably the scientists he interviewed, actually do believe that the majority of species are parasites, and that parasites might be the driving force of evolution. Apparently, this hasn't always been the scientific consensus. For a long time, parasites were seen as degenerate organisms, organisms that had "devolved" rather than evolved. This was connected to a misinterpretation of Darwinism as "progressive" evolution. Since parasites didn't seem "progressive", they were considered evolutionary dead-ends. Sometimes, the political analogies were pretty transparent: parasites were a metaphor for human welfare cheats (and welfare states).
   
   Today, scientists know that parasites aren't "degenerate". Quite the contrary. They are perfectly well adapted to their respective environments, and their life-cycles and behaviour are incredibly complex, which implies that they have been evolving for a very long time. "Parasite Rex" takes this reasoning one step further, arguing that co-evolution between parasites and their hosts have been a prime feature of all evolution, and that the parasites are the most dynamic part of that process. In effect, the course of evolution, perhaps even human evolution, is steered by...the parasites. They are the movers and shakers of planet Earth.
   
   Zimmer also believes that many natural scientists haven't faced the implications of this yet. Many studies of population dynamics and animal behaviour are made without taking into consideration that parasites might affect the populations, and even their behaviour, in dramatic ways. Zimmer wants biologists to place parasitology, and parasite-host interaction, centre stage.
   
   But the most disturbing aspect of the book is, of course, philosophical.
   
   If evolution is a blind process steered by parasites, where on earth does that leave us?
   
   It's a fallen world, after all.



5. As the author ends his tale from this introductory look into the world of parasites, "If we want to succeed as parasites, we need to learn from the masters." Yes, from one ecological point of view, the two-legged race acts as if it is a parasite. If true, then we can indeed learn a lot from these microscopic fellows that have a few hundred million years head start, up or down, the evolutionary path :)
   
   Besides just the introduction of, let us say, the gross aspects of parasites, there are also quite a few benefits to many types parasites in the animal kingdom. As such and from my perspective, the highlight of this fine effort was in the last 1/3 of the book with Chapters 6 (Evolution From Within), Chapters 7 (The Two-Legged Host), and Chapters 8 (How To Live In A Parasitic World). Here we learn about some of those parasitic benefits. While reading, I wished that the chapters went on further and gave me more anecdotes. Nevertheless, it would appear that the right balance of either the small or large ecosystem can benefit with less pesticides if we indeed learn from the parasites.

1 comments about I Am an Apple (Hello Reader Science Level 1).

1. This book was easy to read and told alot about apples. It had great pictures too. I really liked the part at the end where it showed the life cycle of the apple. Anyone interested in apples should read this book. Crunch!