After the unprecedented events of the COVID-19 pandemic, it may be hard to imagine a time not so long ago when deadly diseases were a routine part of life. It is harder still to fathom that the best medical thinking at that time blamed these diseases on noxious miasmas, bodily humors, and divine dyspepsia. This all began to change on a day in April 1676, when a little-known Dutch merchant described bacteria for the first time. Beginning on that day in Delft and ending on the day in 1978 when the smallpox virus claimed its last known victim, Ending Epidemics explains how we came to understand and prevent many of our worst infectious diseases-and double average life expectancy.
Ending Epidemics tells the story behind 'the mortality revolution,' the dramatic transformation not just in our longevity, but in the character of childhood, family life, and human society. Stars of medical science feature in this drama, but lesser-known figures also play a critical role. And while the history of germ theory is central to this story, Ending Epidemics also describes the importance of everything from sanitation improvements and the discovery of antibiotics to the development of the microscope and the syringe-technologies we now take for granted.
Tired of swimming with the sharks? Fed up with that big ape down the hall? Real animals can teach us better ways to thrive in the workplace jungle.
You're ambitious and want to get ahead, but what's the best way to do it? Become the biggest, baddest predator? The proverbial 800-pound gorilla? Or does nature teach you to be more subtle and sophisticated?
Richard Conniff, the acclaimed author of The Natural History of the Rich, has survived savage beasts in the workplace jungle, where he hooted and preened in the corner office as a publishing executive. He's also spent time studying how animals operate in the real jungles of the Amazon and the African bush.
What he shows in The Ape in the Corner Office is that nature built you to be nice. Doing favors, grooming coworkers with kind words, building coalitions-these tools for getting ahead come straight from the jungle. The stereotypical Darwinian hard-charger supposedly thinks only about accumulating resources. But highly effective apes know it's often smarter to give them away. That doesn't mean it's a peaceable kingdom out there, however. Conniff shows that you can become more effective by understanding how other species negotiate the tricky balance between conflict and cooperation.
Conniff quotes one biologist on a chimpanzee's obsession with rank: "His attempts to maintain and achieve alpha status are cunning, persistent, energetic, and time-consuming. They affect whom he travels with, whom he grooms, where he glances, how often he scratches, where he goes, what times he gets up in the morning." Sound familiar? It's the same behavior you can find written up in any issue of BusinessWeek or The Wall Street Journal.
The Ape in the Corner Office connects with the day-to-day of the workplace because it helps explain what people are really concerned about: How come he got the wing chair with the gold trim? How can I survive as that big ape's subordinate without becoming a spineless yes-man? Why does being a lone wolf mean being a loser? And, yes, why is it that jerks seem to prosper-at least in the short run?
Popular natural history writer Richard Conniff received much acclaim for his earlier book, Spineless Wonders: Strange Tales from the Invertebrate World (RB# 95474). In the same vein, Every Creeping Thing is a fascinating look at some of nature's most misunderstood creatures. Traveling the world over, Conniff shatters popular myths and shares extraordinary truths about unfairly maligned animals. For instance, little brown bats help curb mosquito numbers by eating one every six seconds. Despite a reputation as maneaters, sharks ignore all but two or so of the 20 million people who use Hawaiian beaches each year. And about once per week, the three-toed sloth-vicarious host to thousands of bugs-descends 100 feet from its perch to fastidiously relieve itself.
With his astute observations and sharp wit, Conniff astounds you one moment, only to have you laughing aloud the next. Richard M. Davidson's lively narration captures all the wonder of this entertaining and informative book, allowing you to develop a new appreciation for these animals.
With this fascinating book, award-winning journalist Richard Conniff satisfies your cravings for the thrill and horror of formication-that chilling sensation of something crawling across your skin. Blending humor and sophistication, he introduces you to a host of spineless creatures, from moths to leeches, and the extraordinary enthusiasts who study them. For over 20 years, the author has trekked through jungles, oceans, and deserts in search of invertebrates. Off the coast of Florida, he encounters bizarre, giant squid and the scientists who dine on the extra specimens. He chases ground spiders in the Amazon with a collector who keeps 2,000 pet tarantulas. And while covering the invasion of fire ants in Texas, he attends a festival featuring a roundup of the angry insects. Packed with anecdotes and astonishing facts, Spineless Wonders will fill you with a sense of marvel for the thousands of animals who inhabit the invertebrate world. As you hear Richard M. Davidson's dramatic narration, you will gaze on crawling creatures with new respect and appreciation instead of fear and loathing.
