{"title":"Kathleen Mcauliffe","description":"\u003cp\u003eDelve into the heartwarming stories of Kathleen Mcauliffe. Explore themes of family, love, and resilience in captivating settings. Perfect for readers seeking comforting and uplifting tales.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"this-is-your-brain-on-parasities-book-kathleen-mcauliffe-9780544192225","title":"This is Your Brain on Parasities","description":"\u003cp\u003eA riveting investigation of the myriad ways that parasites control how other creatures - including humans - think, feel, and act. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThese tiny organisms can live only inside another animal, and, as McAuliffe reveals, they have many evolutionary motives for manipulating their host's behavior. Far more often than appreciated, these puppeteers orchestrate the interplay between predator and prey. With astonishing precision, parasites can coax rats to approach cats, spiders to transform the patterns of their webs, and fish to draw the attention of birds that then swoop down to feast on them. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWe humans are hardly immune to the profound influence of parasites. Organisms we pick up from our own pets are strongly suspected of changing our personality traits and contributing to recklessness, impulsivity - even suicide. Microbes in our gut affect our emotions and the very wiring of our brains. Germs that cause colds and flu may alter our behavior even before symptoms become apparent. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eParasites influence our species on the cultural level, too. As McAuliffe documents, a subconscious fear of contagion impacts virtually every aspect of our lives, from our sexual attractions and social circles to our morals and political views. Drawing on a huge body of research, she argues that our dread of contamination is an evolved defense against parasites - and a double-edged sword. The horror and revulsion we feel when we come in contact with people who appear diseased or dirty helped pave the way for civilization but may also be the basis for major divisions in societies that persist to this day. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the tradition of Jared Diamond's \u003ci\u003eGuns, Germs, and Steel\u003c\/i\u003e and Neil Shubin's \u003ci\u003eYour Inner Fish\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThis Is Your Brain on Parasites\u003c\/i\u003e is both a journey into cutting-edge science and a revelatory examination of what it means to be human. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49519879192849,"sku":"GOR008062300","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":49875263324433,"sku":"CIN0544192222G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50873570459921,"sku":"CIN0544192222VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ WELL_READ \/ SBYB","offer_id":53250043805969,"sku":"CIN0544192222A","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0544192222.jpg?v=1751072713"},{"product_id":"this-is-your-brain-on-parasites-book-kathleen-mcauliffe-9780544947252","title":"This Is Your Brain On Parasites","description":"“Engrossing … [An] expedition through the hidden and sometimes horrifying microbial domain.” —Wall Street Journal   “Fascinating—and full of the kind of factoids you can't wait to share.” —Scientific American    Parasites can live only inside another animal and, as Kathleen McAuliffe reveals, these tiny organisms have many evolutionary motives for manipulating the behavior of their hosts. With astonishing precision, parasites can coax rats to approach cats, spiders to transform the patterns of their webs, and fish to draw the attention of birds that then swoop down to feast on them. We humans are hardly immune to their influence. Organisms we pick up from our own pets are strongly suspected of changing our personality traits and contributing to recklessness and impulsivity—even suicide. Germs that cause colds and the flu may alter our behavior even before symptoms become apparent.    Parasites influence our species on the cultural level, too. Drawing on a huge body of research in evolutionary psychology, McAuliffe argues that our dread of contamination is an evolved defense against parasites. The horror and revulsion we are programmed to feel when we come in contact with people who appear diseased or dirty helped pave the way for civilization, but may also be the basis for major divisions in societies that persist to this day. This Is Your Brain on Parasites is both a journey into cutting-edge neuroscience and a revelatory examination of what it means to be human.    “If you’ve ever doubted the power of microbes to shape society and offer us a grander view of life, read on and find yourself duly impressed.” —Heather Havrilesky, Bookforum How much of your personality is actually your own?    Behavioral Science: Discover how parasites can manipulate their hosts with astonishing precision, from coaxing rats to approach cats to making fish easier for birds to prey on. Host Manipulation: Explore the unsettling evidence that common organisms, some from our own pets, may contribute to personality changes like recklessness and impulsivity. The Psychology of Disgust: Uncover the theory that our instinct for revulsion is an evolutionary defense against contamination, a mechanism that helped build civilization. Microbiology and Society: Examine how this ancient fear of disease may be the biological basis for major divisions in societies that persist to this day.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":49565145760017,"sku":"CIN0544947258G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49608556249361,"sku":"GOR008953226","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ LIKE_NEW \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49667083501841,"sku":"GOR011607792","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49729470169361,"sku":"NGR9780544947252","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50255977152785,"sku":"CIN0544947258VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ WELL_READ \/ SBYB","offer_id":50461742596369,"sku":"CIN0544947258A","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51003395440913,"sku":"NIN9780544947252","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":52416332529937,"sku":"GOR011459580","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0544947258.jpg?v=1751326511"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/en-gb\/collections\/author-books-by-kathleen-mcauliffe.oembed","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}