We’re pretty much accustomed to animals having evolved to lessen the chances that they might be eaten. Camouflage, tasting nasty, fighting back, vigilance, alarm calls and a long list of other traits and behaviours are parts of the evolutionary arms war between predators and prey. But what of diseases and parasites? How have, or even ‘have?’, animals evolved to reduce their chances of dying from these hazards? That’s what this book tackles.
The book starts with Monarch butterflies and their use of different plants. This is a very good tale, based on the author’s own research and gets us into the general subject very easily. The rest of the book deals with other examples, many of them involving mammals, but I guess that is where most of the research has been done. I liked the chapter on sheep the most; not only because I am quite fond of sheep as individuals but also because they are generally regarded as being a bit dim and the information here helps dispel that unwarranted slur.
This is a fascinating book (as the quote on the cover says) even if my mind was not ‘blown’ by it. I recommend it as a very good read.
The cover? The hardback cover (upper) is a bit chocolate-boxy for me (6/10) whereas the paperback is cleverer and simpler but is slightly marred by a quote that seems to be what publishers love but I don’t so I give that cover 7/10.
Doctors by Nature: how ants, apes, and other animals heal themselves by Jaap de Roode is published by Princeton University Press
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