Parasites and Free Will

McAuliffe, Kathleen.This Is Your Brain On Parasites: How Tiny Creatures Manipulate Our
      Behavior and Shape Society.  Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016.
      ISBN: 978-0-544-19222-5

Are you interested in learning about zombified cockroaches? How about suicidal ants?  Or maybe cat-loving mice?  Round worms in human, anyone?  If you answered yes any of these question or you just want to find out what is going on inside your body, read This Is Your Brain On Parasites.  You will be informed, maybe entertained, and likely creeped out.

McAuliffe opens the book with an Introduction on how she stumbled on this topic.  It was an Internet post about a single-celled parasite that targets rat brains and reverses their innate fear of cats into an attraction to cats.  The first five chapters concentrate on the negative affects parasites can have on their hosts.  These are the chapters that deal with zombified cockroaches, suicidal ants, cat-loving rats, and possible effect on humans.  Chapters 6, 7, and 8 examine gut bacteria and its effect on weight and emotions.  The final four chapters delve into more esoteric concerns such as disgust, prejudice, piety, and free will.

This Is Your Brain On Parasites is an interesting grab-bag of parasitical science research.  McAuliffe provides a readable discussion not just on the negative effects of  parasites, but also how they benefit their hosts and maybe have shaped human society.  If you are intrigued or freaked out by this research, read and become informed.

Nerds versus The Batman

Weldon, Glen.  The Caped Crusade: Batman and the Rise of Nerd Culture.  New York: Simon &
            Schuster, 2016.  ISBN: 978-1-4767-5669-1

Batman has been in the public eye since his debut in 1939 in Detective Comics #27. In The Caped Crusade, Glen Weldon explores why Batman has endured, what his cultural impact has been, and the Bat's relevance to today's culture.

In the Introduction, Weldon opens by discussing a 30 year cycle of gritty to campy Batman through its 70 year history, the myth of Batman's reliability, and the rise of nerds in general culture.  He then dives into the history of Batman in nine chapters.  He opens with the first appearances of Batman and discusses his origins and how Robin turned the Lone Vigilant into the Dynamic Duo.  The Comic Book Panic with Dr. Wertham and how it affected Batman is covered in some detail next.  The 1960's television show and its effect on the comic and culture is explored in Chapter 3, followed by the backlash of the comic creators and fans.  There are chapters on the various movies and cartoon shows intermingled with the changing comic book scene covering to close to the present day.  Mingled throughout the chapters is the development of the nerd fan culture and its reaction to the multiple incarnations of Batman over the years.

Weldon has provided a nice history of Batman that places the character in context of his changing fan base.  He provides plenty of informed commentary with informational asides that make this a smooth read.  He lets slip his preferences while still presenting the other side of the argument.  If you like Batman, comics, or the rise of fan culture, you are likely to enjoy The Caped Crusade!