Mosquito - The Story of Man's Deadliest Foe (Paperback, Main)

Would you describe a mosquito as 'beautiful'? The authors of this book do, as they detail its life-cycle and list its effect on mankind and the rest of the animal kingdom. Mosquitos have little use in the world it seems, other than to carry terrible diseases like Malaria, Dengue and Yellow fever. They need blood in order to reproduce and feed their young, and will live in any stagnant water. One species, the Tiger mosquito, favoured the inside of old car tyres as its home and was imported in this way, unknowingly by man, into Texas in the 1980s. The mozzie is not to be trifled with: in the arctic it can completely drain a caribou carcass of blood. The book tells of the awful toll on human lives throughout the ages, and the way global movement of people and commodities can introduce this serious menace. The pages turn fast; written with immense enthusiasm and knowledge. The human-suffering over the centuries is fascinating and horrifying. The authors question the banning of DDT because this chemical seems to control mosquitos more effectively than others. They conclude that genetic engineering may play a part in the future, but until a method of controlling them has been found, the mosquito will spread. Very readable and sure to please the junior entomologist as well as the general reader. (Kirkus UK)

'Consider the most common mosquito on Earth. This soft, little, dusty-brown insect is Culex Pipiens. You've seen her land on your arm. You have caught her just at the end of her feeding, her translucent belly swelling red with your very own blood. At such a moment, you can be forgiven for failing to notice what an elegant and hardy thing she is. But she is . . . ' No creature has touched directly the lives of more human beings than the mosquito. She has been a nuisance, a pollinator of plants and an angel of death all over the globe. And throughout history, much of our trouble with the mosquito has been caused by man himself. Professor Andrew Spielman has dedicated his life to understanding this insect. In Mosquito he tells the story of man's struggle to live with the mosquito, from the defeat of Sir Francis Drake's fleet, to the death of thousands of Frenchmen working on the Panama Canal and to the recent panic over the West Nile Virus in New York. And he shows us how we have accelerated the spread of disease, describing the catastrophic failures of mosquito control which have ensured that - even now - one person dies of malaria every twelve seconds.

General

Imprint:	Faber and Faber
Country of origin:	United Kingdom
Release date:	July 2002
Authors:	Andrew Spielman • Michael D'Antonio
Dimensions:	198 x 128 x 18mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Paperback
Pages:	247
Edition:	Main
ISBN-13:	978-0-571-20985-9
Categories:	Books > Science & Mathematics > Science: general issues > Popular science Books > Medicine > Clinical & internal medicine > Diseases & disorders > Infectious & contagious diseases > General Books > Science & Mathematics > Biology, life sciences > Zoology & animal sciences > Invertebrates > Insects (entomology) Books > Sport & Leisure > Natural history, country life & pets > Wild animals > Insects & spiders > General Promotions
LSN:	0-571-20985-8
Barcode:	9780571209859

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